Building Materials & Supplies

Travertine tumbled stone tiles are cut flat and square like other stone tiles, but their surface is pockmarked with craters and holes, the result of natural mineral activity in the stone. The...

Laying tile on a floor usually requires very rigid cement board and thinset mortar, but it's much simpler on a countertop because there won't be significant weight on it. Just about any solid,...

Grout is a type of mortar made to sit in the spaces between tiles, providing a solid connector. "Floating'' the grout refers to the method of pressing the grout into the lines and wiping off the...

The usual method of grouting the spaces between tiles is to wipe the grout across the entire surface with a flat rubber trowel, and then sponge the excess grout off the tile face, leaving it in...

Installing tile over a subfloor usually entails first putting down a layer of concrete backerboard or extra plywood. If you are trying to avoid raising the level of the floor, you can get away...

Laying a tile floor requires a strong, immobile underlayment. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that it's possible (and even advantageous) to lay new tile over an existing tile floor or over...

The backsplash behind your countertop is generally going to be made of tile, with grout between the tile lines. Regardless of what material it is, though, you should caulk around the bottom of the...

Porcelain, when fully glazed, is one of the most solid and moisture-proof kinds of floor tile you can buy. But that won't mean much if moisture can seep under the tile through the grout in...

White grout is not always the best choice for a ceramic tile application. White gets dirty quickly, creates a stark contrast with some tile colors, and is particularly impractical in high traffic...

Tile grout is the cement that fills the spaces between tiles. It looks rock-solid, but it's actually the most porous and vulnerable part of any tiled surface and is apt to absorb moisture and...

Loose or cracked ceramic tiles not only look bad, they can also cause damage. Tile walls or floors are designed to seal out moisture, and any break in that seal can allows moisture to get behind...

Grout is the cement-like substance that fills in the spaces between your shower tiles. If it starts to crack and crumble, it means either that it wasn't properly installed in the first place, or...

Grout and stone or clay tiles look impenetrable, but in fact neither is completely waterproof in their natural, unsealed states. Applying liquid sealant over the grout lines is simple, unless...

"Shower pan" is the term that refers to a properly built shower floor structure around a drain. The top layer of a shower pan is Portland cement that's sloped toward the drain from all sides. Your...

A wall tile that's loose, cracked or broken can ruin the look of an otherwise nice tiled wall. It can also literally ruin the wall, if moisture gets under it and migrates beneath the other tiles,...

A tile backsplash protects the wall behind your countertop from splattered water while also providing a decorative element to the countertop and tying it to the wall. There are numerous ways to...

Travertine is a form of stone rich in mineral deposits, air holes and other variations. When cut into tiles, it creates a distinctive look of pockmarks and holes throughout the tile face. Since...

Wall tiles provide a solid, classic look to a room, while also protecting the wall from moisture and damage. Porcelain (pressed clay dust) is one of the oldest and most popular forms of wall tile....

Grout---the cement that sits in the lines between tiles---is more porous than it looks. If you don't seal it with a liquid sealer, moisture can get into the lines and cause all kinds of problems....

If you have a ceramic floor tile that is loose, cracked, badly stained or otherwise unsalvageable, you can remove it without disturbing the surrounding tiles. It is a somewhat delicate operation...

Laying marble tiles (or any other natural stone tile) over a countertop is a somewhat different and more complicated job than installing clay-based tiles like ceramic or porcelain. Natural stone...

Your project calls for grout and you wonder if there are any safety considerations. What things do you need to do to protect yourself, your family or pets and your home while you are doing...

Mosaic tiles are very small tiles (often around one square inch), which are sold pre-mounted on mesh-backed sheets of two square feet or more for easy installation. Like any other tile, they need...

Ceramic tile is a versatile wall covering, able to go over wood, plaster, cement, wetrock, and other wall surfaces. Even sheetrock (drywall) can be used, under the right circumstances, even though...

Normally, you'll want to lay your ceramic tile floor over a strong, flat underlayment like thick plywood or (preferably) cement board. However, if there's already a ceramic floor there, it...

The best underlayment for tile floor installation is a hard, immobile surface---including an existing tile surface. Yes, tile can be laid over other tile, and in fact it's sometimes a better base...

Linoleum countertops have been with us for a few generations now---sometimes literally, depending on how long it's been since your kitchen was updated. If your old linoleum counter is in good...

It's usually best to install ceramic tile over cement board, because it adheres well to the tile and limits the amount of movement under the tiles, which can cause cracking. However, if...

Ease of use makes ceramic tile one of the most popular kinds of tile--especially among do-it-yourselfers. The clay base gives ceramic tiles an advantage over stone because it is easy to cut and...

Travertine is a very distinct form of stone tile cut from mineral-formed stone that has naturally occurring craters, pockmarks, and holes in the surface. Some travertine applications are installed...

If the grout between your kitchen countertop tiles has become corroded, cracked, or so dirty that nothing will clean it, it may be time to dig it out and re-grout. Grout is a form of cement, and...

Tumbled travertine is a unique-looking form of tile made from mineral-rich rocks, with a lot of a natural craters and holes in the surface. These holes are part of the travertine look---but they...

Over time, tile grout can become stained, cracked or begin to crumble. If the tiles are intact and you just want to place new grout in the tiles, your first step is to remove the existing grout....

Your shower tile performs an important function--sealing moisture out from the wall behind it. Proper application of the grout between the tiles is crucial to creating that barrier. Grout is...

Grout is essentially cement that's formulated to sit in the spaces between ceramic tiles, bridging the gap and provide strength and moisture protection. There are two basic types: grout with sand...

Cement backerboard has become the standard for laying or hanging tiles, replacing the plywood underlayment and wetrock walls that used to be used. Cement backerboard, when properly installed,...

Tile and grout may look solid and impenetrable, but in fact both materials are porous and vulnerable to moisture and stains until they're properly sealed with a liquid sealer. Many ceramic and...

Floor tile needs a solid, immobile base to prevent cracking. Normally when laying floor tile, you'll start with a subfloor that's covered with a plywood underlayment or hardwood, then put 1/4 inch...

Marble tile is a natural stone product, and needs to be installed slightly differently than clay-based tiles like ceramic. Marble is cut very flat and straight, without the tapered edges or...

Grout is a form of mortar used to bridge the spaces between tiles and help prevent moisture from getting under them. There are two basic kinds of grout--"sanded" and "unsanded"--which simply...

Natural stone tile is very different from a clay manufactured product like ceramic. Despite its solid appearance, stone is very porous, absorbant and prone to staining. This issue comes into play...

Natural stone tiles (marble, slate, granite and others) tend to look solid and impenetrable. They're not. If you buy unsealed stone tiles, which is generally how they're sold, the material will...

Grout--the specialized mortar between floor and wall tiles--may seem solid and impenetrable, but in fact it's the most porous part of the tiled area. Sealing the grout with a special liquid...

Kitchen and bathroom remodels often necessitate new tiles and, in turn, new grout colors. Some people assume this isn't a problem because they think grout only comes in white, but grout actually...

If a tile is coming loose from your ceramic-tiled floor or wall, it should be removed completely so you can reinstall it or replace it. The grout (the cementlike substance between the tiles)...

Tile can be applied to metal as easily as any other material. As long as you have the right adhesive you should have no problems. You can use any type or color of tile on metal surfaces and the...

Laying tile requires a few basic tools--tape measure, pencil, chalk snap line (for the layout)--and a lot of specialized ones. You'll need highly specialize materials for the process as well....

Grouting granite tile is a different process than grouting most other tiles. The stone is cut into straight squares with no mounding or curving, so it will appear to be a solid slab of rock once...

Man has been using natural materials in home building since the beginning. With the more common use of artificial materials in home constructions, many of us like to use the looks of nature to...

If you've got a ceramic tile wall or floor, and you want to salvage some or all of the tiles intact, the first thing you need to know going in is that it might not be possible. Tiles are installed...