flat

Installation of Laticrete Linear Drain (Part 2)

72 hours. That’s the answer to your question. 72 hours. Three days. Your question, by the way, is ‘Now that I have my linear drain in and my shower deck fabricated how long do I have to wait before installing my Laticrete HydroBan to waterproof everything?’ That’s a great question! 72 hours. If you don’t [...]

Read the full article →

What is a ‘Soft Joint’ and When to use One

That title right there is absolutely ripe for me to go off on a sophomoric, mildly humorous rant about the viability of inferior illegal plant use. But I’m not gonna do that. (Okay, maybe later…) A soft joint, or control joint,  is simply one grout line, all the way down the length of your installation, [...]

Read the full article →

How to Install Absolutely Flat Floor Tile

I constantly reiterate the need for a tile installation to be flat. Not necessarily level, but always flat. This is the mark of a true professional and the thing that turns an ‘okay’ installation into a spectacular installation. (Did I just type ‘spectacular? Jesus…) Anyway, the method I use on floor tile to get it [...]

Read the full article →

Tile and Stone Types – Honed, Rectified, Gauged

We, meaning us evil, scheming people in the tile industry, have a bad habit of using words that are not easily understood or recognized by the general public – and that’s a bad thing. Well, I think it’s a bad thing anyway, since the general public are the ones buying the tile – Hello, McFly??? [...]

Read the full article →

Installing Cement Backerboard for Tile in a Shower

Installing cement backerboard is one of the more popular choices for a shower wall substrate. Cement backerboards include Hardiebacker, Durock, Fiberboard, wonderboard, and similar products. These materials bridge the gap between expense and effectiveness. When installed properly they will give you many, many years of durable shower construction. The advantage of cement backerboards is that, [...]

Read the full article →

Does my Floor have to be Level to Install Tile?

Before installing tile on your floor you must make sure your floor is properly prepared.  A properly prepared floor does not have to be level. It must, however, be flat. The only time the levelness (is that a word?) must be taken into consideration is when drainage is an issue, such as on a porch [...]

Read the full article →