Posts by Kim
Repairs to Granite Countertop
The granite apron cut tiles fell off and I was called out to replace them. There are many possible reasons why these tiles fell off. The mortar underneath the skirt cuts was soft and degraded easily by just pushing on it with a chisel. This was either defective mortar or mortar that had too much…
Read MoreTop Secret Way to Keep Your Tiled Bathroom Walls Clean
The solidifiers in bar soap lead to heavy duty soap scum buildup on the tiles and grout joints in bathrooms. A very simple way to reduce your cleaning labor is to switch from bar soap to clear, colorless liquid body soap.
Read MoreEvidence of Leaking Shower
I was called out to clean this shower and I stopped dead in my tracks. This shower displays all the classic signs of water leakage leading to damage. I noticed the sheetrock and paint damage immediately adjacent to the shower curb, classic indicators of water wicking upwards out of the shower pan. When the weep…
Read MoreVintage-Look Bathroom
The homeowner asked if this solid surface Carrera marble vanity top needed to be sealed. Based on the fact that this guest bathroom is rarely used, we recommended that it be sealed with a solvent-based product once a year. Beautiful basketweave Carrera marble. It is not recommended that you put this inside a shower on…
Read MoreWhy You Don’t Hire Workers From the Big Box Store
I was called out to a shower damaged by an electrician. He was working on the back side of the wall to install a subpanel. Using a reciprocating saw blade, he had cut into the wall all the way through the mortarboard and tile on the other side. He had damaged four large tiles. Unfortunately,…
Read MoreTricky Kitchen Backsplash Installation
It’s quite common for me to get calls from people with 6” granite backsplashes in their kitchens who want them removed. They find a tile that they prefer as a backsplash. Typically when I remove the granite there can be damage underneath; I charge by the hour to fix these areas because I’m not sure…
Read MoreChanging Your Mind on Grout Color
The homeowner originally chose a dark brown grout when this floor was installed eight years ago, but always wished that she had chosen a color that matched the tile better. We showed her color samples and she chose Sandstone as the new grout color. Tedius but rewarding work. Not all grout colorants are created equal.…
Read MoreNetted Carrara Marble Kitchen Backsplash
This Turkish Carrara marble tile was purchased by the homeowner from a big box store. Keep in mind that when you purchase tile from a big box store, expect many imperfections and purchase extra, especially when the tiles are mounted on a net. The other reason to purchase more tile is because of the wide…
Read MoreKitchen Grout Cleaning
In the kitchen, the grimiest, greasiest grout is usually next to the stove. In this area we had to pre-soak the grout joints for quite a bit of time, then use a very hot industrial steamer to remove the grime.
Read MoreBasketweave Kitchen Backsplash
The homeowner selected a long subway-style tile. The first thing I did when I arrived on the job was to check the wall with a long straight-edge. With larger format tiles it’s very important to make sure the wall is flat. When you stagger a tile, you’re then taking the 10″ length and doubling it…
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