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

You are here: Experts > Style > Interior Decorating > Flooring and Carpeting

Questions Answered By Expert Bill Hohmann
In Category Flooring and Carpeting

Subject	Date Asked

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 ...
Tile floor polish	3/4/2008
Q: I am currently using products by Aldon to polish my Tecate tile and I am frustrated with the ... A: Aldon has copied the names of two of our products. Do I need say more? If you could coat a floor ...
Tile floor polish	3/3/2008
Q: I am currently using products by Aldon to polish my Tecate tile and I am frustrated with the ... A: Aldon is part of another company that copies other companies products. If memory serves me ...
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 ...
problem with salitto tiles	12/13/2007
Q: Sirs I have about 80 unsealed salitto tiles installed in my kitchen. They were sealed with a product ... A: I am a bit confused here. How can you have 80 unsealed tiles in your kitchen, and then say they ...
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 h