Expert Answers in

ANSWER – Thin-set mortars should not deteriorate from being exposed to moisture.  Most thin-set mortars are used in showers and in pools and fountains.

Moisture that migrates into the concrete slab from the ground and…

ANSWER – The marble may in fact be retaining moisture and maybe it will go away after it dries out.  On the other hand natural stone has various minerals within it that can react with…

ANSWER – There is a type 1 and a type 2 organic mastic.  Type 1 mastic is more water resistant, but only suitable for limited water exposure.

Using the mastic on the kitchen backsplash is…

ANSWER – There are many reasons why a grout will crack and come loose.  Unsanded grout is recommended for grout joints 1/8″ wide down to 1/16″ wide.  Sanded grout is recommended for grout joints that…

ANSWER – Sealing a Saltillo tile doesn’t waterproof the tile. Sealing the tile only makes it moisture resistant.  A sealer should help to minimize the white efflorescence staining, but it may or may not stop…

ANSWER – You should never adhere anything to a stucco finish on a wall.  The stucco is typically a cementitous material with a low amount of cement that makes it relatively weak.  You should remove…

ANSWER – It depends on what type of mat was used over the plywood on whether it is an acceptable installation method.  Although it would be ideal to install a waterproof membrane in areas that…

ANSWER – Normally when you get cracking over a suspended floor following the joints of the tile backer board that the tile was bonded to, it is due to a combination of excessive deflection in…

ANSWER – I doubt that you have a glazed porcelain tile floor.  A glazed tile is a tile with a glass-like coating on the surface that can’t be altered unless you have abused it in…

ANSWER – Normally when there are hairline cracks going continuously through a number of tiles including the grout joint, it suggests that there might be a crack i the substrate below it that is telegraphing…