Flooring and Carpeting - Interior Decorating - Style

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About Bill Hohmann
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
I can answer questions concerning the stripping and sealing of various tile, brick, and stone flooring with an emphasis on Mexican Tile. I cannot help in regards to installation issues, such as what sort of tile to use; how to install or remove tiles, etc.

Experience
Over 30 years experience in the manufacture development and use of sealers, coatings and cleaners for tile, stone, brick, etc.

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Questions Answered By Expert Bill Hohmann
In Category Flooring and Carpeting

Subject	Date Asked

tumble marble sealing	11/19/2009
Q: I was going to install tumble marble as a backsplash. I was told by a CSR at Lowe's I need to use a ... A: Sounds like you used an impregnator first, and they do not strip. Sounds like your second coating ...
laminate flooring	11/17/2009
Q: we recently installed a laminate wood floor, on the first night, one of our male dogs decided to pee ... A: I am not into wood flooring. I don't know what will correct the problem with the planks; you will ...
Stripping brick interior floor	11/15/2009
Q: Bill, this is a followup to my first question. To test the finish on the brick floor, I tried ... A: This could be a coating that has deteriorated, or it could be a wax. I don't think this is moisture ...
Stripping Brick Floors	11/15/2009
Q: We have an interior hallway, 3' by 30', with chocolate brown paver brick on the floor. Hause is 26 ... A: First, I would try cleaning the floor with a wax stripper and brush. After it has dried, apply a ...
ugly split brick	11/12/2009
Q: We purchased a 17 year old home with "old Mobile" split brick floors. I was told it has a ... A: The urethane can be stripped using our SR-5 stripper. This will also clean up the grout lines. ...
Stripping restoring Saltillo follow up	11/10/2009
Q: I have lovely pastel saltillo tiles for the past 10 years. We slightly white washed them but almost ... A: Soap and water will tend to compromise a number of finishes that are on the market, as they ...
Stripping restoring Saltillo follow up	11/10/2009
Q: I have lovely pastel saltillo tiles for the past 10 years. We slightly white washed them but almost ... A: Acetone is not a paint thinner, per se. It will strip various coatings, and it is readily available ...
Stripping restoring Saltillo	11/10/2009
Q: I have lovely pastel saltillo tiles for the past 10 years. We slightly white washed them but almost ... A: If it is just some of the tiles that need to be stripped, you can strip the individual tiles with ...
stripping a brick floor	10/27/2009
Q: I am considering buying a house with a brick floor that I believe is original to the house built in ... A: It would help to know what is on the bricks presently, but our SR-5 stripper will get up just about ...
stripping a brick floor	10/26/2009
Q: I am considering buying a house with a brick floor that I believe is original to the house built in ... A: I believe that if you look around, you will find that you can put a wood floor over a brick ...
natural stone floor	10/24/2009
Q: a "white" line appears at the edge of some of the natural slate flooring next to the grout. I ... A: If the white is a lime deposit, you can clean if off by removing the sealer, then using an acid ...
remove clear seal	10/22/2009
Q: how do you remove solvent base clear seal on a decorative floor .cant not use xlene are anyhting ... A: Anything that will strip it will have some sort of odor. It's just a matter of how bad. Your best ...
brick floor needs refinishing	10/20/2009
Q: We have lived in our house for 10 years and the brick floors laid by the previous owners have a ... A: If you tried various chemicals, with poor success, then I doubt a "green" approach would be very ...
stripping real brick floors	10/13/2009
Q: About 12 years ago we had used St. Louis bricks installed as our floors. They were sealed twice and ... A: To do a really good job, it should be done by hand. A buffer just doesn't work well on anything ...
Travertine Flooring	10/7/2009
Q: I recently had travertine flooring installed in a bathroom. I have been experiencing chips coming ... A: I've not heard of travertine doing this before. I suppose you could fill in the areas with the ...
Brick Flooring - Mineral Deposits?	10/7/2009
Q: We purchased a home with brick floors that were refinished (grout lines and brick) a couple of years ... A: It may be that it is too late to strip the wax off so that a penetrating sealer can be used, but you ...
carrera marble on floor	10/6/2009
Q: We started placing the white carrera marble on the floor, after 6 tiles we noticed that the tiles ... A: I'm not sure what the issue is here. I have seen white marble look different after installation if ...
Indoor Brick Floors	10/5/2009
Q: My husband and I just purchased a 1978 built home with 1800 sq. ft. of brick flooring on a slab with ... A: House needs to be well ventilated. Apply the SR-5 with a brush, then after is has dwelled a bit, ...
Indoor Brick Floors	10/5/2009
Q: My husband and I just purchased a 1978 built home with 1800 sq. ft. of brick flooring on a slab with ... A: Acrylics tend to be a bit bright, and show scratches, etc. readily. Our Mex Seal, is oil based with ...
commercial tile floor	10/5/2009
Q: My commercial tile floor has lost its shine. I had this floor about 4 years. I stripped and waxed it ... A: A "commercial" tile should not need sealing. A floor finish instead of a wax is a better way to go, ...
Indoor Brick Floors	10/2/2009
Q: My husband and I just purchased a 1978 built home with 1800 sq. ft. of brick flooring on a slab with ... A: If it is a urethane, and a wax was applied also, or a wax type product, I found what worked best ...
Removal of xylene based sealer from new pavers	9/30/2009
Q: We applied H & C silicone acrylic xylene solvent based concrete sealer to about 900 of 1800 sq ft of ... A: Solution acrylics will dissolve in an aromatic solvent such as xylene. It is possible that you can ...
stripping Saltillo	9/28/2009
Q: Put down unglazed saltillo in a den. I have 3 rotties and it was easy to wash down. After putting ... A: Our SR-5 Stripper will remove it. Best not to use a floor machine, as they can very easily eat into ...
Slate patio	9/27/2009
Q: I have a slate patio made with large (up to 3'-0" x 4'-0") irregular 1.5" to 2.5" thick stones set ... A: Sealing should help, but spalling is still possible, as these stones are deposition and layered in ...
Porcelain tile flooring with white film	9/21/2009
Q: My daughter just built a new house. She has porcelain tile brick pavers in the kitchen. She wanted a ... A: It would not be unusual for some cleaners to dull a floor finish. This may be nothing more ...
travertine to slippery	9/15/2009
Q: a client had her pool deck done in travertine (1300 sq.ft), it was sealed by the installers. They ... A: Finishes are designed to go over things like urethanes in order to give greater slip resistance, but ...
What to do with painted satillo tiles?	9/9/2009
Q: I have satillo tiles as a walkway through my living room. A previous owner painted the tiles a dark ... A: It's a judgment call on your part. Plum though sounds a bit over the top. You can certainly strip ...
grease spots on mexican tile floors	9/4/2009
Q: I have mexican tile floors in my hurricane katrina damaged home. We have been living in the home ... A: Try cleaning the floors with boiling hot soapy water. This can remove a lot of stains. You can ...
white methylated spirits stain on slate	8/31/2009
Q: I have spilt methylated spirits (containing 95% Ethanol) onto my lacquered slate floor. It turned ... A: Your denatured alcohol may have carried water into the lacquer, which would explain the white. If it ...
Sealing Travertine. Help!	8/29/2009
Q: I purchased a home 3 years with travertine. It was put in right before we moved in and I wasn't ... A: I say it will damage the travertine. A stripping pad will scratch up the travertine. He may think ...
stripping terazzo polyurethane floors	8/29/2009
Q: Im attempting to strip polyurethane off a terazzo floor, what product or process can make this ... A: Our SR-5 Stripper will remove urethanes. Apply to an area about 4 square feet, and keep it wet with ...
Sealing Travertine. Help!	8/28/2009
Q: I purchased a home 3 years with travertine. It was put in right before we moved in and I wasn't ... A: I didn't know Miracle was selling Home Depot... we made that mistake in the past also. Our SR-5 ...
Sealing Travertine. Help!	8/27/2009
Q: I purchased a home 3 years with travertine. It was put in right before we moved in and I wasn't ... A: Sealing travertine requires great care and it takes time. It may well be that it will need to be ...
Slate on front porch steps and porch and back covered porch	8/22/2009
Q: Multicolored Slate from Dal-Tile being installed outdoors at house matching slate indoors throughout ... A: This sounds like the Chinese slate Dal Tile is selling. The Stone Glamor and Mex Seal are fine for ...
Dirty Saltillo tile	8/18/2009
Q: I have a type of saltillo tile called New York White. I stupidly sanded it to try to clean. Now ... A: You need to carefully clean each tile using a small scrub brush and something like 409, followed by ...
stripping travertine	8/17/2009
Q: My beautiful travertine floor was sealed with a Stone Tech sealer/enhancer 6 years ago. It lost its ... A: Stone Tech is owned by DuPont. The two products are the same thing. Also, a reapplication later on ...
Stripping porcelain tile	8/16/2009
Q: We recently installed procelain tile in our new steam shower. We sealed as per the installer's ... A: True porcelain does not need to be sealed. I would have thought the deposits would be calcite, ...
Travertine sealed...or not	8/13/2009
Q: We had rustic looking travertine in the Versailles pattern professionally installed about 10 months ... A: Siliconates will condition a surface so that water in a liquid state will not wet to the surface. ...
Travertine sealed...or not	8/12/2009
Q: We had rustic looking travertine in the Versailles pattern professionally installed about 10 months ... A: I have been baited by other manufacturers here under the guise of someone needing help where a ...
very poor condition mexican tile	8/11/2009
Q: The 30 year old Mexican tile in my kitchen/laundry area is in very poor condition, with ... A: Since that time, I have learned not to delve into areas that are not within the scope of my ...
travertine tile with sealer that bubbled	8/9/2009
Q: We have 16 by 16" travertine tiles just installed in our house. The tile man put TileLab gloss ... A: A solvent based stripper should strip the travertine without damage, but using the stripper with a ...
Unsealed slate bathroom tile	7/31/2009
Q: We have slate tile in our bathroom - floor, walls, shower, counter. We moved into the house with it ... A: This does not sound like true slate. This sounds like Indian or Chinese slate. Clean them up as ...
gloss sealer over pre glazed tile	7/31/2009
Q: I have a mixture of Mexican ceramic, slightly glazed, Mexican porcelain, slightly glazed, Italian ... A: Our finish should go over the TileLab product. Understand; anything you walk on will wear, and the ...
cleaning natural, sealed slate	7/30/2009
Q: I read your response to the question on 4/5 regarding cleaning slate. It sounds very much like my ... A: Efflorescence is essentially free lime that can leach out of a substrate, carried by water to the ...
cleaning natural, sealed slate	7/28/2009
Q: I read your response to the question on 4/5 regarding cleaning slate. It sounds very much like my ... A: There's not much to go on here, but I'll try. If the white film is efflorescence, our brick and ...
sealers for slate tiles	7/25/2009
Q: I love the color of the slate as it is now and wonder if there's a sealer that won't change the ... A: We had our go-in with Home Depot, and will not make that marketing mistake again. It was an utter ...
brick flooring	7/25/2009
Q: we just finished laying brick pavers in our indoor sunroom. We are now at the point of grouting and ... A: You could seal up the bricks prior to grouting. This way, the grout smear can be cleaned off the ...
Brick Floors	7/25/2009
Q: We are buying a house that was built in 1966. The kitchen and family room have brick floors. They ... A: What I find that works well to clean up a build up of dirt, etc. is to clean the floor with a wax ...
resealing saltillo tiles	6/28/2009
Q: I've got beautiful presealed saltillo tiles that have been installed for 17 years with no problems. ... A: Best to remove the sealer completely from the affected tiles, and then reseal them after they are ...
marble tile stain	6/26/2009
Q: Bleach rags left a stain on my marble tile. Is there anything I can do or should I hire a pro? I ... A: The only thing I know to try is hydrogen peroxide, assuming the discoloration is yellow. I'm not ...
saltillo tile problem	6/25/2009
Q: I'm trying to remove residue of rubberized non-skid covering that I laid down under some area rugs. ... A: Some of these contain a plasicizer that leaches into the sealer and/or flooring, making this quite ...
What sealant should I use for limestone in a shower	6/25/2009
Q: we are installing offwhite honed limestone tile in a shower and just figured out that it is porous ... A: This is one of those questions to which there is no "best" solution. Understand up front, the ...
saltillo stripping & resealing	6/24/2009
Q: You say above that you can't help with cost. I'm trying to find out what is a fair price for ... A: I suggest you call a couple tile companies that deal in Saltillo, and ask them if they know who does ...
staining ceramic floors	6/23/2009
Q: Growing up my parents had Spanish tiles in the house. At least one time I remember the whole floor ... A: A glazed tile has a surface that is not at all porous. It has a very hard, dense surface that is ...
can i lighten travertine tile?	6/20/2009
Q: The travertine tiles that were installed are much darker than the samples that we viewed. Is there ... A: I am unaware of any sure-fire method of lightening up travertine. It "might" be possible to bleach ...
sealing reconsituted limestone pavers	6/16/2009
Q: we have just had our swimming pool area reconstituted limestone pavers sealed,some of the pavers now ... A: From what I found on the internet, it appears that this sealer is a fluoropolymer grease. I have ...
mexican floor tiles	6/15/2009
Q: I have a mexican tile floor which I still love, however I have water stains on some parts. What ... A: Water stains will usually come off with a light acid solution or cleaner. We make one called Sparks ...
Porcelain tile overcoat	6/11/2009
Q: We've installed Ergon Mikado porcelain tile (dark brown, 'bamboo' look) -- so far so good. During ... A: A floor finish might approximate what you are looking for. Although there are quite a number of ...
Cleaning Scuff Marks on Kitchen Floor	6/8/2009
Q: We have recently installed Porcelain tile in our kitchen. It is a dark brown and I love it. Well, ... A: Sometimes 409 gets this sort of thing up. Failing that, try acetone. You may need a natural fiber ...
removing tiki torch oil from auto carpets	6/8/2009
Q: Close to a half gallon of tiki torch fuel oil leaked out of the container and into my vehicles ... A: This is way outside my area of knowledge, but I know there are products out there designed to remove ...
refinishing of saltillo tile floor	6/7/2009
Q: I have a saltillo tile floor which was originally finished with a water based urethane designed for ... A: Saltillo should never be sanded, as you have now discovered. There is a very thin partially ...
Saltillo Tile Refinishing	6/4/2009
Q: we just bought a house that was built in the early 90's and has light (yellows to light terra cotta) ... A: It sounds like this floor needs to be stripped in order to get it back to proper shape. The ...
Travertine	6/2/2009
Q: We are installing travertine in all of our house, 3,400 sq ft. Do you recommend sealing, contractor ... A: It depends. If the floor will be subject to spills that have the potential of staining or etching ...
Grout in uneven surfaces of slate floor	5/27/2009
Q: I recently had my bathroom floor tiled with Madras (sometimes called kund multi color) slate. The ... A: You can get acetone from a Home Depot, Lowes, or paint store. As far as an acid based cleaner, it ...
Grout in uneven surfaces of slate floor	5/27/2009
Q: I recently had my bathroom floor tiled with Madras (sometimes called kund multi color) slate. The ... A: Sounds like the haze was sealed over, in which case the sealer needs to be removed. Try a small area ...
Saltillo	5/18/2009
Q: I live in a home with saltillo throughout that has been neglected. I actually love the rustic ... A: Try cleaning the tiles with 409 and a small scrub brush, then wipe up with paper towels and see what ...
navy blue/black ceramic floor tile	5/14/2009
Q: I have a large front hall that has this navy blue/black textured type tile. We just moved the dog ... A: Are these scratches actually into the body of the tile? If so, then you might try finding a blue ...
Travertine Sealer	5/12/2009
Q: I recently put tile sealer on my travertine (water-based, high gloss sealer and finish) and it ... A: Technically, there is no such thing as a sealer/finish. A coating may do both functions to a ...
saltillo tile restoration	5/11/2009
Q: We have saltillo tile that is about 30 years old. Some of it needs to be restored, because the ... A: The tiles should never have been sanded, but seeing as that is what was done, you'll have to work ...
travertine and sealers	5/9/2009
Q: I just bought 9 pieces of travertine I plan to use in a drop- in grid coffee table. (Not adhered or ... A: Travertine is pure calcite, and susceptible to a number of things; acids that are in foods and ...
Cleaning grout from Saltillo Tile	5/5/2009
Q: I have older saltillo tile that was not professionally installed and has grout stains. Also, it has ... A: The grout stains might be improved by first flooding the tiles with plain water, then apply a mild ...
Treating an old Brick floor	5/5/2009
Q: We have recently bought a restored old house in Sweden that has extensive floors made of old bricks. ... A: I do not know what is available to you there, but BASF and DSM Resins have a large presence in ...
Cleaning Saltillo Tile	5/5/2009
Q: I have older saltillo tile that was not professionally installed and has grout stains. Also, it has ... A: 409 usually works well for removing heel marks, etc. If the sealer needs to come off, and you ...
white glazed floor tile	4/27/2009
Q: I cannot find a source for 8x8 white glazed mexican floor tile, So I am resorting to an unfinished ... A: You might try Artesanos in Santa Fe New Mexico. What some people have done to get this appearance ...
grout needs to be cleaned	4/26/2009
Q: I have navy blue grout which needs to be cleaned. Home Depot told me to use part water and muric ... A: Best to try something like 409 with a small scrub brush first, and see if that doesn't do it. If you ...
Slate tile for my bathroom	4/20/2009
Q: About 4 years ago I let my brother-in-law tile my bathroom because he told her he had done it before ... A: This falls more into the category of being an installation issue, but I suppose I can offer my ...
Saltillo Tile Cleaning and Maintenance	4/18/2009
Q: We have Saltillo Tile in our kitchen. There are some black scuff marks here and there. Otherwise, ... A: Scuff marks will usually come up easily enough with 409. As far as regular cleaning, a little dish ...
saltillo outside in hot, sunny baja mexico	4/7/2009
Q: my tile is 2 years old and i don't know if it was ever sealed but it is weathering outside a lot- ... A: I don't know what is available to you, but if you have tiles outside in the sun, most oil based ...
Cleaning Slate in a Bathroom	4/5/2009
Q: I have either tumbled or honed slate in my shower. A portion of it has hard water build up; I ... A: Sorry for being late getting back to you. The CLR (which is a copy of one of our products, CRC) ...
Cleaning Slate in a Bathroom	4/4/2009
Q: I have either tumbled or honed slate in my shower. A portion of it has hard water build up; I ... A: Acetone is not going to affect hard water deposits. You can remove these with a mild acid solution, ...
removing sealer and enhancer from slate	4/2/2009
Q: I have used the One Step Seal & Enhance from Miracle Sealants Co. to enhance my just-installed slate ... A: I'm not sure you can strip that product. I went to their website and was unable to determine the ...
Stripping Antique Terra Cotta tile	4/1/2009
Q: I am on the building committee of a 100 year old historic church in NJ. Our center aisle is ... A: I suggest using a water based wax/finish stripper with small hand held scrub brushes made from nylon ...
ceramic tile	3/27/2009
Q: we had ceamic tile installed in laundry room and half bath 1 year ago. the installer sealed not just ... A: If this is glazed ceramic tile, then sealing was not necessary, whether oil based or not. If this ...
Why are you such an ass hole?	3/21/2009
Q: I have been reading your stupid answers like Custom Building Products knows how to make grout but ... A: None of our products are banned in any state. We can sell in California in some areas when the size ...
Why are you such an ass hole?	3/21/2009
Q: I have been reading your stupid answers like Custom Building Products knows how to make grout but ... A: I am unaware of anyone who has died as a result of their exposure to Stone Glamor and Mex Seal. I ...
black slate cleaning of	3/17/2009
Q: just wondered what type of acid you would use in the use of cleaning black slate in a bathroom ? ... A: The reasons for using an acid cleaner would be if there was efflorescence present, or grout smear, ...
Refinishing Brick Floors	3/17/2009
Q: removing a 20+ year old oil-base finish. I had purchased a new finish that is a water-based ... A: The TSP will hold moisture, preventing the film from forming properly which it can only do in the ...
Heat Guns and Ceramic Bath Tiles	3/14/2009
Q: Heat Guns and Ceramic Bath Tiles I'm repairing/replacing the old caulk and damaged grout in my ... A: It wouldn't hurt to try a heat gun. I don't know if it would be any easier or faster. In any event ...
sealing new pavers	3/6/2009
Q: I live in central Florida. 2 months ago we had concrete"brick"pavers installed for our driveway, ... A: The vast majority of waterborne sealers being sold out there are latex paint resins and they will ...
Scuff marks on brand-new saltillo	3/2/2009
Q: We installed saltillo tile when renovating our laundry room in January. We sealed it with three ... A: There is no such thing as a "sealer-finish." A coating can only do one of these functions, and not ...
Sandstone patio sealer	3/1/2009
Q: I had a sandstone patio laid last summer. Over the course of the winter it has started to go green ... A: Assuming this green is biological, you can clean it out by taking clorox bleach and diluting it 12 ...
stripping sealed polished porcelain tiles	2/28/2009
Q: We have just built brand new home and had polished porcelain tiles laid that were pre-sealed. The ... A: True porcelain does not need a sealer, and a sealer would not soak into the porcelain. This sounds ...
painted brick floors	2/22/2009
Q: What are my options to refinishing painted brick floors in which the paint is chipping and they ... A: There are a couple different ways to remove the paint. You could use a chemical stripper, or ...
bad satillo tile	2/21/2009
Q: We had contractors strip,clean, buff and seal our satillo tile. We must have some moisture issues ... A: Can you recommend a sealer that will keep moisure from coming through. If the tiles are darker ...
bad satillo tile	2/21/2009
Q: We had contractors strip,clean, buff and seal our satillo tile. We must have some moisture issues ... A: It sounds like a silicone contamination. Some outfits making the tiles are using a silicone fluid ...
saltillo tile staining	2/19/2009
Q: In one of your previous answers regarding staining saltillo I read that it is OK to use wood stains ... A: The reason I don't recommend Minwax is because customers of ours have reported compatibility ...
Shiny spots on ceramic tile	2/15/2009
Q: I work for a company and we do clean up for new construction. After we have completely hand scrubbed ... A: If these shiny spots are from an epoxy, they can be a nightmare to remove. Acetone might work if ...
stripping polyurethane from stone fireplace	2/12/2009
Q: We have bought a cabin in the mountains and the previous owners put several coats of polyurethane ... A: Short of stripping it, you could try wetting a rag with acetone, and kill the gloss by wiping the ...
refinished floors	2/10/2009
Q: A floor contractor stripped our saltillo, and put a hydro carbon based high gloss sealer down wax ... A: Did he apply either the sealer or finish with a brush that would account for these being brush ...
Brick floors	2/9/2009
Q: A while back I applied Polyurethane to my brick floors as I have done several times. This time I ... A: Acetone is a very fast drying solvent, so you have to keep wetting the brick with it until the ...
Brick floors	2/9/2009
Q: A while back I applied Polyurethane to my brick floors as I have done several times. This time I ... A: If the spots are a result of applying the urethane, then removing the urethane should remove the ...
Saltillo Tile Problem	2/6/2009
Q: Our home was flooded during Hurricane Ike. Since the flood our saltillo tile started popping up ... A: Saltillo commonly has nodules of pure lime in the clay. When water soaks in, and remains for a long ...
sealing travertine stone flooring	2/5/2009
Q: My travertine floor was sealed after installation one year ago. Do I need to reseal it? A: Anything you walk on is going to wear, and travertine is somewhat soft. Also, I have no idea what ...
mexican tile floors	1/31/2009
Q: my daughter recently moved into a house with saltillo tile floors that appear not to have been ... A: Work on a small area at a time, flooding the tiles with plain water, then scrubbing carefully the ...
cleaning, restoring unglazed porcelain tiles	1/29/2009
Q: First of all, thank you for being available. I live in a house that's 100 yrs. old. The two ... A: Phosphoric is a poor acid for cleaning tiles. You might want to try white vinegar. Other things to ...
mexican tile	1/28/2009
Q: I hope you can help me. When I moved into my home 4yrs ago, the tile in my kitchen was gorgeous. ... A: I am unfamiliar with what you are using on the floor, so I don't know what would clean it off, but I ...
porcelain tiles	1/25/2009
Q: I laid glazed porcelain tiles about 2 months back and during that time I had contractors working in ... A: To get this "wax" off and clean the tiles, I would try a water based wax stripper with a hand held ...
tile seperating from cement.	1/24/2009
Q: We have Spanish tile throughout the house,yesterday I noticed in the kitchen that some of the tile ... A: What you are describing is what happens when the bottom of a tile is somewhat concave, and the void ...
SR-5 Product	1/18/2009
Q: Bill - sorry for the confusion. Apparently i resubmitted a question that you graciously and ... A: The SR-5 stripper does not comply with California's laws regarding VOC's. Therefore, we cannot sell ...
Removing Sealer from Spanish Tile Patio Floor	1/18/2009
Q: We are trying to remove several layers of sealer/wax from a smooth Spanish tile patio. This product ... A: We cannot sell it there in California. About all you have available to you that will work is ...
Removing Sealer from Spanish Tile Patio Floor	1/18/2009
Q: We are trying to remove several layers of sealer/wax from a smooth Spanish tile patio. This product ... A: If it is sealer and wax, then the best way to tackle it is with a stripper for resins with a wax ...
Mapei Premixed Grout	1/17/2009
Q: I just used the Mapei premixed grout to do my shower surround and floor. Now I read that it is not ... A: These are reactive systems that react with the calcite of the grout, but cannot react with the ...
Mapei Premixed Grout	1/16/2009
Q: I just used the Mapei premixed grout to do my shower surround and floor. Now I read that it is not ... A: I've not heard of applying two coats of grout, but in any event, the issue should be easily solved ...
Mexican tile from the 1970's	1/15/2009
Q: We have an older home with 2500 square feet of mexican tile. It is a great floor but needs to be ... A: According to my math, the first guy wants $3.48 a square foot, which is reasonable IF he knows what ...
removing sealer&wax from brick floors	1/14/2009
Q: I have something on the brick floor in my den that doesn't want to come off. I have tried top most ... A: My guess is that the Johnson wax product is a wax stripper, in which case I can see why it would not ...
Travertine floor sealing and cleaning	1/13/2009
Q: I recently had travertine flooring installed in my kitchen. I sealed it with a penetrating sealer ... A: Most such sealers will strip with acetone. Just do two tiles at a time. To seal without streaking ...
Smoke Damaged Travertine	1/9/2009
Q: Bill, My wife and I are looking at buying a house that went through a fire with smoke damage only, ... A: I doubt seriously there is any problem with the travertine floor. Heat rises. The floor would have ...
Refinishing Satillo Tile	1/5/2009
Q: I have an 18 year old Satillo tile kitchen & entry floor that is stained darker than I would like. ... A: If the tile was stained, the stain might lift out through stripping, but frankly it is doubtful. ...
Brick Flooring	1/4/2009
Q: I have brick flooring in my kitchen and I was trying to find out what type of cleaner,sealer and ... A: Usually plain dish detergent and water will clean up a brick floor. If there are stains that won't ...
streaky saltillo tiles after pregrout seal	12/24/2008
Q: Bill, we are in the process of installing our saltillo floor.A few days ago the tilers showd up to ... A: Well, it sounds like the tiles are indeed ruined, for you should never sand them. There is a very ...
botched travertine when sealed	12/18/2008
Q: We had someone re-seal our travertine after three years and it looks like someone spilled something ... A: You strip it by hand. Do not use a machine; do not use sandpaper. Apply a stripper and let it ...
Stripping, Staining & Re-Sealing Mexican Tile	12/17/2008
Q: My husband and I just recently bought a house with about 1700 square feet of Mexican tile. I found ... A: What you are describing are tiles that were not stained, and possibly sealed with waterborne(s). ...
Staining saltillo tile	12/10/2008
Q: Several months ago we had saltillo tile installed in our hallways and front bathroom. The installer ... A: Saltillo should not be grouted until after it is sealed, that way, no grout smear can get into the ...
saltillo tile water damage	12/9/2008
Q: I have saltillo tile which was flooded by a broken washing machine hose - clean water covered the ... A: Wet the tiles first, then apply a light acid solution which will dissolve the white material. You ...
Staining and Sealing Porcelain	12/7/2008
Q: We just bought some Italian "colorbody" porcelain tile with a lot of shade variability(Daltile Terra ... A: True porcelain would be difficult to take a stain, but if what you have tried works, then good. The ...
Reclaimed French tile	11/19/2008
Q: I have just purchased a house with reclaimed french tile throughout. I'm not sure what sealer has ... A: I have no idea what "reclaimed french tile" is, but if there is a sealer on them, you can probably ...
Saltillo tile calcium deposits	11/18/2008
Q: We have terrible calcium deposits on our saltillo tile because of a leak under the floor. We don't ... A: I assume you have fixed the leak under the floor, otherwise the problem will continue. To remove ...
Can I use concrete stain on tile flooring?	11/15/2008
Q: I have a bunch of boxes of ceramic tile flooring that have not been put down yet. They are white, ... A: I'm sorry, but I have no experience with this sort of thing, and do not know of anyone else who has ...
Saltillo tile	11/12/2008
Q: I live in Mexico and have this tile all thru my house, some parts have water damage and have a white ... A: Sanding the tiles is a big mistake. The white is probably efflorescence and should clean up easily ...
Stripping, staining and sealing Saltillo tile	11/10/2008
Q: I own a home in Placitas NM that has Saltillo tile thoughout. I would like to restore it not ... A: There are very few people out there that can or will strip Saltillo properly. It is very time ...
removing sealant from Travertine tile	11/10/2008
Q: When the house was built over 2000 sq ft of travertine tile was installed downstairs. A tinted tile ... A: It would help to know what the sealer was, but regardless, you should be able to apply a stripper to ...
terra cotta floor	11/7/2008
Q: I had reclaimed unglazed terra cotta floor tiles installed in my kitchen 4 years ago which are ... A: Bee's wax and carnuba, etc. are what people put on floors a century ago, because there was little ...
saltillo tile refinishing	11/6/2008
Q: I have a presealed saltillo tile floor (from Mexico)throughout my house that was installed about 11 ... A: You want to try and avoid stripping if at all possible. If the oil based is flaking off, you should ...
Removing stick on tile & preserving hardwood underneath	11/5/2008
Q: I have stick on tile on my floors. I pulled up a couple of pieces and found that there is Hardwood ... A: I don't know what you mean by "safely" in this regard. Flammability? Health risk? Try acetone. ...
terra cotta floor	11/1/2008
Q: I had reclaimed unglazed terra cotta floor tiles installed in my kitchen 4 years ago which are ... A: The grout needs more sealer put on it until the sealer has overcoated the grout to the point that ...
Travertine - Seal	10/31/2008
Q: We just had Travertine stone laid in our home and we have heard different things on when we can seal ... A: I didn't know the guy that laid the stone was a chemist also... The surface dries out very quickly, ...
Travertine - Seal	10/31/2008
Q: We just had Travertine stone laid in our home and we have heard different things on when we can seal ... A: The sooner you seal it the better, especially if it is honed travertine. The floor must be really, ...
Travertine sealer selection	10/30/2008
Q: I have a new, outdoor pool deck of tumbled travertine tile. I wouldn't mind color enhancement, and ... A: It seems strange to me that you would be asking me about a competitor's products. I am not familiar ...
mexican saltillo tiles stains and wax or sealer	10/30/2008
Q: hoe do i strip and what is aromatic solvent?it is a very large kitchen. A: An aromatic solvent is a solvent in that family known as aromatics, and they are fairly aggressive ...
saltillo tile/ brick shape herringbone pattern	10/30/2008
Q: Bill We recently bought this house. Saltillo as listed above and the original owner told us that ... A: Linseed oil doesn't seal tile. Try cleaning first with soap and water, then a clear water rinse. ...
oil stains on driveway pavers	10/29/2008
Q: My daughter recently moved into their new home which has a beautiful driveway constructed of pavers. ... A: This has nothing to do with tile restoration, but it comes up every now and then. Our SR-5 ...
impossible to strip slatillo	10/27/2008
Q: I had a houseful of saltillo put in about 18 years ago. Though I don't know what sealer was used ... A: SR-5 Stripper is a lot safer than strippers that are based on Methylene Chloride or Acetone, but you ...
impossible to strip slatillo	10/27/2008
Q: I had a houseful of saltillo put in about 18 years ago. Though I don't know what sealer was used ... A: We make a stripper that will get off anything you put on. It is called SR-5 Stripper. You apply it, ...
Restaining bathroom shower tile	10/26/2008
Q: I currently have white tile and white grout in my shower. I would like to have it re-stained to a ... A: You can stain the grout, or dig out the grout and replace it with a color you wish, but it is highly ...
Satillo tile in kitchen and back hall	10/23/2008
Q: We have Satillo tile in our kitchen and back hall that I have debated about replacing for 10 years ... A: The grout can be colored, and there are a number of products out on the market to do this. A good ...
polymer sealer on bricks	10/21/2008
Q: I used a polymer sealer (possibly Jasco sealer and glosser, I don't remembert) on my front and back ... A: Our SR-5 should get it off. The vast majority of resins are going to get dull over time outdoors. ...
ceramic tile	10/14/2008
Q: I just installed ceramic tile in my kitchen. What is the best to remove some of the grout haze on ... A: A very light acid solution will remove the grout haze. White vinegar will work, cut at least 50/50 ...
Sealing tumbled marble in bathroom	10/10/2008
Q: We are renovating a bathroom and used tumbled marble. The tile was not pre-sealed before ... A: 1. Your first question is an installation issue, and I don't get involved in them. 2. You should ...
Saltillo tile	10/10/2008
Q: We have saltillo tile and have noticed over the past two years that the vast area surrounding the ... A: This sounds like efflorescence and it is common with saltillo. Moisture gets into the tile from ...
saltillo tile	10/8/2008
Q: Bill, I want to install saltillo tile on a walkway and patio in my backyard. What can I use to seal ... A: There are some treatments out there that will cause a surface to become less slippery when wet, and ...
Terrazo floor	10/3/2008
Q: I have rented a house with terrazzo floors and am having trouble getting it clean. There are rust ... A: There are companies out there that specialize in terrazzo flooring, and your best bet is to contact ...
New marble installation	10/2/2008
Q: I just installed a marble floor in dining area. I need to buff finish and clean grout film. What ... A: Did you install the marble flooring yourself, or did a contractor lay the marble? There should have ...
mexi seal and glamour stone	9/27/2008
Q: We have been told that mexi seal and glamour stone works well on mexican tile.We would like to have ... A: I show Jennings Building Supply in Ashville carrying our products as well as WNC Ceramic Tile. Seal ...
Ceramic floor tile sealing	9/26/2008
Q: I have about 800 sq ft of UNGLAZED matte finish ceramic tile, installed on concrete with latex ... A: You need a finish and not a sealer. The Miracle product is not even a film forming sealer, and is ...
Sealing Grout	9/26/2008
Q: I bought oil sealed saltillo tile and natural gray grout. I don't want the grout any darker but I ... A: The HMK S34 appears to be a silane or siloxane. This system repels water only in the liquid phase. ...
removing polyuathane from slate floor	9/20/2008
Q: We are remodeling a 1968 home and at some piont a previous owner applied some sort of sealer (ploy?) ... A: We make a stripper called SR-5 that will remove just about all resinous sealers with the exception ...
Travertine tile	9/17/2008
Q: We just tiled our kitchen with travertine. We put 3 coats of sealer that we bought from Lowes ... A: Unfortunately, the grout and the travertine are the same thing compositionally. They are both ...
Travertine tile	9/17/2008
Q: We just tiled our kitchen with travertine. We put 3 coats of sealer that we bought from Lowes ... A: If the sealer is still there, then you should be able to remove the grout smear using a light acid ...
Travertine tile	9/17/2008
Q: We just tiled our kitchen with travertine. We put 3 coats of sealer that we bought from Lowes ... A: Not a very good sealer if 3 coats can be compromised by grout... Perhaps what you are seeing is the ...
Brick pavers	9/17/2008
Q: I was putting 2nd coat of sealer on brick pavers I recently put down on cement side walk, it started ... A: I have to assume a great deal here. You put this second coat of sealer down, and before it was ...
marble floor	9/13/2008
Q: Hope you can help can you tell how to remove a stain from my marble floor the stain was caused by my ... A: I don't know what will for sure remove the stain from marble, but I would try keeping it soaked with ...
grout color	9/12/2008
Q: We just had a tile floor installed and the grout lightened perfectly in 90% of the floor. There ... A: It's possible the grout was not mixed consistently. It is also possible that the sealer soaked in ...
Stone Tile	9/9/2008
Q: I installed some stone tile the color of brick on my clients patio and then we applied a sealer to ... A: It sounds like the sealer soaked in, in which case it may not be possible to strip out. It is ...
installing marble tile sealant	9/9/2008
Q: I am in the process of having marble tile installed in my bathroom on the shower surround and on the ... A: If a piece is destined to be installed on a vertical surface, it is better to seal it before ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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? ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Slate floor in bathroom and shower	4/25/2008
Q: We are preparing to have a bathroom floor put down with Black Slate 1212 in the 'room' and 22 ... A: If I understand properly, you are putting 2x2 marble in the shower. In order to seal them without ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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; ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Refinishing Saltillo tile floors	5/24/2007
Q: We have saltillo floors in 98% of our house. They were sealed with some kind of epoxy over them. ... A: Well, where it is damaged, it would be best to take it off, but then things won't necessarily match ...
Grout mess on ceramic tile	5/24/2007
Q: I installed a unsealed white honeycomb tile floor recently using a charcoal grout. I had a family ... A: Try water clear hydrochloric (muriatic) diluted 12 parts distilled water to 1 part acid. Add a ...
Refinishing Saltillo tile floors	5/24/2007
Q: We have saltillo floors in 98% of our house. They were sealed with some kind of epoxy over them. ... A: Sometimes an epoxy can be removed with a razor blade scraper, but you must be VERY careful not to ...
Removing Paint from Slate Flooring	5/20/2007
Q: I saw your answer re: painting a slate floor. I bought a house with a slate kitchen floor that has ... A: Did I just walk into the Twilight Zone, or what? If it was a latex paint, floor wax or finish ...
tile installation	5/19/2007
Q: I want to lay tile in a basement bathroom. It previously had linoleum which I pulled up but the ... A: I am not qualified to help when it comes to installation issues. Might I suggest you ask the manager ...
tumbled marble tile	5/17/2007
Q: We have tumbled marble as a backsplash to out outdoor grill. The wall has become dull after repeated ... A: The easiest thing to do is take a car wax or polish, and go over it like you would a car. If the ...
tile flooring	5/16/2007
Q: I jsut had tile installed in my bathrooms, both I used the pre-colored grout, I sealed the grout my ... A: Just because it was an expensive sealer does not mean it is a good sealer. The most expensive ones ...
Grout seal	5/14/2007
Q: I just installed 6" white glazed tile with white grout, on a bathroom floor and also on the shower ... A: I just installed 6" white glazed tile with white grout, on a bathroom floor and also on the shower ...
stains on Porcelain tiles	5/14/2007
Q: Last Weekend I decided to clean some grouting residue off the porcelain tiles in my living room. I ... A: I assume the circular marks are a result of the sanding. The only thing I can think of that might ...
brick with glue from old carpet	5/14/2007
Q: Hohmann, My husband and I removed old carpet and found a brick floor beneath. We need advice about ... A: This just came up with someone else, so instead of repeating myself, I will try to give you a link ...
brick	5/13/2007
Q: I'm so glad to find this site! I live in a 1920's home on the Central Coast of California. We ... A: Getting strong solvents in California can be problematic, but if you can get it, try an aromatic ...
Saltillo vs Ceramic	5/13/2007
Q: I am making plans to put new flooring in my home (entry hallway, living room, kitchen, and a ... A: Well, if it were not for saltillo, we would probably be out of business, as the stuff is poor in ...
saltillo tiles	5/12/2007
Q: I have saltillo tiles and have noticed that water is soaking into them. Having just bought the ... A: Sealing is easy enough, but where people run into trouble is by trying to take short cuts. There ...
saltillo tiles	5/11/2007
Q: I have saltillo tiles and have noticed that water is soaking into them. Having just bought the ... A: This matte finish... does it appear that there is some sort of film over the tiles, or not, even ...
saltillo tiles	5/11/2007
Q: I have saltillo tiles and have noticed that water is soaking into them. Having just bought the ... A: If water is soaking in, then they might not be sealed. Does there appear to be anything present? ...
Any advice about stains on cuban tile floor?	5/11/2007
Q: In 1968 when my father constructed a house in Spanish Wells, Bahamas, the ground floor was laid ... A: There would be nothing to neutralize now. The stains are a result of what has already happened -- ...
Any advice about stains on cuban tile floor?	5/10/2007
Q: In 1968 when my father constructed a house in Spanish Wells, Bahamas, the ground floor was laid ... A: The most likely culprit would be a clorox type cleaner, or hydrogen peroxide that was used in the ...
Restoring Saltillo Tiles	5/10/2007
Q: I've recently purchased a house with saltillo throughout the bottom story (approx 1000 sq feet) and ... A: This tells me that waterbornes were used on your floor. There is no such thing as a "finish ...
Saltillo Grout	5/9/2007
Q: My saltillo tile has very wide grout lines (some areas over 1" wide) in a black/gray/dirty looking ... A: Try cleaning the grout with a wax type stripper. This should get a lot of the black out, and prepare ...
Restoring Saltillo Tiles	5/9/2007
Q: I've recently purchased a house with saltillo throughout the bottom story (approx 1000 sq feet) and ... A: There's a lot of "ground" to cover here.. (no pun intended... on second thought, the pun was ...
Sanding Saltillo	5/9/2007
Q: I am moving into a house with 70s saltillo in the kitchen and dining rooms. The tiles are extremely ... A: Ahhh! Never sand saltillo! There is a very thin partly vitrified layer that, once removed, all you ...
Painting Ceramic Tile and Grout	5/8/2007
Q: You said in one answer from last year that there are some paints out there that can be used over ... A: I'm afraid I really don't know of any specific paint out there, but if I wanted to paint over a ...
Vitirified Tiles and marble Information	5/8/2007
Q: I am purchasing an apartment in Bangalore, India.I am debating on whether to go in for vitrified or ... A: They are generally membranes that are elastic that are applied to the floor first, then the tiles ...
Vitirified Tiles and marble Information	5/7/2007
Q: I am purchasing an apartment in Bangalore, India.I am debating on whether to go in for vitrified or ... A: My personal opinion has always been against using marble for flooring. Leave marble for making ...
stained marble	5/7/2007
Q: my HUSBAND called himself putting down a marble floor. Everything was ok until he grouted it. Of ... A: There's a catch-22 here. To clean a grout smear, it takes a light acid solution, which unfortunately ...
Granite vs. Poreclain for kitchen	5/6/2007
Q: Any advice material on which to pick for a large kitchen A: This is like asking someone what kind of car you should buy. Why not talk to the manager of a ...
Mexican tile & flooding	5/6/2007
Q: We had some flooding in our home, about 2-21/2 inches. The water was moved out within a couple of ... A: One way to determine if a floor has dried out after a flood is to tape down a piece of clear plastic ...
hardwood floor bulging/deflection	5/5/2007
Q: I am purchasing a home (7 year old) and my inspector noticed bulging and deflection in the front ... A: I am not qualified to give an opinion in this regard, but my wife's father was a home builder in ...
painting a slate floor	5/3/2007
Q: I recently moved into a new home that had been the builders model. The entire first floor except the ... A: I have never seen or heard of anyone painting a slate floor. Personally, I think this would be a big ...
sealing grout for porcelain tile	5/2/2007
Q: When using grout sealing material on porcelain tile should the tile itself be sealed or only the ... A: Sealing porcelain does not accomplish anything positive, as porcelain is pretty much impervious. ...
cleaning and buffing porcelain tile floor	5/1/2007
Q: We just installed porcelain tile floor. We have cleaned with water, water and vinegar, floor ... A: It's possible but not desirable. Seeing as it's porcelain, it wouldn't be so bad, but understand ...
cleaning and buffing porcelain tile floor	5/1/2007
Q: We just installed porcelain tile floor. We have cleaned with water, water and vinegar, floor ... A: The water/vinegar probably wasn't quite strong enough. If you have access to muriatic that is water ...
ceramic tiling floor	5/1/2007
Q: I recently had a contractor install ceramic tile. There was originally wood flooring. In order to ... A: I really am not the one to ask about installation problems; they are way outside my area of ...
Sealing Tile	5/1/2007
Q: We have picked out a tile that has very little sheen to it. It almost feel gritty. Is there a ... A: This is sort of like asking me what kind of car you should buy. Are you trying to keep the present ...
Marble floor cracking	5/1/2007
Q: I have marble floor and I noticed that some squares start cracking, could you please tell what ... A: Shifts in the slab get transferred to the tiles. There are a number of products sold that is lain ...
marble tile stain	5/1/2007
Q: My kids knocked over my toilet brush container and the liquid that was in it made an orange stain on ... A: A lot of toilet bowl cleaners are acidic, which would etch and eat marble. They also usually ...
how to grout stone tile	5/1/2007
Q: My husband laid 12 inch tiles...butted up to each other on our patio with thinset. We have been ... A: It's possible that if there are minor gaps, that water could puddle and freeze, causing a problem, ...
Sealing Tile	4/30/2007
Q: We have picked out a tile that has very little sheen to it. It almost feel gritty. Is there a ... A: If the tile feels gritty, then I would first try giving it a good cleaning and see what that does. ...
tile sealing	4/29/2007
Q: Do all types of tiles have to be sealed? A: No. Glazed tiles do not need to be sealed. Hard quarry tiles that are not going to be subjected to ...
tumbled marble backsplash	4/27/2007
Q: had a tumbled marble installed, properly by a oontractor, however, the marble is turning yellow, ... A: I've seen this before. It is either from cleaning, where water wicks in from the sides, pulling in ...
marble tile stain	4/26/2007
Q: My kids knocked over my toilet brush container and the liquid that was in it made an orange stain on ... A: This is going to be tough... You can try clorox bleach, but it has to be cut about 12 parts water ...
Slate sub-floor questions...	4/26/2007
Q: I'm working on a kitchen renovation with the hopes of installing a slate (16" X 16" tile size) ... A: I'm really not knowledgeable about installation of tile. It would be better to ask a tile setter, ...
Slate/stone floor	4/25/2007
Q: Last year we layed a slate floor in our kitchen but never got the "wet look" finish that we wanted ... A: If this is one of the impregnators that is designed to block both water and oil, it is likely it ...
need a recommendation of a good finish for my Mexican Tile	4/25/2007
Q: I'm having my Mexican tile professionally stripped, sealed, and finished. However, I want to add a ... A: There are two companies (that use the same reps) who pretty much have a monopoly in Lowes and Home ...
Travertine Sealer Issue	4/25/2007
Q: my tile installer sealed our travertine with a sealer called Glaze 'N Seal. It is solvent base ... A: If they are still making this product as an acrylic laquer, you should be able to pick up Aromatic ...
Vitrified tiles for staircase	4/25/2007
Q: I laid vitrified tiles to my house staircase steps. At that time I did not notice that it would have ... A: Vitrified can cover a spectrum; from the entire body of a tile to just a thin layer on the surface. ...
Travertine Sealer Issue	4/25/2007
Q: my tile installer sealed our travertine with a sealer called Glaze 'N Seal. It is solvent base ... A: It's not that the sealer is tough, it's that these cleaners are weak. I was not aware Glaze N Seal ...
stained laminate floors	4/24/2007
Q: "i have yellow stains on my vinal laminate floors in the bathrooms....they are only 5 years old. ... A: This is kinda outside my area of expertise, but it sounds like these are locations where moisture ...
outdoor carpet glue ----how to get it off	4/24/2007
Q: took up outside gren carpet and now i cannot get the glue off have used several different things ... A: Try contacting a solvent supply distributor, and see if they will give you about a quart of N-Methyl ...
Slate/stone floor	4/24/2007
Q: Last year we layed a slate floor in our kitchen but never got the "wet look" finish that we wanted ... A: Our Stone Glamor should give it the look you want, and our Internacional Finish will help to ...
Saltillo floor stripping	4/16/2007
Q: I have the above tile floor which needs to be stripped and a local expert? suggested i use ... A: Sorry for taking so long... Do not sand. It will ruin the surface of the tile. We make a stripper ...
Repairing Terrazzo floors	4/15/2007
Q: I have terrazzo floors in all my bedrooms now covered with carpet, I would like to take up the ... A: There are companies that deal specifically with terrazzo, and they have a filler for it. They can ...
Striping a floor	4/13/2007
Q: I purchased a house recently with Roe concrete tile flooring (out of California) that looks very ... A: It would help to know what the chemical makeup is of the AquaMix stuff. Not knowing for sure, try ...
saltillo/ mexican strip of wax and collor too help?	4/12/2007
Q: we were trying to clean them and was told to use a wax stripper, it took off of the coloring now ... A: It can be a nightmare to get wax out of Mexican tile. The process has to be repeated at least three ...
clean/strip/seal interior brick floor	4/11/2007
Q: After home reno project our 8' wide 38' long interior brick hallway has ground in grunge! It was ... A: Sounds like you sealed over the wax with the acrylic, and got some mix of both. Best to strip it ...
"Painiting or refinishing terracotta tiles	4/9/2007
Q: I have terra cotta tiles, they are stained dark and have a "finish" on them of some type-I hate them ... A: You would have to take one tile that is in an inconspicuous location, such as behind a door, and put ...
Saltillo tile in bathrooom	3/30/2007
Q: Bill, my wife really likes saltillo tile and wants to install it for our bathroom floor. Will it ... A: It will work, but not as well as a glazed ceramic when it comes to keeping clean, but this is fairly ...
saltillo tile stip and refinish	3/30/2007
Q: I have a large amount of saltillo tile in my home, I want to add more into some rooms where I have ... A: Older tiles would not necessarily be darker, if they were sealed. Regardless, new tiles can be ...
office floor	3/28/2007
Q: I decided to renovate my office 10x15 in size. My husband already bought 20x20 heavy duty tiles. ... A: Larger tiles are more in vogue now, but if the flooring isn't properly prepared and level, there can ...
ceramic tile floor	3/28/2007
Q: I am installing 13" tiles in our bathroom. I'm down to the last tile to be installed and it rocks ... A: In my bio, I mention that I really can't help with installation issues. That said, try calling a ...
old terrazzo	3/22/2007
Q: I just bought on old house in Mexico. It has been through at least one hurricane. The house has ... A: It may be possible to stain the floor, using a wood stain. What you would do after this is apply ...
old terrazzo	3/22/2007
Q: I just bought on old house in Mexico. It has been through at least one hurricane. The house has ... A: Try cleaning the water stains and rust stains with vinegar. I wouildn't give it much hope though. ...
Wax build-up	3/22/2007
Q: We live in a apartment, and the cleaning lady cleaned the kitchen floor with a wax based ... A: If it's just a wax, and not something like "Future", just about any wax stripper will work, just ...
cleaning/sealing old brick floors	3/18/2007
Q: When rennovating an old log home, my husband and I installed brick floors in the kitchen and ... A: Sometimes hot soapy water will clean the brick out. You might need to repeat a few times. Follow ...
Travatine floor instalation	3/16/2007
Q: do I need to seal the travertine floor after the grout has been dried A: Honed travertine can be difficult to seal, as any imperfection in application will show up like the ...
Laminate Flooring	3/14/2007
Q: We have vinyl in our kitchen area, breakfast area, laundry room and pantry. We have had foundation ... A: Home Depot got rid of the people who had backgrounds in their fields in the various departments. I ...
REMOVAL OF SEALER FROM GRANITE	3/13/2007
Q: YES, WE INSTALLED GRANITE COUTERTOPS ABOUT A YEAR AGO. OUR INSTALLER SAID TO SEAL ONCE A YEAR. MY ... A: Do not use anything abrasive; even remotely so. I suggest removiing whatever is on there with ...
brick flooring	3/12/2007
Q: My parents have just had a brick paver installed in several rooms. They sealed the brick prior to ... A: It would help to know exactly what was done through the whole process: 1. Are these actually ...
brick pavers	3/11/2007
Q: I have brick pavers on my pool. They are about 3 years old and were never sealed. I cleaned the ... A: It would help if I knew what the type of sealer this is; the base of the sealer. This mixing a ...
Tiling over a brick fireplace	2/28/2007
Q: I would like to cover my old brick fireplace with tiles. The surface is sort of uneven can you ... A: There are probably products to do this, but I wouldn't know what they are. Try calling a tile ...
mexican tile strip and seal	2/25/2007
Q: I bought a house with mexican tile in one room that has been white washed with paint and then a ... A: Sorry I didn't get to this earlier... I had a molar pulled, and all kinds of complications. ...
covering aesbestos tile	2/23/2007
Q: We have a 55 yr old home w/aesbestos tile in the basement. Some tiles have popped up, others are ... A: If you have asbestos tile in your basement, do not even go down there! Contact an EPA office or a ...
removing old linoleum	2/7/2007
Q: I have old linoleum on a staircase that is torn in places. I would like to remove it and replace it ... A: I'm not all that knowledgeable on removing linoleum, so I would recommend contacting a company that ...
Painting brick	2/2/2007
Q: I have a full fireplace wall of brick. I recently painted the room and now I feel that wall is too ... A: Our Stone Glamor would bring out and deepen the colors, but it would probably get somewhat dull ...
flooring	1/31/2007
Q: Can you put vinyl flooring over ceramic tile? A: Installation is not my forte. You probably could put tile over vinyl flooring, but the results ...
Tile Grout Sealer mishap	1/23/2007
Q: I am new to the tileing project and recently tiled my mothers bathroom floor. My brother (who has ... A: I went to their website, but I could not find anything to tell me what kind of sealer it is. Chances ...
Removal	1/22/2007
Q: We had linoleum laid 17 years ago on cement floor (Laundry room) - we would now like to lay ceramic ... A: I really am not knowledgeable in regards to installation, but if it were mine, I would get up as ...
what size is good	1/21/2007
Q: i have about a 120sq ft kitchen floor i want to tile what would be a good size to put down i thought ... A: Well, I'm no interior decorator... more of an inferior decorator. Large tiles are "in" but the ...
REMOVING SEALER FROM A CERAMIC TILE	1/20/2007
Q: WE sealed a ceramic tile floor with tile and grout sealer ,left excess sealer on the tile surface ... A: Ceramic tile implies a glazed tile. If this is the case, the sealer should come up fairly easily ...
travertine	1/15/2007
Q: there are 2 different kinds 1. comet spray 2. scrub free w/oxy, both have a acidI had used a spray ... A: Acids are going to etch and dissolve the travertine. The white streaks could be the travertine being ...
Saltillo Tile	1/5/2007
Q: If efflorescent is a slight gray color showing on the brick, then, yes it is present. In that case ... A: Efflorescense is (usually) white; a white calcite that is carried to the surface by capilary action, ...
Saltillo Tile	1/5/2007
Q: Is it necessary to remove sections of the old finish or sealer, whatever the case may be, from the ... A: It would probably be best to remove what is there, simply because if you put the finish down now, ...
Saltillo Tile	1/5/2007
Q: We moved in our present house about 15 years ago. The kitchen floor is Saltillo tile. The floors ... A: When Saltillo is fired in the earthen kilns, just a very thin layer of the surface undergoes a ...
mex seal	1/5/2007
Q: I used a strong smelling product(in 90's) that I think was some form of oil base to seal our saltio ... A: Mex Seal is one of our products. In the mid 90's the formulation was changed, resulting in a ...
Garage floor	1/3/2007
Q: Will a sealer work better? should a sealer be applied first? We will be using one side of the ... A: The thing about applying a sealer to a garage floor is that any leaks from a car tend to not get ...
Travertine marble	1/3/2007
Q: My husband is a do-it-yourselfer.Our marble floor and walls in the bath were terribly damaged by ... A: Any wax stripper should work for cleaning. Do not use anything acidic or abrasive. If the marble ...
Garage floor	1/3/2007
Q: At the suggestion of a Lowe's paint expert, I bought an "American Tradition" brand ... A: This is not a "sealer" this is a paint. Most all coatings are designed to be applied between 90 ...
Travertine Sealing	12/26/2006
Q: As we are first time homeowners and are novices when it comes to travertine, we sealed our tile ... A: This is a common problem with travertine. Wiping off excess would not have helped anything... it is ...
marble floor	12/24/2006
Q: I've discovered what appears to be a marble slab floor under glued down high-density foam pad that ... A: Acetone should work fine. Yes, acid will damage the marble. It is possible to have someone come in ...
Chicago split brick floor - scratches	12/23/2006
Q: My home was covered with floodwaters from Katrina. Our split brick floor held up pretty well. Some ... A: I have had success using brown ink diluted and applied to scratches in clay tiles. The same trick ...
sealing slates with Sparks Mex Seal	12/17/2006
Q: After applying Sparks Mex Seal and waiting more then 24 hours the slates feel sticky and scratch ... A: Did you use Stone Glamor first? If you applied the Mex Seal alone, or applied it rather thick, and ...
Stripping and Refinishing Saltillo Tile	12/15/2006
Q: Bill, Two years ago we purchased a home with Saltillo tile in the kitchen. The tile had been colored ... A: Stripping the tile can be a nasty business. It will require a great deal of time and effort, but the ...
Saltillo Tile	12/4/2006
Q: We're buying a new home in Austin (house was built in 1994) and the main floors are either Saltillo ... A: There is a lot that can go wrong when stripping Saltillo. As a sealer dissolves and as you try to ...
claeaning terra cotta tile	12/4/2006
Q: I have terra cotta tile in my basement that I wanted to brighten and clean. It has various spots of ... A: Terra Cotta is a fairly soft bodied tile, so care must be taken to not damage the surface. Paint ...
Ceramic Tile Removal	12/2/2006
Q: Can you tell me the name of the liquid adhesive used to remove the old glue after removable of the ... A: Usually, old adhesive can be softened with an aromatic solvent such as Aromatic 100. After being in ...
floors flooded in katrina	11/30/2006
Q: bill hohmann - thanks for such quick reply. by acid do you mean muriatic as mentioned elsewhere on ... A: Muriatic would be ok, as long as it is water clear, and you dilute it 12 parts water to 1 part acid. ...
tile adhesive	11/27/2006
Q: I would like to install vinyl tiles on concrete floor using Henry 430 vinyl composition tile ... A: I really wish I could help, but if you read my blurb, I stated that I really can't help with tile ...
Scratches on ceramic tile	11/26/2006
Q: I have installed shiny 4x4 ceramic tiles on the wall and used a sanded grout to finish. The grout ... A: I haven't tried this, but I think it will work better than anything else. Get a spray bottle of the ...
removing sealer	11/24/2006
Q: I recently had our floor tiled and the grout sealed with Tile Lab sealer. My problem is that the ... A: Acetone will remove just about any sealer, and it is easy to find. Just keep the grout line wet with ...
azrock vct tile	11/23/2006
Q: new tile just laid , azrock 423.tile man said use special wax,domco c502 commercial floor polish.we ... A: I'm not familiar with these products. Generally, if a coating requires a special cleaner, like a pH ...
Removing "TileLab" Sealer	11/22/2006
Q: Greetings Bill - We had one of our maintenance guy basically 'paint' on "Tile Lab" Glass Sealer & ... A: I quit trying to keep up with what competitors are making a long time ago, so I don't know what ...
roughing up ceramic tile	11/22/2006
Q: I have a friend with a restaurant and he wants to rough up the surface of the tile in the kitchen ... A: Commercial kitchens have their own set of problems. Roughing up the tile will probably not give him ...
Travertine instalation	11/21/2006
Q: I am installing travertine tile and have read several of the comments to assist me in the ... A: It is a sealer that is supposed to stop liquids from staining or etching a floor such as travertine. ...
sealing grout	11/21/2006
Q: I am an elementary school teacher in a public school. I have done some of my own tiling at home, ... A: Sounds like a health issue to me. The floors and grout should be cleaned occasionally with something ...
travertine floor installation	11/20/2006
Q: I recently had a travertine floor installed in my new 4000 sq.ft.home. The install was poor. The ... A: I can't help but wonder, why there would be some tiles with a corner above the level of the ...
Grout sealing	11/20/2006
Q: I was told by my remodeler that the Hydromet grout being used will not require sealing. He also ... A: There are some hydroment grouts that are epoxies and are two component (a hardener added to cross ...
Cleaning and sealing matte finish porcelain	11/20/2006
Q: We are the building cleaning contractor for a new auto dealership. they installed a white, matte ... A: I wonder if this is truly a porcelain tile, as it should be impervious to oil and grease, etc. ...
tile	11/19/2006
Q: I have tile in every room but the bedrooms. I have had back surgery and the tile just kills my ... A: It is possible to put carpeting over the tiles. I am assuming it is the impact on walking on a ...
Satillo Tile	11/18/2006
Q: Which stores carry the Internacional Finish? I checked with the store where I bought the other ... A: Seal the outside tiles. As far as who has Sparks in Corpus or Austin, I would have to look it up at ...
removing sealent from porcelain tile	11/18/2006
Q: Bill, we just had about 900 sq. ft. of 20" porcelain tile laid in our home. The problem I'm facing ... A: If this is a resinous film, acteone will blister it off, and it will not hurt the tiles. Acetone on ...
powdery grout	11/17/2006
Q: Bill, We had about 812 square feet of ceramic tile installed using Shaw Sanded Floor Grout SC00G ... A: The brown stuff was probably a grout colorant that didn't take properly. A grout saw is a small ...
Basement Carpet	11/16/2006
Q: I have an unfinished basement - house is about 5 years old - I'm ready to carpet the basement -- I ... A: If you know what Berber style is, you're one up on me when it comes to being a decorator. If ...
travertine floors on top of ceramic tile	11/16/2006
Q: Please help!!! I need to know if is possible to set Travertine tile on ceramic tile with a special ... A: I am not versed in the installation of tile, however there are products to do this sort of thing. ...
powdery grout	11/16/2006
Q: Bill, We had about 812 square feet of ceramic tile installed using Shaw Sanded Floor Grout SC00G ... A: The "expired" grout claim is a new one to me... Why not contact the grout manufacturer and tell them ...
Satillo Tile	11/16/2006
Q: Our Satillo tile was installed over 10 years ago and appearws to have lost its finish. When we ... A: There is no need to strip the tiles. If any of the tiles take on water, then these tiles should ...
new tile	11/15/2006
Q: Four weeks ago we had a 6 ft. x 10 ft. ceramic tile walkway installed across a room where we come in ... A: If these ceramic tiles are glazed tiles, then there is no need to put anything on them. However, you ...
removing linoleum to prepare acid stain concrete	11/14/2006
Q: Bryan, I have a brand new home with linoleum flooring in the entry and the kitchen. I'm removing ... A: Any glue that doesn't come up with the linoleum should come up using aromatic solvents, for example, ...
streaky film?!	11/14/2006
Q: Spoke to the contractor and he said you need to apply it, wait 6 hours, then polish--which he will ... A: I would like to think we make the best overall sealers, but some are more forgiving in application ...
floor help	11/14/2006
Q: my floors at work have been neglected for a long time so they are urine stained under urinals what ... A: This is just a bit confusing. Is the floor in the restroom marble, or is the marble floor another ...
travertine	11/13/2006
Q: I spilled vinegar on my travertine floor and you can see the "spill" mark left. How can I fix ... A: Vinegar will etch travertine. That, and you might have a "stain" of color from the vinegar. It might ...
Tiling Stairs leading up the second floor	11/13/2006
Q: Can you tile stairs in your home instead of wood or carpet. If so can you tell me how? A: I imagine it is possible, but I couldn't tell you how. I really am not the one to talk to concerning ...
Subfloor/underlayment question	11/13/2006
Q: I'm redoing a bathroom and have replaced several rotten planks in the subfloor. Now I want to put ... A: I really am not well versed in the actual installation of tile, and the preparation of flooring for ...
no-slip	11/12/2006
Q: We recently installed slate tiles on our back porch area - we used a gloss sealer and enhancer on ... A: I really need to know exactly what this sealer/enhancer is; who makes it and what its main ...
Basement floor	11/11/2006
Q: I need to remove the tile in my basement.The tiles around the perimeter have been removed when the ... A: I am no tile setter, but if these are hard tiles, it should be easy enough to take a floor scraper ...
how to remove ceramic tile from wall?	11/10/2006
Q: I am redoing my kitchen and this part of the project involves removing old tile from the wall ... A: I am unaware of any such tool, or any way to remove tile from sheetrock without damaging the ...
Black slate floor	11/9/2006
Q: I just moved into a house with a 1970's remodel. Parts of the black slate floor and grout are ... A: The white might be efflorescence, which should clean up with a mild acid solution. Wet the surface ...
New Porcelain tile	11/9/2006
Q: My mom had new 18" porcelain tile installed in her Kitchen, dining area and living room. The ... A: This happens all the time. The installers get the adhesive on their shoes, then they track it all ...
Removing Tile Sealer	11/9/2006
Q: When putting down our ceramic tile floor, my husband was not aware that the grout needed to be ... A: It would be helpful to know what sealer this is, (waterborne, oil based) but no matter. Acids, ...
paint on slatestone	11/8/2006
Q: Our (22 year-old) fireplace's hearth is topped with slatestone that has at least two coats of paint. ... A: Sounds like the base coat might have been a more beefy paint. Try acetone. You may need to rewet it ...
hardwood floor meets Harley Davidson	11/7/2006
Q: While removing the sad carpet in my newly purchased home, I found hardwood. In the middle of the ... A: Normally, I would say it's a no win situation, as you would normally lift oit out of a floor by ...
Grout	11/7/2006
Q: We just installed a 4x4 tumbled marble back splash in our kitchen and the grout we used Keracolor ... A: Chances are, what you see now is what you get. You could try lightening up the grout with something ...
painting ceramic floor tile	11/7/2006
Q: I read elsewhere on the website that you can't paint ceramic floor tile, but I'm just wondering why ... A: A lot of paints would not adhere well to the glazed surface of a tile, but some are out that that ...
tile sealer removal	11/5/2006
Q: I have a ceramic tile kitchen floor that was sealed by the installer and now the sealer on the tile, ... A: Is this a glazed ceramic? If so, there shouldn't be a sealer on it anyway. If this is a waterborne ...
mexican tile in kitchen and under cabinets	11/4/2006
Q: how easy or hard is it to remove the mexican tiles in my kitchen and be able to use them in a ... A: It would be nealy impossible. The tiles themselves are fairly cheap. Sometimes you can find them ...
sealing marble tile from etching	11/3/2006
Q: How well do sealers protect the polished marble from etching from citrus juices (seconds, minutes, ... A: A good sealer will block citrus juices, and a lot more indefinitely. A bad sealer will not. What is ...
Cleaning Tile	11/1/2006
Q: . The floor is filthy don't know what to clean it with it still hase boot prints from when the work ... A: Does this tile soak up water when it gets wet? That is, do you see it darken when water is on it? If ...
slate tile/grout	10/31/2006
Q: I just layed a slate tile floor in my laundry room. I applied the grout and waited the recomended ... A: I'm curious what this "recommended" time came from, as a tile setter cleans off the surface of tile ...
cement floor, what can I do?	10/24/2006
Q: The leak isn't in a pipe, it's just from the slope behind the cottage. The water is heading to the ... A: If there is a time when the water is not seeping in, then at that time you might try applying a ...
cement floor, what can I do?	10/24/2006
Q: Bill, We got rid of carpet from the ground floor of a lake-side cottage - what a mess it was! ... A: The plumber says they normally bust up the concrete to fix the leak, and usually rerout the ...
help!!!!	10/23/2006
Q: How can I fix a grout/tile problem? I have white tile, with sanstone colored grout. I hate, hate, ... A: Sounds like a good time to put a new tile floor down over the old tile, which can be done. If this ...
Mexican Tile	10/23/2006
Q: I have mexican tile that I need to 1) remove paint from several areas, 2) to be cleaned, 3) and to ... A: Latex paint or oil-based? Latex paint will come up easily enough with rubbing alcohol and a ...
TILE FLOORS	10/17/2006
Q: I HAVE RECENTLY PUT NEW CERAMIC TILE FLOORS IN MY BATHROOM AND NOW I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE COLOR. ... A: If they are glazed ceramic tiles, no, they cannot be stained. If they are unglazed, it might be ...
Satillo Tile Grinding	10/16/2006
Q: I am installing a new dishwasher and it is 34 inches high. I need to grind off or cut off 1/2 inch ... A: Saltillo has a thickness greater than 1/2 inch and usually less than 1 inch. You would be better off ...
Split Brick Floors	10/16/2006
Q: My split brick floor was installed 10 years ago. The grout appears dirty and the brick has lost its ... A: There are lots of things you can use to clean the grout lines. Try soap and water first, using a ...
Sealing of REAL used brick	10/16/2006
Q: My home is under construction and we had used north carolina brick installed - two weeks ago. Today ... A: In regards to the cracked mortar, this could either be from shifting in the floor to the mortar mix ...
paint removal on porcelain flooring	10/9/2006
Q: we just finished renovating a women's locker room facility and we layed the floor with porcelain ... A: Try real hot soapy water with alcohol added before putting it on the floor. Sounds like a latex ...
reuse tile	10/8/2006
Q: I had to have some sub-flooring repaired, and they had to remove about 25 tiles from my kitchen ... A: I'd try soaking the tiles in an aromatic solvent. After an hour or two, it should either soften or ...
sealer for chicago split brick floor	10/7/2006
Q: Do I put the finish on like the urethane? Is it just put on with a roller over the whole floor? ... A: Do I put the finish on like the urethane? Is it just put on with a roller over the whole floor? ...
sealer for chicago split brick floor	10/6/2006
Q: I have a chicago split brick floor that was put down in 2002. The polyurethane was put on it 30 ... A: Was this a waterborne urethane, or oil based? If waterborne, the white spots is where water is ...
stripping adhesive off of terrazo floor	10/6/2006
Q: i am in the middle of a really big project... i just rented a 4000 sq. ft. commercial space that ... A: A terrazzo floor can easily be damaged, so you don't want to put a metallic pad on it to clean it, ...
saltillo tile re-finishing	10/5/2006
Q: Bill, I wanted to know if there was an easy way to re-finish old Saltillo tile. They are old but, in ... A: Look for places where the sealer is thin on the tiles, and reapply the sealer to those tiles. Once ...
ceramic tile	10/4/2006
Q: I will try the palm sander with water, but do you think it's possible to have damaged the finish ... A: I have never heard of TSP etching tile. I suppose if the tile had a poor glaze on it to begin with, ...
ceramic tile	10/4/2006
Q: I used TSP to clean my walls after removing wallpaper. Could the TSP have damaged my ceramic tile? ... A: I am assuming you mean floor tile that the TSP got on. TSP is extremely difficult to rince off. ...
Cleaning Grout	10/3/2006
Q: My tile is 3 years old. The grout is FILTHY because it was never sealed. The tile is a more porous ... A: Oops. Sealing grout... In order to help keep it clean, a film forming sealer works best (i.e. not ...
cleaning/waxing saltillo	10/2/2006
Q: We are preparing our home for sale and need to wax the Saltillo tile in our kitchen (it is dull and ... A: Please don't use a wax... if and when the floor is stripped, having a wax present really makes it ...
Brick Paver Cleaning and Sealing	10/1/2006
Q: We have several areas in our 24 year old commercial building which have brick paver floors. To my ... A: For cleaning brick pavers, start off with just soap and water. If after this, there are still places ...
caring for VCT and most durable flooring	9/27/2006
Q: We are actually planning to use tile in our next project, but given no money to replace all the VCT ... A: How to get tenants to take better care of VCT...... 1. Threaten them with severe bodily harm 2. ...
caring for VCT and most durable flooring	9/27/2006
Q: We provide affordable rental housing and have been searching for the right hard surface for ... A: Frankly, nothing performs like ceramic tile. I'd pull up the vinyl stuff and put down tile. It ...
grout	9/25/2006
Q: I sure hope you can help me with this unusual question. We just had new tile and grout installed ... A: The tea as a dye may well work out, but in time the tea stain would be easily bleachable through ...
tumbled marble tiles/ceramic tiles	9/20/2006
Q: I have a tumbled marble installed as a backsplash in my kitchen. It was sealed and then grouted how ... A: 1. The marble backsplash... you say it was sealed then grouted. What was this sealer? There are ...
Stripping Whitewashed Saltillo Tiles	9/20/2006
Q: We're in the process of remodeling our kitchen and want to keep the existing Saltillo tiles but they ... A: It would sure help to know what he used to strip the tile, and whether the whitewash is waterborne ...
Discoloration of Super Saltillo Tile	9/17/2006
Q: The man who installed the tile said the discoloration was in the tile and there's nothing he can do ... A: There is no one maker of Mexican tile or Super Saltillo. Shop around for replacement tiles from ...
Stripping paint from Saltillo tile	9/13/2006
Q: I recently moved into a house that is floored completely with saltillo tile. In the common areas, ... A: It would be near impossible to remove the paint without removing any sealer also. If you are just ...
Saltillo Tile - Mexican	9/11/2006
Q: We are moving into a house that has the Saltillo-Mexican tile down. We need to restore it. We have ... A: It can be restored, and you can do it yourself. This would actually be preferable, for there are ...
Removal of vinyl flooring from concrete	9/3/2006
Q: How can I remove vinyl flooring and the cement it was installed with from a concrete basement floor? ... A: Not really my area, but the backing might dissolve or soften enough to remove by using an aromatic ...
brick floor quality	8/31/2006
Q: We just had Old Chicago split brick flooring put in our living room and hallway. The height/depth ... A: The white would either be efflorescense coming up or the sealer turning white from moisture. If it ...
brick floor quality	8/31/2006
Q: We just had Old Chicago split brick flooring put in our living room and hallway. The height/depth ... A: I need some answers to some questions first. What was the interval between installation and ...
Discoloration of Super Saltillo Tile	8/30/2006
Q: I'm not sure if it was acid washed, the green areas look like they're more one the surface, rather ... A: Sounds like they were sealed over without cleaning then, and/or a bad job of sealing. Get a can of ...
Discoloration of Super Saltillo Tile	8/30/2006
Q: I recently had super saltillo tile installed and, on many of the tiles, there is a greenish-color ... A: Was this tile sealed when you bought it? I've never seen Mexican Tile with a greenish cast to it, ...
Mexican tile cleaner, sealer, finisher	8/24/2006
Q: Bill, Thanks for your prompt and informative last answer. Please suggest brands and sources of ... A: Well, I do work for Sparks, and we do make sealers, etc. for tile with an emphasis on Mexican Tile. ...
Cleaning/Refinishing Portion Mexican Tile	8/23/2006
Q: Bill, I have about 1800 sq. ft. of mexican tile inside my home. We installed when we built the ... A: I believe you should have no trouble doing this yourself. As far as the tiles where the sealer has ...
cement floor	8/10/2006
Q: I have removed old carpet from a converted garage and want to now paint the cement floor. What do ... A: I have no idea how to best remove the carpet tack strips. I would call a carpet company or installer ...
Laying ceramic tiles to a steel deck	8/9/2006
Q: I have a large very well troddon on area of steel deck that is uneven and subjected to varying heat ... A: Installation of tiles is outside my area of expertise, but there are underlayments that are a ...
glue	8/4/2006
Q: i just bought a home w/gluedown carpet on concrete stairs,outside .i took the carpet up but am ... A: Glue is a bit outside my league, but dissolving glue is usually possible with the same strippers ...
Ceramic Tile CO Friction Ratio	8/2/2006
Q: I am in the swimming pool maintenance business. I have a customer who placed ceramic tile on the ... A: The friction ratio is in relation to what is called the "coefficient of friction" and this .06 is in ...
ceramic tile in a fireplace	7/31/2006
Q: I want to use ceramic tile inside my fireplace. I plan to use my fireplace with a candelabra and not ... A: This really isn't what I would call my area of expertise, but might I offer a suggestion? You could ...
Mexican Tile	7/30/2006
Q: The Mexican tile in our home is in dire need of help. Some of the finish has worn off. Is there a ... A: To answer the question, yes. But it would help if you could tell me what finish or sealers were ...
Sealing Mexican Pavers	7/29/2006
Q: Bill: I have used Sparks Stone Glamour and Mex Seal on my kitchen pavers for the last 20 years. ... A: We are still making Stone Glamor and Mex Seal, but they are not available in some areas of ...
Grouting brick pavers	7/21/2006
Q: I have layed brick pavers in several rooms in my house and am having trouble grouting them. I put 3 ... A: I am not familiar with Tera Glaze Sealer, however you should be able to clean the grout and grout ...
marble in kitchen floor	7/20/2006
Q: Is marble okay to put in a kitchen? my parents just put in 12 x12 marble tiles from home depot in ... A: This is strictly an opinion of mine... Marble should be used for making statues, and not floors. ...
asbestos tile	7/15/2006
Q: I'm in the process of laying some ceramic tiles in the house. Then I found out that there are ... A: I answered this, but apparently the answer got lost in the shuffle. I would contact a company that ...
Mexican floor tile Stripping	7/15/2006
Q: I bought a home that has mexican floor tile throughout. I recently made it to the resealing of the ... A: If the acetone "melted" the sealer instead of blistering and swelling it, then it sounds like you ...
Tile Grout	7/14/2006
Q: We recently installed about 1400 sq feet of 20inch porcelain tile . After appling the seal to the ... A: This is quite unusual; usually, sealing grout darkens it a bit. I would be interested in knowing ...
stone glamor on slate floor	7/13/2006
Q: Resealed slate floor after thorough cleaning and buffing. Shook can well, applied with foam brush. ... A: Sounds like moisture got in the coating, and is slowing down the cure. It will cure out, albeit ...
re-finishing interior satillo tile	7/8/2006
Q: we are remondeling a house that has satillo tile in the kitchen from 1971. We would like options ... A: It would help to know what condition the tiles are in now. If you wish to stain them, I have found ...
Office Building Bath Woes	7/8/2006
Q: I?am filling in for a janitor who is elderly and recuperating for an 11,000 square foot office ... A: The tiles in a commercial building's bathrooms are supposed to be tiles that do not require sealing. ...
Brick Paver Floor care	7/4/2006
Q: I have started refinishing as portion of my kitchen floor which has brick pavers. Once I removed ... A: I'm not familiar with this Quickrete product. The flow and level problem is either insufficient ...
mexican tiles	7/3/2006
Q: I saw your answer to the fellow in FL. with patio tiles. Mine are in my kitchen and over 15 years ... A: I didn't go back and look at what I wrote to the person in Florida; I don't like to leave anything ...
Can I lighten the color of tumbled marble with grout?	7/1/2006
Q: We just had beautiful 12 x 12 tumbled marble installed in two "bedrooms" in our lower level and also ... A: Tumbled Marble's porosity is nil. You won't get much of a change of appearance from sealing or ...
sealing ceramic	6/27/2006
Q: . thanks for your answer, i didn't think about putting a finish on top of the seal to protect the ... A: You can use a machine to clean a tile floor, but I would use a small machine with a brush attachment ...
sealing ceramic	6/27/2006
Q: . whats the best way to clean unsealed ceramic floor tiles and then seal them. what seal is best, ... A: The best way to clean is dependent upon what needs to be cleaned up from the tiles. Is there ...
refinishing Mexican tile	6/22/2006
Q: Bill... I have a Mexican tile floor that was sealed with Sparks Mex-Seal about 14 years ago. This is ... A: The white blotches could be a couple things, but best to remove the sealer from those particular ...
stripping mexican tle	6/20/2006
Q: Bill, Thank you for your quick response. I am located in South Florida. Removing the tile is not ... A: If you are near the coast, then oil based sealers would break down due to salt spray. If you are not ...
stripping mexican tile	6/19/2006
Q: Bill, A few years ago I installed mexican tile in a rental unit. I whitewashed then sealed the ... A: Waterborne coatings will usually come off with floor wax or floor finish strippers that contain MEA ...
Flooring and Carpeting	6/14/2006
Q: Where can I buy Stone Glamor? It works really well, but no one carries it, and the Web site listed ... A: We are having a glitch with the website. I haven't been informed exactly what the glitch is... ...
Refinishing Mexican Tile throughout the house	6/11/2006
Q: We have Mexican tile throughout our house. Thanks to dogs, iron footed chairs, age, etc. the tile ... A: You can refinish the tiles, but the results could be iffy. However, I have taken some pretty bad ...
removing wax from mexican tile	5/31/2006
Q: I appreciate your expertise here. I had the misfortune of kicking a citronella candle over on our ... A: Oh boy... The wax might come out by introducing an aromatic solvent into those affected tiles, ...
Mexican Tile refinishing	5/31/2006
Q: I have mexican (i guess saltillo) tile on my outdoor patios. It seems the previous owner did not ... A: First, they need to be cleaned as well as possible. If there is a white substance on the tiles ...
Stripping slate and cleaning grout	5/22/2006
Q: Have a 40 year old house with entry way and powder room adjacent ( approx. 100sq feet) with 12x18 ... A: The system here informs me that you did not get my reply to your question. I will answer again. Hope ...
Stripping slate and cleaning grout	5/22/2006
Q: Have a 40 year old house with entry way and powder room adjacent ( approx. 100sq feet) with 12x18 ... A: You could contact a cleaning service that has experience stripping and sealing floors, but there are ...
stone floor	5/16/2006
Q: Followup To Question - I have an original stone floor in my house. I am wanting it to darken the ... A: If there is an account of ours near you, you would have to ask them how much it is. We do not tell ...
stone floor	5/15/2006
Q: I have an original stone floor in my house. I am wanting it to darken the stone slightly and give it ... A: A sealer that is acrylic is a film forming sealer, as it is an acrylic resin. Resins form films. A ...
stone floor	5/15/2006
Q: I have an original stone floor in my house. I am wanting it to darken the stone slightly and give it ... A: I am unfamiliar with sealocrete, and would need a bit more information on it. Is it a film forming ...
grout	5/14/2006
Q: We have here new limestones that the grout is powdering out of it littl eby little till we see just ... A: It sounds like the grout was too wet when installed, and shrank too much. Also, if you picked up a ...

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