| Subject | Date Asked |
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| saltillo tile | 9/4/2008 |
Q: I recently had someone strip 1000 sq. ft of saltillo tile in a house I am getting ready to sell. ... A: Saltillo has a very thin partiallly vitrified surface that is very easily removed if someone puts a ...
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| ruined saltillos | 9/2/2008 |
Q: I hired a "professional" who ruined my whitewashed saltillos. He stripped off the shellac and the ... A: Depends on the type of oil used as the modifier of the resin binder. If it is an oil based acrylic ...
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| ruined saltillos | 9/2/2008 |
Q: I hired a "professional" who ruined my whitewashed saltillos. He stripped off the shellac and the ... A: Most of these whitewashes for saltillo is where you take a white paint and thin it way down. ...
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| remover enhancer/ager | 9/1/2008 |
Q: Similar to the last question, we had a honed limestone floor installed and I wanted to use Tenax ... A: I have no idea what this product is, therefore I have no idea what to do about an improper ...
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| Getting surface scratchs out of ceramic floor tiles | 8/31/2008 |
Q: i am hoping you can help with this one.... I have white ceramic floor tiles in my kitchen which i ... A: Assuming this is a glazed tile, you could try toothpaste and a tooth brush in order to clean out the ...
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| grout sealing | 8/31/2008 |
Q: I am sealing newly grout with 511 impregnator. Could you tell me the best technique? In the past I ... A: Apply the 511 to the grout fairly heavily. If all soaks in, apply a second coating before the first ...
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| brick tile flooring | 8/30/2008 |
Q: I am slightly desperate!!!! We put brick tile in our kitchen and sunroom and laundry room about a ... A: Are you saying I do not need to strip my floor of the waxy type whatever that appears to be on it? ...
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| brick tile flooring | 8/30/2008 |
Q: I am slightly desperate!!!! We put brick tile in our kitchen and sunroom and laundry room about a ... A: The solution to this is actually quite simple. Sealers are not made for any scuff resistance, etc. ...
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| sealing, using Stone Glamour | 8/29/2008 |
Q: I have a "natural stone" or "quarried stone" shower in my bathroom. The people I bought the house ... A: You need to rinse the shower several times before you try to reseal the shower. TSP is of such a ...
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| ceramic tile stripping | 8/26/2008 |
Q: how do remove a glossy sealer from the ceramic tile which i just install as a backspalsh and how do ... A: If there is a sealer on the tiles, you should be able to get it off with acetone. If you want to ...
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| Painting Saltillo Tiles | 8/23/2008 |
Q: We bought a house that is covered with very damaged saltillo tiles. We are saving up to replace the ... A: Well, to me, having saltillo tiles painted is sort of like winning a gold medal, and being so proud ...
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| mexican tile | 8/23/2008 |
Q: How do I restore the mexican tile on my patio. The tiles and grout has faded over 28 years. The ... A: Restoring the tiles after 28 years of neglect can be a bit time consuming. I imagine a number of the ...
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| closing the barn door after the horse is out! | 8/20/2008 |
Q: As an old rock hound I love the look of natural stone but had I done a search first I might have ... A: This spirit based sealer, if it truly is a sealer, should stop liquids from staining and attacking ...
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| Glue removal | 8/20/2008 |
Q: What is the easiest/fastest/cheapest way to remove glue from a concrete floor that was used to ... A: The easiest/fastest/cheapest way to remove adhesive from concrete is not all that easy, fast or ...
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| waterproofing red brick basement floor | 8/18/2008 |
Q: My basement area is below grade and floor is red brick with cement joints. It is not painted, and ... A: Something I should have mentioned... if you live in California, this product does not meet their VOC ...
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| waterproofing red brick basement floor | 8/18/2008 |
Q: My basement area is below grade and floor is red brick with cement joints. It is not painted, and ... A: Salts tear up most sealers, but we have just recently developed a sealer that handles salt spray, ...
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| mexican tile | 8/18/2008 |
Q: I have Mexican tile. The tiles have been sealed once at installation (with a glossy water based ... A: On the tiles that have had the sealer worn off, if there is still any sealer on those particular ...
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| Travertine tiles | 8/15/2008 |
Q: What sealing and finish products do you recommend for travertine floor tiles. I am installing them ... A: Stone Glamor, two coats, followed by at least three thin coats of Internacional Finish. Application ...
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| brick floors | 8/13/2008 |
Q: Our brick floors in our Santa Fe home are in need of refinishing. My problem is that I do not know ... A: It's not clear whether you are trying to clean the old coating, or remove it. If you are removing ...
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| Sealer residue on grout? | 8/12/2008 |
Q: I recently installed slate tiles in my kitchen. I have a dark charcoal colored grout and used Tile ... A: I can't really answer for another company's products, but Tile Lab is actually Custom Building ...
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| Travertine tile | 8/11/2008 |
Q: I have just finished putting up 12"x12" sheets of travertine tile as a backsplash in my kitchen. I'm ... A: There are products made just for filling in the holes in travertine. Whether you do so is up to ...
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| fixing scratches on ceramic tile floor | 8/11/2008 |
Q: I just read your response to a similar questioned asked but I think my circumstance is slightly ... A: If the scratches have gone through that thin layer of partially vitrified clay, then they appear ...
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| Removing enhancer from travertine | 8/10/2008 |
Q: Your postings are so informative! I'm hoping you can help us. The person who installed our ... A: Acetone will not harm travertine, but what can damage it is a stripping pad or other abrasive item ...
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| Vinegar as a cleaning solution | 8/8/2008 |
Q: Does vinegar break down sealant? My grout which was installed 2 years ago was quartz color and ... A: Please understand there are a lot of coatings out there that are being called sealers that are not. ...
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| closing the barn door after the horse is out! | 8/8/2008 |
Q: As an old rock hound I love the look of natural stone but had I done a search first I might have ... A: Bringing out more color from a substrate is generally a function of introducing a resinous sealer ...
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| remove tile adhesive from brick | 8/8/2008 |
Q: I have a brick fireplace and the previous owners put tile over it. I have removed most of the tile ... A: If this is some sort of concrete, then it can be dissolved using a light acid solution. It will ...
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| VCT cloudy spots | 8/7/2008 |
Q: I have some Armstrong VCT tile that was aggressively stripped with a black scrub pad verses the less ... A: My guess is, the black pad tore into the surface of the vinyl tile, causing this appearance. It is ...
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| Exterior quarry tile | 8/7/2008 |
Q: I have quarry tile on my covered front porch butitis exposed to the elements and I have potted ... A: I would suggest a sealer followed by a finish. A finish can be affected by standing water, but the ...
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| travertine stain removal | 8/7/2008 |
Q: Hey there, I am panicking right now because my cat knocked over a huge costco size glass bottle of ... A: Best to rehone it. Most cost effective is to put a finish on it. In any event, you would probably ...
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| travertine stain removal | 8/6/2008 |
Q: Hey there, I am panicking right now because my cat knocked over a huge costco size glass bottle of ... A: Travertine is pure calcite, and as such, will dissolve in just about any acid, including vinegar. ...
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| stripping poly from stone | 8/4/2008 |
Q: We have a slate-looking grey-blue stone floor in the house that we bought. It has ~ 1/4" - 3/8" ... A: We make a stripper called SR-5. You can call and let us know where you live, and we can look up ...
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| stripping poly from stone | 8/3/2008 |
Q: We have a slate-looking grey-blue stone floor in the house that we bought. It has ~ 1/4" - 3/8" ... A: Some strippers contain wax in order to slow down the evaporation of the stripping solvents, which ...
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| Colouring grout in slate porch | 8/3/2008 |
Q: I built a new house and had slate installed on the back porch. The grout was a dark gray. When the ... A: The grout needs to be recolored after removing the sealer from the grout. It might be possible to ...
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| Sealing exterior tile | 8/1/2008 |
Q: We live in Miami Fl. and have an exterior balcony covered with an unglazed terracota tile. The ... A: Invariably, the problem is not water getting into the tile and grout, but water coming down the ...
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| stripping and resealing brick floor | 7/31/2008 |
Q: About 10 years ago, I had my brick floors sealed with Stone Glamour and Mex Seal. Right away, I ... A: The difference in appearance usually indicates some sort of incompatibility that the sealer could ...
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| Porcelain Floors | 7/30/2008 |
Q: We've recently had a 'travertine look-alike' floor installed but the tiles were porcelain. In the ... A: The powers that be here are looking into shipping some to you. We should know something by the end ...
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| cleaning tiles, | 7/29/2008 |
Q: I have moved into a house that has tiles that look to be terra cotta, but I am not sure. They are ... A: If, when you put water on these tiles, the water goes in, then you first saturate the tiles with ...
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| Porcelain Floors | 7/29/2008 |
Q: We've recently had a 'travertine look-alike' floor installed but the tiles were porcelain. In the ... A: It's easier for us to buy stuff from the UK than for you to buy from us, what with all the European ...
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| Porcelain Floors | 7/29/2008 |
Q: We've recently had a 'travertine look-alike' floor installed but the tiles were porcelain. In the ... A: What you want to do here is improve the aesthetics. Porcelain does not need a sealer, so a finish ...
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| sealing slate | 7/27/2008 |
Q: I'm in the midst of my bathroom remodel. I have Brazilian slate for the floor and the floor of the ... A: I was unable to find any real information on this sealer. What little I did find convinces me they ...
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| Stripping polyurethane from a brick floor | 7/26/2008 |
Q: I am trying to strip polyurethane from a brick kitchen floor. I am using Citristrip gel and it ... A: For a thick coating it takes a stripper that will dwell on if for a long time while working into the ...
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| sandstone patio | 7/26/2008 |
Q: A contractor in my employ recently completed a sandstone patio for me. Techni-Seal RG polymeric ... A: I have seen this before where a latex grout was used, and the latex leached into the sides of the ...
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| Stripping polyurethane from a brick floor | 7/25/2008 |
Q: I am trying to strip polyurethane from a brick kitchen floor. I am using Citristrip gel and it ... A: I'm not familiar with that particular stripper, but in any event, the small areas that tend to ...
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| cleaning and sealing brick | 7/25/2008 |
Q: I own and operate a small retail flooring store. I have been asked to quote a job which includes ... A: It sounds like you could be opening yourself up to some liability concerns here if you do not know ...
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| saltillo tile resealing | 7/22/2008 |
Q: I've recently got a condo with saltillo tile, however the seal on it is worn down and very dirty, ... A: We make a stripper called SR-5 that will get off just about everything. We make a line of sealers ...
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| tumbled marble | 7/22/2008 |
Q: ..and the glue from netting has bled into some parts of the marble tiles...looks like it was sitting ... A: Chances are it will not come out. The only real remedy is to break out the affected pieces and ...
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| counter top tiles | 7/20/2008 |
Q: I recently moved into home that has very porous ceramic tile on the counter tops. (kind of looks ... A: You can seal the tiles with a film forming sealer and eliminate the porosity which will also ...
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| rust on brick | 7/18/2008 |
Q: I am going to paint my house soon but my brick chimney has some rust and I don't want to ruin my ... A: The trick here is in the acid that is used. Get a water clear muriatic (hydrochloric) acid and cut ...
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| Tiles & Grout | 7/15/2008 |
Q: we just had the backsplash installed. We had used Jerusalem Gold tiles for it. After the grouting ... A: Sorry it took so long to get back to you on this, but the system did not send me an email notifying ...
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| stain on travertine | 7/14/2008 |
Q: We dropped margarita mix on the kitchen floor and although we wiped it up immediately it has left a ... A: I would need to know what the "penetrating" sealer is that was used in the past, as some types will ...
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| Strip and Restain Saltillo Tile | 7/14/2008 |
Q: I would like to strip and re-stain saltillo tile in my home because it has faded severely over the ... A: After stripping, you can stain with a thinned out oil based wood stain that does not contain any ...
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| quarry tile sealer | 7/10/2008 |
Q: I used a penetrating sealer on new quarry tile and it dried white and messy in places even tho' I ... A: This sounds like a waterborne. If a company takes an off the shelf latex and tries to make a ...
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| Adding Gloss to Stone | 7/10/2008 |
Q: I have seen a Highly Glossy stone floor in the home of an accquaintance. TBoth the stone and the ... A: It can be. Part of the trick is to put a finish on top of the urethane in order to maintain the ...
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| Onyx in steam shower | 7/9/2008 |
Q: We are contemplating putting onyx in the steam shower of a custom home we are building. It will be ... A: If it is true onyx, then it should look nice and hold up well, but if it is a calcite being pawned ...
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| Floor tile removal and resurface | 7/9/2008 |
Q: I would like to have your advice on how to remove tile from concrete floor in th basement and paint ... A: To get tile off of concrete, you could try a heavy duty floor scraper on a pole, working the edges ...
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| travertine | 7/7/2008 |
Q: We put in travertine (unhoned) in our shower, ceiling and walls. This was about 5 years ago. It ... A: You would have to clean it with a cleaner that is not acidic, probably with a scrub brush. Sealing ...
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| Painting Travertine | 7/3/2008 |
Q: I have some corner travertine soap holders that I would like to paint or stain black then seal. Can ... A: I never heard of someone trying to do this, but I suppose it is possible. Understand though that ...
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| Problem with Sealant on sandstone | 7/2/2008 |
Q: We have just had our sandstone patio sealed - the builder used a one coat solvent based sealer. The ... A: Thompsons...... no comment. One coat? Also, no comment. Isoflex appears to be another one of ...
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| want to lighten a brick foyer | 6/30/2008 |
Q: My house is a center hall colonial built in 1958 and it has a dark brick floor in the foyer upon ... A: Not really sure how to lighten brick besides painting it a lighter color. There may be other ...
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| Problem with Sealant on sandstone | 6/30/2008 |
Q: We have just had our sandstone patio sealed - the builder used a one coat solvent based sealer. The ... A: I won't get into the causative factors here. Suffice it to say this is what happens when a company ...
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| Kitchen Ceramic Tile | 6/27/2008 |
Q: We had a new kitchen floor installed. Apparently, the tile was not cleaned, and the tile and grout ... A: Sounds like the grout smear was not cleaned up well enough. You can sometimes get this up with ...
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| Kitchen Ceramic Tile | 6/27/2008 |
Q: We had a new kitchen floor installed. Apparently, the tile was not cleaned, and the tile and grout ... A: It would help if I had more information as to what kind of tile this is. In a kitchen, what with ...
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| Tile in shower grout looks wet | 6/26/2008 |
Q: We recently had some bathroom work done. the tub was removed and put in a walk in shower. however on ... A: A little trick you can pull is to take a hair drier to a piece of that grout, and force-dry it; or ...
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| 1922 porcelain honeycomb restoration | 6/24/2008 |
Q: Bill- I've been looking around a lot for an expert on the topic and all roads point to you. I ... A: The acetone should remove anything left over from your other endeavors. It could be that a mixture ...
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| mexican tile with a matt finish | 6/24/2008 |
Q: i have Mexican tile with a Matt finish, some of the finish has worn off. can I clean tile and grout ... A: A "citrus" degreaser is a fancy and expensive "soap" but if you want to use it, you can. It's just ...
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| mexican tile with a matt finish | 6/24/2008 |
Q: i have Mexican tile with a Matt finish, some of the finish has worn off. can I clean tile and grout ... A: If a tile is worn down to the surface anywhere on that particular tile, it is best to strip that ...
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| 1922 porcelain honeycomb restoration | 6/24/2008 |
Q: Bill- I've been looking around a lot for an expert on the topic and all roads point to you. I ... A: Being in California restricts your choices of what is available, however acetone should go a long ...
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| Saltillo Tiles/incorrect sealer/how to remove | 6/17/2008 |
Q: Bill, we have recently had Saltillo Tile installed in a screened porch area. The tiles came from ... A: Any of our film forming sealers would be compatible. If you intend to just seal the grout, then our ...
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| polish brick floors/ | 6/17/2008 |
Q: and have to move the furniture-so i want to know if you have ever heard of aldon product called ... A: Aldon is a copy-cat company. They make nothing original. They have gone so far as to copy the names ...
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| Saltillo Tiles/incorrect sealer/how to remove | 6/16/2008 |
Q: Bill, we have recently had Saltillo Tile installed in a screened porch area. The tiles came from ... A: Best to use a foam rubber brush made in the U.S. or a soft bristle brush designed for enamels. If I ...
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| Saltillo Tiles/incorrect sealer/how to remove | 6/16/2008 |
Q: Bill, we have recently had Saltillo Tile installed in a screened porch area. The tiles came from ... A: First, I really doubt an oil based sealer was used in Mexico. In any event, the easiest way out of ...
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| Sealing saltillo tile | 6/14/2008 |
Q: Where can I find RoVal 1088 to seal my mexican tile? Several retail sites also recommended ... A: The Roval 1088 appears to be a solution acrylic. It would be good for water resistance, but I doubt ...
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| sealing chiaro | 6/13/2008 |
Q: Once I have sealed my chiaro tiles for my kitchen back splash, how often do I need to re-seal it? ... A: I work for Sparks. We have been making sealers for tile, stone, brick, etc. flooring since 1946. ...
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| Existing Travertine Shower-reseal? | 6/13/2008 |
Q: we installed new travertine tile above our tubs for the shower walls in both bathrooms about 4 ... A: I'm a bit confused here. A tile was cut so that a soap grab was installed in that spot? If it is ...
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| sealing chiaro | 6/13/2008 |
Q: Once I have sealed my chiaro tiles for my kitchen back splash, how often do I need to re-seal it? ... A: The answers to your questions are dependent upon what type of sealer you intend to use. If you use ...
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| ceramic tile grout | 6/13/2008 |
Q: We had ceramic tile installed in our bathrooms 6 days ago. The grout is a light beige color. I ... A: Copolymer is a resin, but some people refer to the fluoropolymers as resins, which they are not. If ...
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| ceramic tile grout | 6/13/2008 |
Q: We had ceramic tile installed in our bathrooms 6 days ago. The grout is a light beige color. I ... A: Tilelab is actually Custom Building Products. Their area of expertise is in making grouts, and not ...
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| Sealing saltillo tile | 6/12/2008 |
Q: Where can I find RoVal 1088 to seal my mexican tile? Several retail sites also recommended ... A: I have no way of keeping track of our competitor's products and where they are available. Applying ...
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| Painting saltillo tile | 6/11/2008 |
Q: I have a question similar to the one posed by another individual but wanted to give you the details ... A: These tiles are unforgiving if done wrong. First off, we used to sell Home Depot only because the ...
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| travertine | 6/11/2008 |
Q: I'm installing chiseled edge noce colored travertine in my foyer and kitchen. Please advise on what ... A: I suggest you talk to others who have put travertine in a kitchen. You will discover it is not a ...
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| restoring saltillo tile | 6/10/2008 |
Q: We have old Mexican tile that needs to be COMPLETELY restored. It needs to be wet sanded, then ... A: The grout smear can be removed with an acid solution, but because there may still be some sealer on ...
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| Filling lime pop holes in saltillo tiles | 6/10/2008 |
Q: I am refinishing my saltillo tiles. WE had our painters strip, clean and then reseal our entry way ... A: What I would do is take a Mexican tile, and grind some of it up, adding some diluted brown ink like ...
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| restoring saltillo tile | 6/9/2008 |
Q: We have old Mexican tile that needs to be COMPLETELY restored. It needs to be wet sanded, then ... A: Sanding Mexican tile ruins it. The best way to find someone who knows how to restore the tile is to ...
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| Slate | 6/9/2008 |
Q: We have slate in our bathroom, floors and shower stall. It is about a year old. It was sealed twice ... A: Sealing something like slate prevents water and waterborne minerals from passing into and through ...
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| marble floor tiles | 6/8/2008 |
Q: My bachelor son spilled white vinegar on marble tile floor. I haven't seen them (we live 1500 mi ... A: Any acid spilled on marble will etch it. There are two ways to fix this: 1. Apply a finish over ...
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| Split Brick Floors | 6/7/2008 |
Q: I have a lot of split brick flooring. Large den and hallway done by one person ten years ago, ... A: To start with, strip/clean using a wax stripper. You might try a janitorial supply for a wax ...
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| Cleaning exterior brick pavers. | 6/2/2008 |
Q: Saw the response regarding cleaning brick pavers, but that appeared to be inside. We have a brick ... A: We have had very good luck removing stains from concrete driveways with our SR-5 stripper, and I ...
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| Removing sealer from ceramic tile | 6/2/2008 |
Q: My contractor recently laid ceramic tile in my kitchen. The craftmanship is beautiful, so the ... A: If this is glazed ceramic tile, it should not have been sealed. This situation happens all too ...
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| Refinishing Saltillo with a Stain. | 6/1/2008 |
Q: I have had these saltillo floors in the kitchen for 19 years now and they look really bad. They ... A: The chances of finding tiles that match your floor are very remote, so you might as well try to ...
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| stripping Mexican saltillo tile | 5/31/2008 |
Q: Bill: My entire house flooring is Mexican saltillo (installed about 10 years ago). Most of the ... A: If you are only going to strip a dozen or so tiles, then you can use acetone, doing two tiles at a ...
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| Saltillo tile | 5/30/2008 |
Q: In 1999 Ihad most of my home done in the Saltillo Tile. The installer did not seal alot of the ... A: Saltillo can "crater" and I wonder if this is what you are referring to; a circular piece will pop ...
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| Saltillo tile | 5/30/2008 |
Q: In 1999 Ihad most of my home done in the Saltillo Tile. The installer did not seal alot of the ... A: Bubbles in the tiles, or in the sealer/coating on the tiles??? You should be able to go over those ...
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| outdoor saltillo tile | 5/29/2008 |
Q: About six years ago I purchased and installed 200 square feet of broken saltillo tile on an outdoor ... A: Due to the solvent restrictions in California, you are unable to purchase oil based ...
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| removal of old floor tile sealant | 5/28/2008 |
Q: We have some floor tiling that has old, unsightly surface coating that can't be removed ... A: You should be able to get it up using acetone. Do just a few at a time, and keep the surface wet ...
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| Tumbled Travertine backsplash | 5/19/2008 |
Q: I have been reading the posts regarding tumbled travertine and I am still a bit unsure how to ... A: Silicone emulsions do not do well against oils. Also, they tend to be sensitive to anything ...
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| Tumbled Travertine backsplash | 5/19/2008 |
Q: I have been reading the posts regarding tumbled travertine and I am still a bit unsure how to ... A: I am unable to find information on the "Tile Guard." Nor can I find information on "Tenax". If you ...
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| Stripping and sealing saltillo with wood stain | 5/19/2008 |
Q: I'm having trouble staining my saltillo tiles and am not sure where I went wrong. I'm going for a ... A: Chances are this "sealer" will come off using a floor finish stripper, but don't be surprised if it ...
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| Brick Floor Stripping | 5/19/2008 |
Q: Help, After a pipe bursted and a flood in the kitchen we had a cloudy stain all over the brick ... A: Dupont has recently entered the floor care market as a direct supplier of these sort of products ...
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| Stripping and sealing saltillo with wood stain | 5/19/2008 |
Q: I'm having trouble staining my saltillo tiles and am not sure where I went wrong. I'm going for a ... A: "Pre-grout sealer" or otherwise known as "Grout Release" are bogus. It is simply a gimmick designed ...
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| uncaulking | 5/12/2008 |
Q: I have to correct a big mistake. I caulked doors and baseboard with a silicon based caulking. It ... A: I don't know of any prescribed method of removing it. There may be some instructions for doing this ...
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| Stained travertine tile | 5/11/2008 |
Q: We dropped a container of lime juice on the travertine. After cleaning up the juice we noticed it ... A: Travertine is all calcite, and as such, dissolves readily when in contact with many acids, including ...
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| porcelain tiles | 5/10/2008 |
Q: I am in my first house and my first project was to remodel my main bathroom. It was really in need ... A: Whoever sold you the tiles should know how to clean them. I've not heard about such a coating on ...
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| clean brick tile floors. | 5/9/2008 |
Q: my mistake in moving into our home was to not re-seal our brick floors. now 8 years later we have ... A: The best way to do this is with a cleaner such as 409, and a hand held scrub brush. Work a small ...
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| Marble Stains | 5/6/2008 |
Q: I am hoping that you are able to answer a question for me. Some Lysol Tub and Basin Cleaner ... A: I'm not sure what might work, if anything. I would try real hot soapy water, and soak the spot, ...
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| travertine tile | 5/6/2008 |
Q: We sealed our traverine tile last night for the 2nd coat and then went to bed without wiping off the ... A: This is a non-film forming sealer. There is no film formed to create a barrier between the ...
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| slates sealing | 5/6/2008 |
Q: I have an outdoor patio covered with slates that were sealed by Miracle Gold seal about a year ago. ... A: Miracle Gold Seal didn't come up on an internet search, but no matter; the market is being flooded ...
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| sealed slate | 5/5/2008 |
Q: I used a presealer on slate before grouting and have just read that before I apply an enhancer ... A: I would need to know what the chemistry is of this "presealer." This whole concept is a scam. It ...
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| Saltillo Problems | 5/4/2008 |
Q: I recently had remodeling done. The contractors fixed the plastic sheeting to the floor with what ... A: Strip the individual tiles with acetone, being careful not to get it on the surrounding tiles. Keep ...
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| travertine tile | 5/2/2008 |
Q: We sealed our traverine tile last night for the 2nd coat and then went to bed without wiping off the ... A: According to the msds, it is a silane. Silanes only block water in the liquid state. It is ...
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| tiles | 5/2/2008 |
Q: I had this great idea to make them shine but oh what a stupid idea the polish is one go it washes ... A: G'day. If I understand correctly, you want to remove this floor polish. Go to a janitorial supply ...
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| I ruined my bathroom marble | 5/1/2008 |
Q: We have installed marble in our shower/tub walls and also countertops ourselves. I did not realize I ... A: The easy fix is to apply a car polish or a floor polish. Marble is easily damaged even with the ...
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| discoloured grouting and swollen wall paint | 4/30/2008 |
Q: It's been one year since I had my brand new apartment handed over to me. Upon hand over, I was ... A: The paint issue sounds like an adhesion problem, where the paint (sounds like a latex) is ...
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| Slate floor in bathroom and shower | 4/25/2008 |
Q: We are preparing to have a bathroom floor put down with Black Slate 12*12 in the 'room' and 2*2 ... A: If I understand properly, you are putting 2x2 marble in the shower. In order to seal them without ...
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| Travertine: To Seal or Not to Seal | 4/24/2008 |
Q: I'm planning to purchase a chocolate travertine to put in my kitchen and bath. The stone is "raw" - ... A: Please understand that travertine is 100% calcite, and subject to attack by even the most mild of ...
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| saltillo tile floors | 4/23/2008 |
Q: Morning we installed three years ago 600 sq ft of Saltillo tiles in a house in Bahamas. We ... A: The Roval spec. sheet states that this sealer cannot handle being exposed to acids, and vinegar is ...
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| strippping and sealing | 4/22/2008 |
Q: I never sealed my floor the only thing we have done for the past 18 years is waxed the floors with a ... A: What you have then is Terra Cotta tile. Stripping wax from this floor will be a bit tedious. A ...
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| grout removal | 4/21/2008 |
Q: my hubby was little overzealous with the grout on our small ceramic mosaic kitchen wall tiles. ... A: Excess grout can be removed by acid washing the tiles/grout. This will slowly dissolve the grout at ...
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| Resealing of Travertine Tile | 4/20/2008 |
Q: We just had our 4 year old Traverine Tile resealed by the same company that installed it. They ... A: The 511 for years has been Wacker Silicones BS-28 which is a combination silane with a fluoropolymer ...
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| dramatic spill on saltillo | 4/20/2008 |
Q: I spilled 1/2 a bottle of rubbing alcohol on my saltillo kitchen floor today. It left a 3 foot white ... A: Alcohol attacks and breaks down latex waterborne resins, so it sounds like your "sealer" is one of ...
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| travertine flooring | 4/17/2008 |
Q: Thinking about putting travertine in my small bathroom shower, on the ground as well as up the sides ... A: Normally, I do not answer questions that are related to installation, but I would want to mention ...
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| STRIPPING SLATE | 4/17/2008 |
Q: WE INHERITED A HOUSE BUILT IN THE 1950'S WITH A SLATE FOYER. THERE ARE MANY YEARS OF WAX BUILDUP. ... A: Start by using a wax stripper, with a small hand held scrub brush, and work parallel to the walls ...
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| all saltillo tile | 4/9/2008 |
Q: ive purchased a condo that was built with saltillo tile in the the early eighties. a few questions: ... A: You can try cleaning them up with something like 409, then rinse the floor with plain water. Allow ...
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| saltillo tile | 4/7/2008 |
Q: I would like to remove the whitewash from my saltillo tiles. Do you know of any product that will ... A: This can be tricky. There are solvents that will dissolve/soften/swell oil based resins, but the ...
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| non-slip rug stained terracotta | 3/27/2008 |
Q: I have terracotta floors w/ area rugs over them. We put no-slip pads under the rugs to keep them ... A: Before going to all the trouble of "stripping" as suggested, we need to figure out what works fist. ...
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| non-slip rug stained terracotta | 3/26/2008 |
Q: I have terracotta floors w/ area rugs over them. We put no-slip pads under the rugs to keep them ... A: Unfortunately, this comes up, and there is no simple, quick solution. The trick with acetone though ...
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| waterproofing slate tile outdoors | 3/24/2008 |
Q: In our newly built house we have an uncovered balcony that is tiled with slate. over this winter ... A: What you see is spalling, usually caused by water getting in, then freezing. Also, slate naturally ...
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| sealant problem on polished marble | 3/23/2008 |
Q: Before sealing our brand new and beautiful polished marble floor I gave it a wash with warm water ... A: I tried looking up "Stone Specific" and a webpage came up, but no real information on the product. ...
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| Cement Grout | 3/19/2008 |
Q: Good morning Bill..... I have a slate floor about 1200 square feet with a cement grout. The slates ... A: Where you used the TSP, you need to rinse the floor there several times with plain water. TSP has a ...
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| Travertine Grout specks | 3/19/2008 |
Q: I recently installed a tumbled travertine splash in my kitchen along the countertop. After ... A: Unfortunately, the grout and the travertine are both calcites. You can probably remove the grout ...
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| remove sealer from pavers | 3/17/2008 |
Q: I need to remove a water based sealer from black limestone pavers and was wondering if acetone would ... A: Very likely so. Just realize that acetone evaporates very quickly, and you will probably have to ...
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| Travertine Sealer Failure/Removal | 3/16/2008 |
Q: Tile Lab sealer was used on 18" honed/filled travertine and like many others, product failed and ... A: Internacional Finish will overcoat all film forming sealers. So if the problem is just one of ...
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| Mexican tile | 3/16/2008 |
Q: My housekeeper made the huge mistake of trying to clean our Mexican tile kitchen floors with ... A: The safe thing to do is to clean up the tiles, then rebuild the sealer using waterbornes so there ...
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| Travertine Sealer Failure/Removal | 3/16/2008 |
Q: Tile Lab sealer was used on 18" honed/filled travertine and like many others, product failed and ... A: A sanding machine is not designed for honing the edges of something like travertine. I would suggest ...
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| stained saltillo tile | 3/13/2008 |
Q: We recently had a saltillo tile floor installed and supposively sealed in our kitchen, however our 5 ... A: There are a lot of "sealers" out there that do not function as sealers. Try very hot soapy water. ...
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| Saltillo Tile | 3/12/2008 |
Q: I had Saltillo laid and the tile man failed to tell me not to put rugs down for a week or so. Now I ... A: What should work is to keep the affected tiles wet with acetone for a few minutes. The rubber should ...
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| Finishing Sealer Removal | 3/10/2008 |
Q: Do you know of any way to remove finishing sealer from grout other than scraping away the top layer? ... A: Understand that there is no such thing as a "finishing sealer" or a "sealer-finish". This is an ...
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| removing & regrouting tile:small project | 3/9/2008 |
Q: dont know where my last e mail went. Your advice on correcting the bad tile installation (and hiding ... A: There is a tool called a grout saw, where you can remove as much of the grout from a grout line you ...
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| mexican saltillo | 3/8/2008 |
Q: i am looking for someone in the south florida area to clean and reseal the mexican saltillo tile i ... A: I would have no way of knowing who in your area would be good at doing so. I would recommend ...
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| saltillo tile cleaning | 3/8/2008 |
Q: I had saltillo tile laid in a spare room and discovered that they were not sealed after the fact. In ... A: I would rinse the area with lots of water first, and see what that does. If you still have a stain, ...
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| removing adhesive from brick / finishing | 3/6/2008 |
Q: We have a Living room area approx 350 SF that has had carpet over brick for years. The carpet ... A: An aromatic solvent such as aromatic 100 should get up the residue of the adhesive by keeping the ...
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| Tile floor polish | 3/4/2008 |
Q: I am currently using products by Aldon to polish my Tecate tile and I am frustrated with the ... A: Aldon has copied the names of two of our products. Do I need say more? If you could coat a floor ...
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| Tile floor polish | 3/3/2008 |
Q: I am currently using products by Aldon to polish my Tecate tile and I am frustrated with the ... A: Aldon is part of another company that copies other companies products. If memory serves me ...
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| Saltillo tiles | 2/25/2008 |
Q: Bill - I am so glad I can ask this question to an expert. I am getting ready to purchase sealed ... A: The choice would be dependent upon what is presently on the tile. If you can find out what they ...
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| White Washed Saltillo Tiles | 2/25/2008 |
Q: I own a large home with about 2500 sq. ft. of saltillo tiles. The tiles are in good shape, but have ... A: What would work best, seeing as most stripping solvents would dissolve the whitewash and carry it ...
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| Old Brick Floor | 2/23/2008 |
Q: I live in a 1965 house with brick flooring in the entry, living and guest bath. The brick is very ... A: Sounds like you might as well use a stripper. If you don't mind doing a small area at a time, try ...
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| Mexican Tile restoration | 2/23/2008 |
Q: We have a 25 year-old Mexican tile floor (approx.800 sq. ft. over several areas of 8X8 tiles) which ... A: If it is truly Mexican tile, there was no "glaze" but rather a very thin partially vitrified surface ...
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| brick floor | 2/20/2008 |
Q: Bill, i have stripped a brick floor and am in the drying phase right now. Most of the brick floors ... A: You can try rigging up a hair dryer to blow down on that wet spot and see if that doesn't force dry ...
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| 13x13" saltillo tiles | 2/18/2008 |
Q: I'd like to replace a few saltillo floor tiles with hairline cracks but they are 13x13". A tile ... A: Check with Artesantos in New Mexico. They have been in the business for many years, and have a lot ...
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| Stripping Mexican Tile | 2/14/2008 |
Q: We have a house that was built in the late 70's. It has a lot of Saltillo Tile. It might have been ... A: Getting Mexican tile cleaned up can be pretty tricky. If you don't mind working on it slowly, the ...
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| floor finishing | 2/11/2008 |
Q: Can you recommend a couple of floor finish products to use on new VCT flooring? What should it be ... A: Rarely would you need anything more than just a little dish detergent and water to clean such a ...
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| saltillo tile | 2/9/2008 |
Q: Recently we had very heavy rains for our area (San Clemente, CA) and had our Mexican pavers ... A: If memory serves me correctly, the Aqua Mix penetrating sealer is a potassium siliconate. ...
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| Sealing | 2/5/2008 |
Q: Bill, I just tiled my basement 650 square feet with 16" ceramic tile I'm about ready for Grout, ... A: If this is a glazed ceramic tile, then you would just seal the grout. Our SPS is good for doing ...
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| removal of stain on quarry tile | 2/5/2008 |
Q: We have quarry tiles throughout the house which are like a glazed brick. The surface has been ... A: Sounds like it should be possible to strip this colorant off. See what rubbing alcohol will do ...
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| Mex seal | 2/2/2008 |
Q: It's me again. I'm beginning to wish we would have gotten a hammer to these split brick floors. ... A: Two coats of Mex Seal should be fine. Be sure all the porosity is blocked with the Stone Glamor ...
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| saltillo floor | 2/1/2008 |
Q: I sealed my kitchen saltillo floor using a water-based sealer and it looks great. The trouble is, ... A: 409 works pretty well on getting up heal marks. So does WD-40, but be sure to follow with soap and ...
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| painting over basement tile | 2/1/2008 |
Q: hey! so i have a basement apartment that is approximately 1000 square feet. the floor has 9" tile ... A: I rarely get involved with installation issues, as it really is outside my expertise. If your tile ...
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| striping sealer off salltio tile | 1/29/2008 |
Q: im trying to remove many many coats of what i belive is jasco gloss,seal #1108 we tried the zep ... A: We make a stripper that will get just about anything off, called SR-5. But if you can find some ...
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| Internacional finish split brick | 1/28/2008 |
Q: It gave me too many follow ups so here goes again. I feel like crying. Okay, is there a way to get ... A: Can't put sealer on a finish. Can only put a finish on a sealer. You can remove the finish without ...
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| Internacional finish | 1/28/2008 |
Q: Hopefully this will be my last question. We are putting down the Internacional finish, how long do ... A: The Stone Glamor needs to be used until all the porosity is blocked off. If Stone Glamor would ...
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| Internacional finish | 1/28/2008 |
Q: Hopefully this will be my last question. We are putting down the Internacional finish, how long do ... A: The white usually indicates that the finish was too thick at that spot when applied. Perhaps it ...
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| Internacional finish | 1/27/2008 |
Q: Hopefully this will be my last question. We are putting down the Internacional finish, how long do ... A: There is no "cure" time with a finish, so you can set furniture back on it in that thirty minutes. ...
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| Stone Glamor | 1/25/2008 |
Q: I've talked to you before about my split brick floors. (I hope your mother is doing better) We ... A: Won't hurt a thing. It might slow the dry down just a bit. I need to look at the label. We made a ...
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| Slate tile | 1/23/2008 |
Q: What would be your idea of doing a 140 square foot bathroom floor with slate and four inch slate ... A: My dear sir; Apparently I misunderstood what you were looking for, and frankly, the comment ...
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| slate | 1/22/2008 |
Q: I have a built in shower with black slate and a rim of cream pebbles. The installer did not seal ... A: Our Stone Glamor works great on slate, but I don't recommend adding any stain or colorant to the ...
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| slate | 1/22/2008 |
Q: I have a built in shower with black slate and a rim of cream pebbles. The installer did not seal ... A: The weakness of latex is alcohol, so if you try cleaning/stipping like a stripper, add some alcohol ...
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| Staining Old Tile | 1/22/2008 |
Q: Bill, my home was built in the mid 70's and the entry and hall are terrazo tile (I think). It was a ... A: The easiest way to do this is to use a wood stain, thinned out (other than Minwax). But it can ...
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| dull marble floor | 1/21/2008 |
Q: i have a marble floor installed in my hot tub room. i cleaned and scrubbed and i still can't get it ... A: Marble is quite soft, and the shine from the honing process is easily ruined even through cleaning. ...
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| SR-5 | 1/20/2008 |
Q: I have a lot of exterior Saltillo with a couple of coats of sealant I need to strip. Where can I ... A: If there is still sealer over all the tiles, then you can get some gloss back by applying a thin ...
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| SR-5 | 1/20/2008 |
Q: I have a lot of exterior Saltillo with a couple of coats of sealant I need to strip. Where can I ... A: Call Sparks Tuesday, and we can see if anyone in your area has the stripper. The other option is to ...
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| prepping for ceramic tile | 1/17/2008 |
Q: I took up some asbestos floor in my hallway and foyer. Now I have the tar left behind. Several ... A: A solvent supply outfit will have aromatic 100 or 150, and they will know what it is. As far as ...
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| stone flooring | 1/16/2008 |
Q: One part of our house is about 150 years old. Underneath the carpet there is some red sort of ... A: If a stone floor was overcoated with cement, then it may be possible to get the cement off, but I ...
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| prepping for ceramic tile | 1/15/2008 |
Q: I took up some asbestos floor in my hallway and foyer. Now I have the tar left behind. Several ... A: You will probably need to get it at a solvent supply company. Look under solvents and chemicals in ...
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| BRICK FLOOR | 1/14/2008 |
Q: BILL, I HAVE BRICK FLOORS ABOUT 1500 SQFT THAT HAVE WHITE SPLOCHES OVER VARIOUS SECTIONS. THEY WERE ... A: I would take everything off, then let it dry out for a day. Then take a sheet of clear plastic ...
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| rug pad over mexican tile | 1/13/2008 |
Q: For our mexican tile floors, we purchased area rugs that came with open weave non-slip polyester ... A: Frankly, I have no idea, but people who have put down this sort of thing before on Mexican tile have ...
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| tiles cracked suddenly | 1/13/2008 |
Q: The tiles in our living room suddenly cracked! The apartment is about 4 years old.No we did not move ... A: I mention on my profile page I cannot help with installation issues, but this is pretty strait ...
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| Split Brick Floors | 1/9/2008 |
Q: Our house has 7 year old unfinished split brick floors in the kitchen, laundry room & bathroom (High ... A: I am not in the office this week, as my 77 year old mother broke her hip, and I am in another state. ...
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| Split Brick Floors | 1/9/2008 |
Q: Our house has 7 year old unfinished split brick floors in the kitchen, laundry room & bathroom (High ... A: Just a generic wax stripper. Try picking one up at a janitorial supply. Of course, they will try to ...
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| Split Brick Floors | 1/8/2008 |
Q: Our house has 7 year old unfinished split brick floors in the kitchen, laundry room & bathroom (High ... A: 1. Muriatic. Absolutely not! Start off with a general purpose cleaner and a good scrubbing by ...
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| Cleaning Travertine - | 1/8/2008 |
Q: My Travertine is in the kitchen, new by only 4 months. It is dingy & cloudy, no shine. They did ... A: It would help to know what kind of sealer was used, but in any event, you will need to give it a ...
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| Shaved Brick Floor Tile | 1/7/2008 |
Q: We moved into a 30 yo home last year that has about 400+ sf of what appears to be shaved brick ... A: Usually such a floor will clean up using a wax stripper. I'd give that a try. If that does it, then ...
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| how to clean messily installed unsealed saltillo? | 1/5/2008 |
Q: Help! I just had 500 sf of saltillo installed...the installer swore he knew everything there was to ... A: The chances of salvaging this is rather slim, but here's what you can try. First, saturate the ...
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| worn ceramic tile | 1/3/2008 |
Q: I have floors of (I think) sealed quarry tile or Mexican tile, about 14 yrs. old. The shiny finish ... A: There is a big difference between quarry and Mexican tile, and it would help to know for sure which ...
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| Is Saltillo a good idea? | 1/2/2008 |
Q: I just scanned and read many of your past questions & answers. It looks like many people have ... A: What happens is that people do not keep up the maintenance on the tile, so it gets to a point where ...
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| Saltillo Tile | 1/2/2008 |
Q: Bill, I LOVE the look of Saltillo tile, but have been warned not to use it due to the uneven aspect. ... A: Saltillo is unforgiving if done improperly. What works well is to preseal the tiles before ...
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| grout | 12/31/2007 |
Q: hi i was wondering we have small fine line cracks in the new grout that was done last week on the ... A: Sounds like the grout might have been a bit too wet when applied, so that when it dried, it shrank ...
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| terrazzo flooring | 12/30/2007 |
Q: I have a terrazzo floor that was under water due to flooding, there is also some spots where ... A: You can try dilute muriatic then, and see if that will remove the cement. What they would use would ...
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| terrazzo flooring | 12/29/2007 |
Q: I have a terrazzo floor that was under water due to flooding, there is also some spots where ... A: Do you mean planters were attached to the terrazzo with an adhesive of some sort, or literally set ...
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| White alcohol haze on asphalt tile | 12/25/2007 |
Q: Our cat broke a liter of vodka on our 40 yo asphalt tile floors. The tile has not been stripped in ... A: With all this build up on the tile, I would say it is a good time to go ahead and strip all of it ...
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| mexian tile | 12/22/2007 |
Q: Looking to restore mexian tile in mothers condo, tile is on the pourch but shes on the 3rd floor. ... A: We make a stripper called SR-5 that can be used without getting it on the lower patios. You can ...
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| Saltillo tile | 12/17/2007 |
Q: I am shopping for saltillo tile and I would like to know if I can use this product in a shower, and ... A: It can be done, and it has been done, but it is not a good idea. Any shifting will cause cracks in ...
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| exterior satillo tile | 12/15/2007 |
Q: I just gave two coats of Jasco sealer and the result is a very cloudy surface when dry. It had ... A: It's not possible for me to speak for another company's product. Moisture can cause some resins to ...
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| problem with salitto tiles | 12/13/2007 |
Q: Sirs I have about 80 unsealed salitto tiles installed in my kitchen. They were sealed with a product ... A: I am a bit confused here. How can you have 80 unsealed tiles in your kitchen, and then say they ...
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| stripping salito tile | 12/11/2007 |
Q: I have salito tile which was installed about 8 years ago and it needs to be stripped and resealed I ... A: We quit selling the mass market outlets like Home Depot and Lowes, as they are difficult to do ...
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| stripping salito tile | 12/11/2007 |
Q: I have salito tile which was installed about 8 years ago and it needs to be stripped and resealed I ... A: Strippers containing methylene chloride result in the methylene chloride evaporating so fast ...
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| sealing tile | 12/9/2007 |
Q: I have some tumbled marble tile for a backsplash-- whatr sealer is best to gently enhance color- and ... A: It sounds like you could use our Stone Glamor to get the desired effect, and it will also seal up ...
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| sealing tile | 12/8/2007 |
Q: I have some tumbled marble tile for a backsplash-- whatr sealer is best to gently enhance color- and ... A: Tumbled marble is a bit difficult to "enhance" seeing as there is not much porosity, but Stone ...
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| Slate | 12/7/2007 |
Q: Our building had slate installed very poorly in our halls and not only was the grout not cleaned off ... A: This sounds like a waterborne, which usually can be stripped using a floor finish stripper with some ...
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| stripping and waxing | 12/4/2007 |
Q: My husband and I recently started a janitorial service and a few customers have inquired about ... A: I would be a source of information on the chemicals used for this sort of thing, but as far as the ...
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| Porcelain or Ceramic for lanai in Florida?? | 12/3/2007 |
Q: I am considering tiling my lanai but am not sure if porcelain or ceramic is better. The area is ... A: Around or near a pool, I wouldn't use a glazed ceramic, but an unglazed ceramic should work fine, as ...
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| VCT tile in a Pre-School | 11/30/2007 |
Q: I have just had an Armstrong VCT tile floor put into our Pre-School. As you can imagine this is a ... A: A vinyl comp. floor should not need sealing, as there is very little that can stain it. If there ...
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| paint on saltillo tile | 11/29/2007 |
Q: I have wooden baseboards/shoe moulding that i was painting last spring and unfortunately, got a fair ... A: If the paint spots are small, then try getting the paint off with rubbing alcohol and a q tip. The ...
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| stripping paver | 11/29/2007 |
Q: I do not know much about using acids so I perfer to use alkaline water based strippers. Can you ... A: Terra Cotta is too soft to be cleaning with a machine. The chances of damaging the surface is too ...
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| Mexican Tile | 11/28/2007 |
Q: We would like to clean and seal our mexican tile flooring. We believe it was sealed when it was ... A: A glazed tile (fired on glaze) does not need anything on them. If the glaze is so poor on them that ...
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| Mexican Tile | 11/28/2007 |
Q: We would like to clean and seal our mexican tile flooring. We believe it was sealed when it was ... A: If the scratches are into the surface, so that they appear lighter than the surrounding surface of ...
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| paint on saltillo tile | 11/27/2007 |
Q: I have wooden baseboards/shoe moulding that i was painting last spring and unfortunately, got a fair ... A: If the sealer is halfway decent, you should be able to remove the latex using alcohol. From there, ...
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| i hope you can answer my question | 11/27/2007 |
Q: i was wondering what are some good materials for 1.) sound reflection and 2.) absorption. also if u ... A: This is getting way outside my area of expertise, but can't reverb (echo effects) be created in the ...
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| i hope you can answer my question | 11/26/2007 |
Q: i was wondering what are some good materials for 1.) sound reflection and 2.) absorption. also if u ... A: I used to know a sound engineer by the name of David Prose. You might be able to locate him in an ...
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| VCT tile in a Pre-School | 11/26/2007 |
Q: I have just had an Armstrong VCT tile floor put into our Pre-School. As you can imagine this is a ... A: If it were just installed, there would be no purpose served in stripping it. Waxing it is the horse ...
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| terrazzo floor repair | 11/25/2007 |
Q: I have a terrazzo floor that I had put ceramic tile over. I had to remove the tile and would like ... A: I would think the adhesive stain would come up using an aromatic solvent, like xylene. As far as an ...
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| mexican tile | 11/22/2007 |
Q: Bill: My contractor in Mexico recently installed a Saltillo type tile on the floors of my house in ... A: I wasn't able to find anything on this sealer on the internet, so I have no idea what it is. We ...
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| varnish for saltillo | 11/20/2007 |
Q: How do you apply the sealer, by brush or hand? how many coats? do you sand between coats? Thanks A: There are differing beliefs regarding the method of sealing saltillo; here is ours. A penetrating ...
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| Brick Floor Question | 11/18/2007 |
Q: The brick floor in my friends 30 year old home is 1/2 glossy and 1/2 dull. We would like to make the ... A: Try abraiding the yellow spots down dry with a stripping pad. You might try the 3M Steel Wool ...
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| Unglazed Porcelain tile | 11/17/2007 |
Q: We have a very attractive Antique edge unglazed porcelain tile in our kitchen. It was our compromise ... A: I believe you can get what you want by simply putting a finish over the porcelain after cleaning. ...
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| Sealing polished marble backsplash | 11/6/2007 |
Q: I'm having a polished marble backsplash installed. Should I seal it before grout is applied? Do ... A: It would be difficult to seal, being polished and a vertical surface, without streaking. Grout ...
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| Stripping Wax & Urethane Off Brick Paver Floor | 11/4/2007 |
Q: I have a 14 year old brick paver floor in the kitchen that has mutiple applications of urethane ... A: Most every company has gotten away from making a truly "powerful" stripper because of liability ...
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| Travertine tile/stripping | 11/3/2007 |
Q: Bill, We just had 600 square feet of travertine tile installed. The person (manager) at the ... A: What Tile Lab product are you stripping? I need to know what is is (resin type) to best answer what ...
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| darkening travertine tiles | 11/1/2007 |
Q: Is there anyway to darken or dye travertine tiles before they have been sealed A: It's possible, but not practical. It would be nearly impossible to stain them evenly, as they are ...
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| Slate Tile Floor | 10/30/2007 |
Q: I have an original 1960's slate tile entry - there doesn't seem to be any protective coating on it - ... A: Start off by giving it a good scrubbing with soap and water. If, after this, you see there are ...
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| reapplying sealer to brick floor inside | 10/24/2007 |
Q: our brick floors have previously applied sealer which was a roll-on sealer and they reapplied every ... A: Sealers are not finishes and finishes are not sealers. If all you want to do is punch up the ...
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| staining saltillo tile | 10/16/2007 |
Q: I have Mexican saltillo tile in my house that I want to try and match for the rest of my house. The ... A: You can't get oil based sealers or stains there; not without smuggling them in. The formulation ...
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| staining saltillo tile | 10/16/2007 |
Q: I have Mexican saltillo tile in my house that I want to try and match for the rest of my house. The ... A: There used to be a couple shops in the San Fransisco area that specialized in Mexican tile. I would ...
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| Pre-sealed travertine and adhesion to thin-set | 10/15/2007 |
Q: I have heard differing opinions on whether or not to seal travertine prior to installation. I would ... A: I rarely will answer a question that is related to installation issues, but if you preseal something ...
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| New Travertine Floor | 10/13/2007 |
Q: I have just had a new travertine floor installed (travertine is filled and honed), and I want to ... A: If the can was lithographed Sunnyside Paint, it could be Magellan had purchased the empty cans at a ...
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| granite | 10/11/2007 |
Q: I recent read your e-mail to Susan's question about removing the sealer. It sounds good but I am ... A: Acetone will not, of itself, dull a honed granite surface. It sounds like this sealer you just ...
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| Terracotta Tile | 10/11/2007 |
Q: Several years ago we had terracotta tile installed in our hot tub room. However, they laid the ... A: That's the downside of clay tiles like this. They are easily compromised if not protected, ...
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| refinishing brick floor | 10/10/2007 |
Q: I have a brick floor in my living room that was laid in 1981 over concrete and was finished in a ... A: The white may be nothing more than minerals from the water, and should clean up with a mild acid ...
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| clay floor tiles | 10/8/2007 |
Q: My floor is 1970's red, unglazed clay floor tiles. I have stripped it and found white grout. I then ... A: I must be going blind. I thought it said "Armorkote Multi-surface cleaner" the first time. Was ...
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| brick | 10/7/2007 |
Q: I have a red brick fireplace mantle. I would like to lighten the color. Is there anyway product that ... A: I've not heard of this being done with brick. Red brick exteriors on buildings look red years after ...
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| clay floor tiles | 10/6/2007 |
Q: My floor is 1970's red, unglazed clay floor tiles. I have stripped it and found white grout. I then ... A: You can reclean the tiles and grout, then seal the grout and tile. Our Stone Glamor will do this, ...
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| discoloration of some grout after sealing | 10/6/2007 |
Q: We had a new tile floor installed and just sealed it with Tile Guard Penetrating Sealing. In spots ... A: The write up for this product says it is a silicone impregnator, which means it shouldn't have left ...
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| removing tile asphalt leftovers | 9/27/2007 |
Q: Now that I have chiped away all the tile I have the tar that would not come up. It is stuck to the ... A: A high flash aromatic solvent should soften it up so as to make it fairly easy to get up with a ...
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| Lightening Terracotta Tiles | 9/25/2007 |
Q: I have sealed terracotta tiles throughout most of my house. They are quite dark as is the grout. The ... A: Generally, this doesn't turn out well. When a sealer enters into such a tile, it increases the ...
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| cleaning tumbled marble | 9/19/2007 |
Q: We have 3/4 inch tumbled marble on our shower floor. Both the marble and grout has become quite ... A: You can try using clorox bleach diluted 12 parts water to 1 part bleach as supplied. Bleach as ...
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| sealer problems with Outdoor Mex Tile | 9/18/2007 |
Q: I have outdoor Mexican tile which was just power washed and sealed by my landscaper. About half of ... A: White indicates moisture, usually. I'll bet he used a sealer made from a latex paint resin. The ...
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| Travertine | 9/9/2007 |
Q: Is there any advantage in purchasing pre-sealed travertine (i.e. Endura brand which is sealed with a ... A: The sealers from Dupont come under the category of non-film-forming sealers. What this means is that ...
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| Waxes | 9/8/2007 |
Q: I would like to wax my shop floor to make it easier to clean. Can you help me by telling me what ... A: You can put a finish over the sealer, that will serve the function of a wax without the drawbacks. ...
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| Waxes | 9/7/2007 |
Q: I would like to wax my shop floor to make it easier to clean. Can you help me by telling me what ... A: Waxing your floor will not make it easier to clean. Waxes are soft and track dirt into them, then ...
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| Brick paver oil spots | 9/5/2007 |
Q: Where do I purchase The SR5 cleaner to take oil spots out,my homeowners assoc is sending me notices ... A: Allexperts website did not inform me of your last post. I am at home, and it if Friday, so I do not ...
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| tile stain | 9/5/2007 |
Q: I have d'hannis tile throughout my home. Unfortunately, my dog recently urinated on the tile and the ... A: There are a lot of "sealers" out there that are not. Most waterbornes marketed out there as sealers ...
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| Mabasa Pre-Sealed Saltillo - Post grout sealer? | 9/5/2007 |
Q: I was hoping you could offer some advice on how to proceed with my saltillo installation. I recently ... A: My choice would have been to start with raw tiles but free is free. I am a little concerned about ...
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| tile stain | 9/4/2007 |
Q: I have d'hannis tile throughout my home. Unfortunately, my dog recently urinated on the tile and the ... A: You might try cleaning the tile with a mild acid solution, as well as scrubbing with soap and water. ...
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| Mabasa Pre-Sealed Saltillo - Post grout sealer? | 9/4/2007 |
Q: I was hoping you could offer some advice on how to proceed with my saltillo installation. I recently ... A: Seeing as it is "pre-sealed" all you should need if anything is a finish to go over the sealer to ...
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| Brick paver oil spots | 9/4/2007 |
Q: Where do I purchase The SR5 cleaner to take oil spots out,my homeowners assoc is sending me notices ... A: I / we would need to know where you live in order to see if anyone in your area carries it. ...
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| Refurbishing Terra Cotta Tile Floor | 9/3/2007 |
Q: I have a 30+ year old terra cotta floor in my kitchen. The floor is in good shape except for some ... A: Our SR-5 stripper will strip and remove many stains. But I would try removing the stains first with ...
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| selecting an enhancer/sealer for travertine | 8/30/2007 |
Q: The products seems to vary alot in price and some seem exorbitant in price. Do you have a brand ... A: The really high priced sealers are not suitable for flooring where it is going to be walked on. ...
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| protecting polished granite counters, tumbled travertine floors, porcelain tile floors | 8/30/2007 |
Q: 1.)Porcelain tile floor has chips in it. it was installed in 2000. How do I fill chipped spaces? ... A: 1. If the chips are small, it might be easiest to grind the area smooth with an appropriate ...
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| discolored accumulated build up of wax on brick floor | 8/28/2007 |
Q: We have a floor of brick pavers installed 13 years ago and have been using Mop & Glo several times ... A: I would try a commercial wax stripper. If the floor is evenly flat, you can get a lot of it up with ...
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| Satillo Tile | 8/28/2007 |
Q: We just had Satillo Tile installed in Kitchen. Overall they did a Good Job. We love it. On a few of ... A: Putting sealer over scratches may work. If not, then lightly sand the area of the scratch to level ...
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| Satillo Tile | 8/27/2007 |
Q: We just had Satillo Tile installed in Kitchen. Overall they did a Good Job. We love it. On a few of ... A: Where the thinset is on the tiles, you will have to remove the sealer, and tackle the thinset stain ...
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| white haze on brick floor | 8/27/2007 |
Q: I moved into a house where the previous owner enclosed the porch with a brick floor. I thought the ... A: Then whatever the coating is, it has broken down somewhat from the standing water. Easiest thing to ...
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| white haze on brick floor | 8/26/2007 |
Q: I moved into a house where the previous owner enclosed the porch with a brick floor. I thought the ... A: It's either the mineral from the water, which will clean up with a light acid solution, or it is a ...
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| Sparks sealer & glamor | 8/19/2007 |
Q: where can I buy your product of Sparks sealer & glamor in Arizona? A: We are a bit thin in Arizona, as the state was flooded by what I call "bathtub mixers" who flooded ...
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| shower floor tile | 8/13/2007 |
Q: I have recently acquired a place with an open concept shower built if tile and glass block. The ... A: It would be unusual for a contractor to put a non-glazed tile in a shower unless it was porcelain ...
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| Stripping Jasco sealer from saltillo | 8/13/2007 |
Q: My kitchen floor has some issues. We bought the home a couple of years ago and the previous owner ... A: Their website write-up for the product indicates a latex. In any event, what you experienced is ...
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| Stripping Jasco sealer from saltillo | 8/13/2007 |
Q: My kitchen floor has some issues. We bought the home a couple of years ago and the previous owner ... A: Most people are making "sealers" out of latex paint resins which are not suitable for use as ...
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| Stripping Jasco sealer from saltillo | 8/13/2007 |
Q: My kitchen floor has some issues. We bought the home a couple of years ago and the previous owner ... A: I am not familiar with their line of products, but this sounds like a finish/polish, and would ...
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| shower floor tile | 8/12/2007 |
Q: I have recently acquired a place with an open concept shower built if tile and glass block. The ... A: If the tiles are glazed, then they do not need a sealer. This indeed sounds like a sealer, and not ...
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| Ceramic Tile Sealing | 8/8/2007 |
Q: I have non-glazed ceramic tile in our home and the pores just collect too much dirt making it hard ... A: Seal both tile and grout. Dish detergent with water should clean up the floor just fine. It is ...
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| Brick Kitchen Floor | 8/7/2007 |
Q: I cleaned our kitchen brick floor with BarKeep and have a mess. Some of the brick has spots in them ... A: I am working from the assumption this is the powdered abrasive in the cleaner that got into the ...
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| Glazing an Unglazed Ceramic Tile | 8/7/2007 |
Q: We liked the look of the unglazed ceramic tile but after installation and getting down on my hands ... A: We can ship to Canada (even to Newfies). Coverage is better than 1000 sq.ft. per Gallon, and you ...
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| Brick Kitchen Floor | 8/6/2007 |
Q: I cleaned our kitchen brick floor with BarKeep and have a mess. Some of the brick has spots in them ... A: I believe BarKeep has an abrasive in it that probably got caught in crevices in the bricks, etc. ...
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| Process | 8/6/2007 |
Q: Saltillo Tiles are down. 1.Should the tile be stained first and then the grout applied or 2. ... A: I would say, stain first, then seal, then grout. If you stain, then grout, you will get the grout ...
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| outdoor saltillo | 8/6/2007 |
Q: we are buying a home in san antonio that has 3 large planters surrounding the pool that are mexican ... A: Our Brick and Tile cleaner will clean the mineral deposits, or you can take muriatic acid and dilute ...
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| Stone Glamor on brick pavers | 8/3/2007 |
Q: Bill, I added a pool to a new construction home 2 years and 4 months ago, We installed brick ... A: A dilute muriatic shouldn't hurt the Stone Glamor, but it might dull it. It is difficult to prevent ...
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| Stone Glamor on brick pavers | 8/3/2007 |
Q: Bill, I added a pool to a new construction home 2 years and 4 months ago, We installed brick ... A: The most likely suspect here is mineral from the pool water being deposited on top from water drying ...
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| Restoring Mexican Tile | 8/2/2007 |
Q: We have about 1000 Sq feet of 8" Mexican Tile (San Carlos). We installed it 30 years ago with ... A: This can be a major undertaking, what with wax having been used and where the wax ends up in the ...
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| Grout between brick pavers | 7/31/2007 |
Q: In October it will be one year since we moved into our new home. I love my brick pavers but I am ... A: It sounds like crud is getting into the grout. Sometimes, our SR-5 stripper when allowed to soak ...
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| type of floor for a pool room. | 7/27/2007 |
Q: What is the better flooring under a pool table, carpet or hardwood? Presently I have carpeting, but ... A: Normally, I wouldn't answer a question like this, but having had a pool table, I'd go for the wood ...
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| saltillo tile | 7/27/2007 |
Q: Same old story...bought a 30 yr old house with interior saltillo that needs refurbishing. 3/4 of ... A: Same old answers... If you put a machine on saltillo, it will take the sealer off, all right, as ...
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| Saltillo Tile repair | 7/26/2007 |
Q: We had water damage in our house and we are going to restore our tile ourselves. We have Saltillo ... A: Stains on grout might come out with hydrogen peroxide, but if you are going to replace the grout, ...
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| ceramc tiles and grouting | 7/23/2007 |
Q: I have put ceramic tile in the kitchen. The grout is not "flush" with the tiles. It is as if I had ... A: I am reluctant to discuss installation problems, as it is outside my area, but if a tile setter ...
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| Quartz Grout | 7/22/2007 |
Q: are you familiar with Quartz Grout? Do you know if it dries clear,except for the sparkle of the ... A: Sorry, not familiar with quartz grout. In regards to your stone tiles; are these "holes" large ...
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| Glazing an Unglazed Ceramic Tile | 7/21/2007 |
Q: We liked the look of the unglazed ceramic tile but after installation and getting down on my hands ... A: If you put water on the tile and the tile starts to darken, then lightens back up as the water ...
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| cleaning ceramic tile | 7/18/2007 |
Q: How can I remove rust marks from ceamic tile? Also, what is the best way ro clean older unsealed ... A: Rust marks will come up with a light acid solution. This will also clean old grout somewhat. I'd try ...
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| Split Brick Gone Bad | 7/16/2007 |
Q: My parents had a split brick floor put in their kitchen. When the person they hired put the third ... A: It would be impossible to strip off the last coat without stripping all of it, and from the sound of ...
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| saltillo tile | 7/11/2007 |
Q: I just bought saltillo tile yesterday in Mexico. I have been researching the process of sealing ... A: Everyone is an expert today... everyone's opinion has equal weight. Oh well... I have been at ...
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| Painting and glazing saltillo tiles | 7/11/2007 |
Q: The orangey saltillo tiles in my family room and kitchen were installed about 20 or more years ago, ... A: You can do this yourself. First, they need a real good cleaning; down on hands and knees cleaning ...
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| Brick paver floor | 7/8/2007 |
Q: I have a 23 year old brick paver porch floor. Recently, we enclosed the porch and had the floor ... A: Ok, the urethane could be a bit difficult to remove. If it's not too large an area, you might get ...
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| Brick paver floor | 7/7/2007 |
Q: I have a 23 year old brick paver porch floor. Recently, we enclosed the porch and had the floor ... A: Waterborne urethanes need to be applied fairly thin, or the surface dries before the bottom of the ...
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| Restoring Saltillo Tiles | 6/29/2007 |
Q: About 6 yrs ago I laid handmade Maxican Saltillo tiles on an open screened patio in my house in ... A: 1. I don't know what 1044 is, but if it is a standard latex acrylic, then a paint stripper for ...
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| refinishing brick floor | 6/29/2007 |
Q: I need to know what I need to buy to refinish a brick floor. The first finish has been worn a ... A: If it is a "finish" and worn a little, then all you would have to do is clean the area first, then ...
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| citronella spill on patio pavers | 6/29/2007 |
Q: We had a beautiful patio installed with pavers, unfortunately a citronella candle spilled, I can't ... A: You might try putting boiling hot soapy water on the area. The heat will reduce the viscosity of ...
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| Travertine around swimming pool | 6/27/2007 |
Q: I live in Orleans, MA and have an inground swimming pool overlooking salt water and surrounded by ... A: I wouldn't think it would be a good idea to put travertine around a pool. 1. Any water mineral ...
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| stains & sealing on brick pavers | 6/26/2007 |
Q: I installed tumbled brick pavers in one of my apartments and sealed them with Jasco Clear Wet-Look ... A: That's quite a mouthful for a sealer... Our SR-5 Stripper should remove their sealer, and remove ...
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| Tumbled travertine floor | 6/24/2007 |
Q: I'm purchasing a home that has tumbled travertine floors in 18x18 inch tiles throughout several ... A: First off, if there are holes in the travertine, there is a product made for filling the holes that ...
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| ceramic floor cleaning | 6/24/2007 |
Q: I have ceramic flooring in our bathroom a recently changed out the bolts that hold the toilet tank. ... A: Rust stains should clean up with a very dilute muriatic (hydrochloric) acid solution. First though, ...
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| Mopping Saltillo With Vinegar and Water | 6/18/2007 |
Q: Mopping saltillo tiles with vinegar and water--is this a no-no? A: A lot of people do this. I think it's one of those things done long ago when there wasn't much else ...
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| Slate Tile / Stone Glamor | 6/18/2007 |
Q: Bill, I am making a planter/fountain and tiling the outside with 12x12 slate from india. I want a ... A: We have accounts in Tennessee, but I don't have a list here at home. If you can, please call in the ...
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| chicago brick bleached, now white | 6/17/2007 |
Q: I live in Miami Beach and about 15 months ago I had Chicago Brick installed in my driveway. About a ... A: Assuming the bleach was normal bleach, there wouldn't be anything to neutralize. I've seen a ...
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| Slate Tile | 6/16/2007 |
Q: Bill, I am making a planter/fountain and tiling the outside with 12x12 slate from india. I want a ... A: Any resinous sealer applied to Indian slate will enhance it to some degree. When it soaks in, it ...
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| Brick Pavers inside home | 6/16/2007 |
Q: We had brick pavers installed throughout our home (minus the bedrooms) The company did not seal the ... A: It sounds like you have been having adhesion troubles. The bricks must be clean, clean, clean prior ...
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| split brick floors | 6/14/2007 |
Q: I have old split-brick with no finish, cement porous, indoor but receives alot of sun. What do I ... A: We make both waterbornes and oil based sealers that will do what needs to be done. The oil based can ...
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| stripping brick pavers | 6/12/2007 |
Q: I am trying to srtip val-oil (a polyurethane) from brick pavers in my kitchen and hallway. Any ... A: First of all, do you really need to strip this? Removing polyurethane can be quite the headache. It ...
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| marble flooring | 6/11/2007 |
Q: I have a 17-yr. old house that has black & white marble tile on the bathroom floor. It is in bad ... A: Your best bet is going to be to re-hone the tiles. There are companies that do this sort of thing; ...
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| mexician tile | 6/10/2007 |
Q: I to have Mexican tile on my patio in Florida. It is worn and appears to have marks under an old ... A: I to have Mexican tile on my patio in Florida. It is worn and appears to have marks under an old ...
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| Travertine Scabas Tile | 6/7/2007 |
Q: I posted a question regarding a recent installation of Scabas travertine in my kitchen. The ... A: This sealer is actually made by Wacker Silicones, and is called BS-28. It is a combination ...
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| Porcelain Tile | 6/4/2007 |
Q: We have older(15 years )porcelain tile in our kitchen...It is very dirty, and I have used everything ... A: A true porcelain tile is pretty much impervious to stains, so this is probably topical. What I ...
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| outdoor tile | 6/1/2007 |
Q: The homes in our neighborhood have a acid stained type of outdoor saltillo (brick color w/ yellow ... A: The market for sealers in Arizona was pretty much ruined by a bunch of tile setters who thought they ...
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| Painting / Staining Travertine Tile | 5/27/2007 |
Q: I recently purchased some travertine tile in Byzantine Gold, the colour does not match with the ... A: Staining can be tricky, especially with travertine. You might try diluting an ink of the right ...
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| Grout mess on ceramic tile | 5/25/2007 |
Q: I installed a unsealed white honeycomb tile floor recently using a charcoal grout. I had a family ... A: Will this destroy the grout between tiles? Not unless it is left in contact with the grout for a ...
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| Refinishing Saltillo tile floors | 5/24/2007 |
| Q: We h |