Good things to know about tile:
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Selecting tile Return to Homepage
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Floors need tile
rated for floors, porcelain is best. Ceramic is for walls and counter tops
(though counter tops can take quite a beating so porcelain or stoneware may be prudent
there too). Different tile patterns/colors come with different accompaniments
(ie: bullnose, outcorners, V-cap etc.) so you may need to alter your design to
accommodate the availability of the pattern/color desired. Order at least 10%
extra tile (include bullnose footage with field tile count). 15% if using a
diagonal pattern. Some suppliers recommend less extra but consider keeping
plenty on hand for later repairs and alterations. Manufacturers discontinue
their lines often to allow for new styles and even color lots can vary
considerably.
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Murals can add a
splash of color and design or even shout “Hello” when you walk in the room. You
should know though that most murals are decals that are fired on over the
glaze. These are China Paint decals that are fired at about 1,300 degrees. They
are OK for walls but not for floors or counter tops. They scratch easily and
need to be cleaned with mild soap like Windex and a soft cloth. If you look
carefully, you can see the edge of the decal or the dot matrix of the printing
process. Hand painted murals also can be done with China Paint and have the
same delicacies. If you want a more durable mural check for documentation from
the manufacturer or ask the artist if the mural is fired to at least 1,800
degrees (or cone 07) for countertops or 2,100 degrees (or cone 2) for floors.
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Stone should have
a minimum of flaws and be flat (look at the backs, grab several tiles by one
corner each and lift them to see if they break, put tiles together face to
face, rotate one of them to several positions and see if they rock, then do
this with several pairs).
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Slate makes a
beautiful rustic floor but it is full of surprises. If you are looking for a
very specific color variation, a flat floor or for an exterior application (or
you are OCD), I recommend looking at some of the “slate-look” porcelain tiles,
they are quite beautiful. Slate is a very soft stone, it is formed in layers
which can separate over time, even “gauged” slate can vary a lot in thickness
causing an uncomfortable walking area (maybe even a trip hazard) and like other
stones it is easily stained or etched by chemicals or even juice drinks. Slate
must be sealed well and often, especially where exposed to water and/or
freezing temperatures.
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On the other
hand, if you desire the rugged beauty of natural stone and the disparate color
variations of real slate, order at least a couple of boxes first, lay them out
to see if that is what you really want. Monitor the installation process
because the installer may arrange the tiles to his/her personality, not yours.
Installers understand slate requires more arranging than other tiles (and
that’s why they charge more for slate) but don’t expect them to spend hours
arranging and rearranging. They must keep their pace.
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Grout
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Common grouts
come in two types, sanded and non-sanded. Sanded is for grout joints from 1/8”
and larger and non-sanded is for 1/8” and smaller. For 1/8” grout lines you may
want sanded if your tile is a stone-look or textured tile. Also check if the
tile has large rounded corners making wide joints where corners come together.
If in doubt, use sanded. Sanded works better in smaller joints that non-sanded
does in larger joints (it shrinks and cracks more). It is common for these
cementitous grouts to variegate a little in shade when drying. If the variation
is excessive it can be acid washed to eliminate the white efflorescence.
Efflorescence can be reduced by letting the tile dry 24 hours before grouting.
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Don’t mix too
much grout. It won’t keep till the next day.
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100% epoxy grouts
also come in sanded and non-sanded but are not as restricted to the joint size
rule. The advantage of epoxy grout is that it is resin. It is the same material
as fiberglass resin or Superglue or Bondo. It is hard, durable, waterproof and
acid and stain resistant. It doesn’t need sealing, ever. Corners still need to
be caulked because any sharp angle corner is likely to crack due to movement
(see Caulk below). Most major grout companies offer an epoxy in at least some
of their colors if not all. There are cold water and hot water epoxies. Hot
water works easier with real hot water. The heat cuts the epoxy easier for
better cleanup.
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Mapei has a good epoxy grout with a long
working time but is hard to find. Latticrete Spactra lock has about 45-60 min.
working time and is offered in all colors plus they offer glitter and
glow-in-the-dark. One thing to know about Spectra Lock is it is only good for
floors as it comes in the kit. If you have any vertical or overhead application
you must order “Part E” with your order. Mix 1 packet with each unit of grout.
They don’t tell you about it and it’s not in any of their brochures or online
pages but it is available. Without it the gout will slump out of the joints
while you are waiting for it to set up. Also order extra water additives
(packets of powder to put in your wash water that helps cut the epoxy).
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The disadvantages
of epoxy is it’s expense for the material, expense for application (it has a
very limited working time), it leaves a slight clear film on the tile and It’s
not only waterproof it’s vaporproof (huh?).
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Yes waterproof is
usually a good thing but generally you want your structure to breathe. Trapping
vapor can cause rot, mold and break down some building materials over time. So
epoxy would be recommended only in areas that don’t need to breathe such as
outdoor patios or on structures that have other avenues for vapor to escape.
Most customers opt for common grout and seal it regularly (see Sealing below).
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Some companies offer
a blend of common and epoxy grout. They basically just reduce the upkeep but
should still be sealed.
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Caulk
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Tile caulk is a
siliconized latex caulk and comes complementary to grout (the advantage of
latex caulk is that it is paintable, 100% silicone can leave a paint resisting
film that looks bad against a painted or stained surface). It comes sanded and
non-sanded in all the colors to match the grout. Caulk is required in all
tile-to-tile corners like shower walls, wall to floor and splash to countertop
corners.
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Caulk is a
maintenance point and should be inspected occasionally. Look for loose, moldy
or discolored edges. If so, see if you can grab the bead of caulk and pull. If
a large bead pulls off you may need to replace all of the caulk.
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Backer board
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Backer board or
some cementitous surface is required for floors, shower walls and exterior
walls and recommended for counter tops. Not necessary for dry walls. Many new
types of backer boards are coming on the market all the time. The most common
now are the Hardi brand and the Wonderboard or Durock brands. The Hardi type is
easier to work with but not recommended for showers. It will wick and hold
water. Wonderboard or Durock is a courser grain and they don’t wick water near
as much as Hardi. Special screws are available for these boards but you need a
good impact screw gun to countersink them. Roofing nails are cheaper and easier
to use and they work fine if they are at least 1-1/4” long. A staple gun works
better on floors that a roofing nail gun.
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Backer board on
floors and countertops must be set in mortar (to fill possible voids),
preferably unmodified mortar (so movement in the subfloor isn’t transferred to
the tile).
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Wedi has a backer
that is great for ease of application and performance. It will also do things
that other backers won’t do, it is flexible and can be shaped into sharp
curves. It is made out of closed cell Styrofoam and is very impermeable if the
seams are caulked properly (it doesn’t need extra waterproofing in showers). It
comes with pre-sloped panels to make the pan. The drawback is the floor is soft
and does not supply enough support for walking on mosaic tiles. The grout can
break out.
Ø Waterproofer
o There are many roll-on, spray-on or trowel-on waterproofers on the market. These are mostly used for showers, steam rooms and ponds. The most reliable waterproofer I have found is Latticrete 9235 with full fabric embed. Liquid waterproofers must be applied to 10 mils thick. You can get a wet film guage at paint stores for free or spend hundreds of dollars for fancy equipment that may be a little more accurate, your choice. Some of these waterproofers claim to be rated as a shower pan. Don’t trust a liquid film alone for shower pans. Always use a heavy sheet material such as 40 mil. PVC liner or Kerdi membrane. Liquid films will work if full fabric coverage is embedded carefully and more liquid applied heavily over the fabric. Pinholes can show while drying in liquid without the fabric causing a leak that can undermine the bond of the film and rot the floor.
Ø Design
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o Large tiles work well in small spaces. ¼” groutlines are common on floors and 1/8” or smaller for walls and countertops. Mosaics of 2” or smaller are required for shower floors because the floors are bowl shaped. Accent listellos are usually set at about eye level in showers. Think about the finish of edges. For instance, listellos don’t usually have finished edges so they must be bordered by a bullnose on an exposed edge or when wraping around outside corners you need a bullnose on each side.
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Sealing
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Most sealers on
the market are quite good for certain applications. Glazed tile doesn’t need a
sealer but cementitous grout does. Fresh grout needs to dry for 2 to 3 days
before sealing so most tilesetters don’t include sealing in their bids.
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Penetrating
(impregnator) sealers are good for most applications. They won’t change the
gloss of porous stone like travertine or slate but they may leave a film on
polished stone like granite or marble so don’t let any puddles dry.
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Topical sealers
will affect the gloss so they come in glossy or matte.
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Sealing needs to
be done periodically. It will wear off. You can check it with a drop of water.
If the water beads up like a waxed car, it’s good. If it flattens out (it may
be hard to tell on highly textured surfaces) and soaks in (if it disappears
before it has time to evaporate) or leaves a dark spot it’s time to reseal.
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In showers keep
in mind sealers are not waterproofers. They are designed to breathe. A sealer
is designed to allow moisture from about 2 showers a day to breathe in and out
of the grout. Continuous overuse can allow hydronic pressure to build up under
the sealer and actually lift the sealer destroying it. After some heavy use,
check to see if the shower floor (or lower wall area) grout has some darker
spots when it is damp.
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Very important! All natural stones are porous and must be
sealed if in contact with food preparation. Use a penetrating (impregnating)
sealer yearly. In heavily used areas check the sealer often as described above.
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Stone care
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See http://www.marble-institute.com/ .
Click on “Consumer Resources” for more than you’ll ever need to know about
stone care.
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Happy Tiling!