We seem to be getting more and more instances where customers are contacting us months after they order seeking small amounts of additional tile to finish off their projects.

Based on what we can tell contractors are not giving their customers good guidance on ordering the proper amount of tile to complete a tile job. When there are lots of cuts involved to a project, when there are small nooks to an area, bay windows, or shower niches in a bathroom project all of these areas require more tile than simply a flat wall.

A good rule to follow is to order 10% – 15% more tile than the square feet which you calculate when measuring your project area. This should allow for errors, miscalculations, and unforeseen circumstances that could hinder a project.

And the most important reason to order sufficient tile for a project is due to what is called in our industry – Dye-Lots. When we receive a shipment of tile from our factory it is made under a certain production run and our company tracks the shade of each and every production run. Every new production run has a new shade number which allows us to track the shade of tile that a customer receives. This procedure is true for every tile company since manufacturing processes for making tile are the same within our industry. The color of a tile will not change between dye-lots but the shade between production runs might mean there are slight differences in color shading from one production run to another.

You should be happy to work with a tile company that tracks Dye-Lots which ensures that if you need additional tile to complete a project, tracking what shades are shipped to a customer ensures that you will always receive the same shade as was shipped with your original order.

We have been doing quite a bit of grouting lately and we wanted to pass on a little tip that is helpful to us and will also help you in removing any grout haze from tiles during the grouting process on your tile projects. Once you’ve cleaned the grout and you have removed as much of the grout residue from the face of the tiles as you can wipe the tiles and grout clean with a dry (and clean) towel or cloth to both dry the grout and remove any initial haze that may appear.

Wait about an hour or so for the grout to set up and harden somewhat then once this occurs go back over your tiles and wipe them gently with cheesecloth or a clean, dry towel to remove the grout haze that may have settled on the tile surface. Doing so after the grout has begun to “set up” but has not completely cured allows you to remove any haze on the tiles without wiping any grout away from the grout joints.

Grouting tile is relatively simple and straight forward but one should remember to be careful during the grout clean up process in order not to ruin the nice job that you are about to complete. When wiping away the excess grout from your tile be careful to wring out your sponge very well so as not to introduce too much water in to the grout thus weakening the grout because of too much moisture.

Also, take care when wiping the excess grout so you don’t wipe the surface area too hard causing some of the grout to be removed and leaving you with little gaps and pockets in the grout joints where the grout was washed away.

Just a little tip which could make the difference between a perfect grout job and one that looks like it was done by an amateur.

This is definitely not the most interesting of topics to talk about but important nevertheless to the folks installing tile out there everywhere. What size trowel do I use on my project?

The best way to answer this is to say that the proper trowel size is basically the same as the tile size. The smaller the tile, the smaller the trowel and the larger the tile the larger the trowel. For example, for smaller tiles and many mosaics use a 3/16” x ¼” V notch trowel.

You want a mortar bed that will cover most of the back of a tile so there are no hollow spots or empty spaces with no coverage. You can “back butter” your tile in cases where the mortar might not be spreading evenly.

Hopefully these tips help when selecting a trowel for your project.

For those about to take on a bathroom remodeling project that involves a new shower, listen up! In most cases your contractor will be the one to take on such a job since waterproofing and tiling a shower takes skills beyond those of most weekend DIY warriors. What you can do is to talk through the project with your contractor and it might be worth it for you to ask about the use of products from Schluter Systems before the project begins.

Schluter continues to improve and expand their product line for waterproofing shower installations. They offer a KERDI Shower Kit that sells for less than $500 in most cases for a decent size shower floor and includes “each of the components required to create a maintenance-free, watertight shower assembly without a mortar bed.

Schluter Systems has been developing innovative tile installation products for more than 30 years and continues to excel as a leader in the industry. Talk to your tile installer about installation products available from Schluter Systems.

Given that summer is just around the corner and pool season is coming fast we know that a lot of our customers have been working feverishly to complete their pool and other outdoor projects in order to be ready for the summer swim season. For this reason we want to remind those of you who might be working with a contractor or pool company, make sure that when installing tiles as a water line decoration in your swimming pool your contractor does the following:

* uses an anti-fracture membrane to prep the surface before installing any tiles

* installs the tiles using expansion joints to allow for settling and any “flex” in the concrete. Installing expansion joints is very important especially when installing glass tiles in a pool area

Following proper installation procedures will ensure your tiles last for many years without any problems to speak of.

We tell our customers that if they are installing their Cardiff crackle Subway tiles in a bathroom shower in a wet area then yes you should seal the crackle finish in order to protect the tiles from long term crazing. If you are installing your crackle finish subway tiles on a kitchen backsplash then it is not necessary to seal the tiles since the crackle subway tiles will not be subject to repeated moisture exposure.

Hopefully this helps those considering our tiles. If you have any more detailed questions about our Cardiff tiles or any of our other tiles please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

As always, we appreciate your business and your support!

When tiling any areas that may be subject to repeated exposure to water make sure to use a waterproofing product to waterproof the area prior to tiling. Some types of ceramic tiles are porous and stone tiles such as travertine, marble, and granite are very porous. Water can seep through tile and grout and leak in to cracks at corners and other intersections.

The best way to protect these areas is to apply a waterproof product such as RedGard, NobleSeal, CompuSeal or any other such product for proper protection of these areas. A little bit of protection goes a long way in such moisture prone areas.

Earlier this week we introduced a new product in the form of a 10 inch Diamond Blade made for cutting Glass Tiles. Our diamond blade products are made for WET use on a tile wet saw and they are manufactured with a continuous rim and the finer diamonds found on glass tile blades.

Our Glass tile diamond blade in 10 inch size is made by a true R & D company who continually strives to manufacture the finest products on the market. Because of this commitment to making quality diamond blade products our customers can expect a longer blade life on their tile jobs and no shredding or chipping of the glass which can be common for lower cost glass tile blades.

Our diamond blade products are now in stock and can be shipped immediately to your home or business location.

When grouting tile one of the biggest mistakes made by tilers is washing the grout too soon. When the grout is washed and wiped before it’s hardened a bit this can allow too much water to penetrate the surface. This can cause blotchy looking grout, hairline cracking as the grout does cure, or even grout that falls out because excess water does not allow the grout to cure properly.

To avoid these problems, make sure the grout is very firm before you start cleaning it – almost like a wine cork. Press your fingertip in to the grout to test it and if it dents easily then wait a little longer before wiping.