Category: Tile & Shower Enclosures

The death trap under your feet Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. That same level of neglect happens in the shower but with deadlier results.…

The subfloor secret that ruins slate installations Slate flooring installations fail most often because of subfloor deflection and poor leveling compound application. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the…

The myth of the easy tile edge Finish a tile corner with Schluter strips by embedding the perforated anchoring leg into a fresh layer of thin-set mortar before pressing the tile into place. This mechanical bond ensures that the aluminum or stainless steel profile becomes a permanent part of the structural assembly, protecting the fragile…

Glass tile installation is not a hobby for the faint of heart. It is a structural engineering exercise that demands respect for material science. Most installers approach glass the same way they approach ceramic or porcelain, and that is exactly why they fail. Glass is an amorphous solid with a unique molecular structure that lacks…

Installing tile on a shower ceiling represents the ultimate test of a setter’s patience and technical precision. Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet, and ceilings…

I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet, but even that grunt work pales in comparison to the heartbreak of a ruined marble floor. I once walked into a luxury master bath where forty thousand dollars of pristine white Carrara had been laid.…

I have spent twenty five years on my knees with a trowel in my hand and sawdust under my nails. Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a…

Why your bathroom tiles are sounding hollow when you walk Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet, and that is the exact same discipline required for…

The substrate secret that stops gravity Installing large format tiles on a shower wall requires a substrate with less than 1/8 inch variation over 10 feet. Because these tiles are heavy and inflexible, the wall must be perfectly flat to ensure 95 percent mortar coverage and prevent lippage. Professionals use high-bond polymer-modified thin-set to combat…

The mechanics of the monolithic tile surface Most guys skip the leveling compound. They think the underlayment will hide the dip. It won’t. I spent three days grinding concrete on a job last month just so the floor wouldn’t click like a castanet. When you are dealing with large format tile, you are essentially trying…