Here is one of those little tools that do a big job; a simple sharp piece of carbide steel set into a red handle. This carbide scribe is specifically shaped for scoring ceramic tiles so that they can then be snapped at the score mark. This is not the cleanest way to cut ceramic tiles, but it is c...
Here is a special bit and guide to put on your Dremel. It is specifically made to remove grout from between ceramic tiles, quickly and easily. Grout Removal Attachment Kit
If you use a solvent based adhesive and squeeze it between two surfaces that will not let the solvent out -- like between tiles and the vinyl -- then the solvent will eventually eat into the vinyl showing up as a ghost line of the glue. Put a trace of glue on the wall. Push the vinyl panel into...
There is a lot of debate about whether to put a vapour retarder (vapour barrier) on an insulated wall behind shower tiles. The code has not historically been specifically clear on this so we get lots of different interpretations. What the code does say clearly is that we should not have two vap...
Mila from Ottawa, Ontario writes: "We are buying a new home and have a choice of 2" x 10" solid wood kiln-dried joists or "Trust Joists" (JLE) Pre-engineered floor system. If you were buying a house for yourself -- which would you choose?"I just love it when people try to nail me down like that,...
Sealants, caulking and other confusing vocabularyThere are all kinds of "sealants" used in construction.What we normally call a "caulking" is properly called a sealant -- a thick material that cures to a flexible solid designed to "seal" the space between two materials -- particularly two materia...
Seasonal tips for working with masonry.SUMMER Summer Moisture Content:If too much water is drawn out of the mortar before it sets, the bond joint will not be good.Most clay bricks, calcite bricks and stone do not require pre-wetting because of minimum absorption. However in extremely hot weat...
Shower faucets often have large holes cut through the tiles to allow the plumbing through. These are then covered up by escutcheon plates, those decorative plates behind the handles. But these plates are not water proof and often water rolls down the tiles, behind the cover plates and into the ...
Letter: I have a ceramic shower, that is leaking, I do not know how it was built or what is underneath.In the last week +- have noticed about an ounce or 2 of water in the garage,I have a small openeing in the ceiling directly under due to the drain pipe, the drain pipe and feed lines are dry. Bu...
Ed writes from Ajax, Ontario : All 3 walls of my bathroom shower stall are finished with 4" ceramic tiles and are in good shape. When I had to remove one of them, I discovered that the drywall was behind it was so wet that I had to put a fan on it over night to dry it out before I could glue...
