Tile is the most durable flooring and facing material available. It is color permanent and virtually abrasion resistant. It will not cut, tear, gouge, puncture, warp, rot, burn or require refinishing.

Sogo, a fully homogenous tile is far superior to ordinary ceramic floor tiles. Ordinary ceramic floor tiles are porous products and require to be glazed before use. Sogo on the other hand is an unglazed product. It is made of single compact body mass and is fully vitrified (water absorption near zero). This makes it stronger and more durables.

Ceramic tile can be bonded to ceramic tile with a polymer modified thinset BUT your installation will only be as good as the weakest tile in the old installation.

If your tile floor is properly maintained, you can expect it to last 20 years or more. You will greatly enhance the life of your tile floors or walls by using a properly installed cement backer board. Properly maintained tile walls installed over a cement backer board can also last 20 or more years.

You first need to flatten the floor with a skim coat of a Portland cement based patching compound. Or, you can simply install a floating clic cork floor directly over the existing tile.

Although glazed ceramic tile requires less floor care than most of the other flooring types, there are things you need to do to maintain the beauty of the ceramic tile floor. Wash regularly. Wash the floor regularly to remove any dirt or grit. Use a mild, diluted detergent solution, such as Mr. Clean or Spic & Span. If in doubt, call us to get the file manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations. Always rinse.

We generally recommend that the underlayment be removed because the subfloor may mot be adequate to support tile; however if your existing vinyl floor was installed over an adequate subfloor using a full spread installation method then yes, it can be done if you use the proper installation products.

No. Mastic is best used for wall tile, especially in high-humidity areas. For most floor installation, we recommend latex thinset.

It's important that your floor be strong and without any flexibility. Your joists should be 2"x10" centered every 16". The plywood subfloor must be either 5/8" exterior grade plywood or 3/4" OSB before you begin adding to the substrate. Deflection both dead and live loads must not exceed L/360 for ceramic tile or L/720 for natural stone and some larger ceramic tiles. There are allowances made for variances to the above. Check with the pros in the forum for recommendations.

Depending upon the type of system you have, it is usually possible to install ceramic over radiant heat floors. Some applications will require a membrane in between the tile and subfloor. Ask your contractor what is best for you. One of the rubs against ceramic tile is that it is cold and hard. There are floor heating systems available to make your floor more comfortable to the touch, but in terms of hardness, yes, ceramic is much like hardwood in that it doesn’t have much give.

Ceramic tile is a mixture of clays which have been shaped and fired at high temperatures, resulting in a hard body. Ceramic tile is made of two parts: the body, which is called the Bisque and the surface which is called the Glaze. Glaze colors are made from minerals such as gold, sliver, zinc copper, mercury cobalt and others.

Ceramic tile is characterised by its easiness to clean, its ability to be kept from dirt and any type of corruption. You can simply clean your floor with a damp cloth and if the surface is dirty or greasy, cleaning agents such as detergents or bleach may be used. The ability of ceramic surfaces to prevent humidity, also prevents the development of dust mites population and fungi that are easily generated. Ceramic tiles are naturally resistant to chemical and biological agents, and to friction..

Layout - My husband is having trouble with the layout/cuts in the ceramic tile for our tub/shower area. There is an uncentered window in the primary wall. He keeps saying "no matter how I figure it, I still end up with 1/2" gap at the top of wall". Is there any way you can tell him what he's doing wrong? Thanks SOOO MUCH! Exterior Chimney - Do you have any information on tiling the exterior of a stucco chimney? Below freezing in winter.

Our technicians do not install floor tile, but we can recommend and coordinate with tile contractors to give your bathroom a completely new look.

Asphalt shingles, though reasonably priced, don't deliver the best in looks or performance. Wood shakes, though attractive, don't have the fire resistance sought by homeowners and mandated by many local codes. Tiles, though beautiful, are heavy and difficult to install, sometimes leading to breakage and safety problems. Met-Tile gives you the best of all worlds: the look of tile, plus the light weight and high performance of engineered metal roofing.

A Miracle Method refinished bathtub or tile wall can easily last 10 to 15 years with proper care and maintenance. In fact, many of our customers have told us their bathtubs still look and feel great 15 years after being refinished.

To be used outdoors, the tile must be frost proof and unglazed for floor use. Make sure the absorption rate is 0.5% or less

Tile is actually the same temperature as the surrounding room temperature -- it holds warmth in a sunny room and would maintain a cooler temperature in an air-conditioned room. There are many installation products that will warm a tile.

ASTRA-GLAZE-SW® + units are made in Emigsville, Pennsylvania, South Beloit, Illinois, and Phoenix, Arizona. They are made using high purity, natural grain silica sands and a resinous binder cast onto a concrete block in a thermosetting, glazing process. The result is a hard glazed tile-like surface permanently molded onto one or more faces of the concrete blocks. ASTRA-GLAZE-SW® + blocks are fired at about 500 degrees Fahrenheit in a tunnel oven.

Use a carbide-tipped masonry bit or diamond drill bit; Fegular twist-drill bits can't cut through the fire-hardened glaze. Not necessarily. Porcelain tile is no different in temperature than anything else in the room except that it holds its temperature better because of its mass. Of course, cool is good in warm weather climates and it's easy to warm things up with an area rug or two.

There is no need to wax, polish or buff your tile installation. A damp sponge or mop is all that is necessary for daily maintenance. Special problems? Each of our locations carries a full line of Aqua Mix maintenance products developed specifically for ceramic

The initial cost of ceramic tile (when installed by a professional) is typically higher than many other floor coverings. However, because of its durability, it is also considered to be the least expensive in the long run. Occasionally, a tile may be cracked or broken, but the entire floor will never have to be replaced, except in extreme cases. Most other floors, such as carpet and vinyl flooring, will eventually need to be replaced. Tile runs the gauntlet.

Cleaning tiles is simple. Wipe tiles with a damp sponge or mop, using a small amount of soap less detergent in warm water. Heavy duty cleaning can be accomplished with a bleach and water solution. Avoid abrasive household cleaners, which will scratch your tile. (see tile care for more thorough information)

There are two basic types of tile: glazed and unglazed. A glazed tile is a hardened piece of clay covered with a protective glass coating, creating a sheen. The coating is sprayed or poured on as a liquid and then hardened in the oven. An unglazed tile is simply a hardened piece of clay. There is no protective covering.

Ceramic tile floors don't need any wax or floor finish, and all you have to do is sweep and mop them regularly to keep them clean and shiny. Mop with clear water (or add just a dab of liquid dish detergent), and change the water as soon as it gets cloudy. Too much soap or dirty water will leave a dulling or sticky film. Don't use brown or black nylon-backed scrub pads on ceramic tile, or you could scratch the surface.

The composition is what makes the difference. Ceramic tile is made of clay either white or red, Porcelain tile is made of porcelain. Porcelain offers less absorption of water, it is virtually impervious and has more sheer strength to it.

Yes. However, we recommend unglazed, frost proof tiles for outdoor use. Look for tiles with absorption rates of 0.5% or less.

Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles in which the pattern or figure on the surface is not a product of the glaze but of different colours of clay. They are often of two colours but a tile may be composed of as many as six. The pattern is inlaid into the body of the tile, so as the tile is worn down the design remains.