Vocabulary Terms

Back Butter- The spreading of a bond coat to the backs of ceramic tile just before the tile is placed.

Base- Creates a transition from the wall to the floor.

Beak- A corner piece for a quarter round.

Beveled- The angle or inclination of a line or surface that meets another at any angle but 90°.

Bisque- An unglazed white porcelain.

Bullnose- Tile piece that finishes off a run of tile. These pieces can also be used to turn a corner vertically or horizontally.

Butt Joint- The act of placing two tiles together closely as to create the smallest grout joint as possible.

Ceramic- Items, including tiles and pottery, made from clay and fired in a kiln.

Cove Base- Creates a right angle transition from the wall to the floor.

Craze- The random pattern of fine lines or cracks on the surface of a crackle-glazed tile.

Diagonally Set- Turning a square tile 45 degrees and setting it with the point touching the already placed tile.

Earthenware- Ceramics made of opaque, slightly porous clay that is fired at a relatively low heat.

Extruded- Tile or trim unit that is formed when clay mixtures are forced through a die of suitable configuration, resulting in a continuous ribbon of formed clay. A wire cutter or similar cut-off device is then used to cut the ribbon into appropriate lengths and widths of tile.

Face Mounted- Tile that is held together on the front by tape or paper. Usually used on mosaics.

Field- An area of tile covering a wall or floor. The field may be bordered by tile trim.

Fired- The controlled heat treatment of ceramic ware in a kiln or furnace, during the process of manufacture, to develop the desired properties.

Float- To move from place to place, especially at random. Also used as term for tool that spreads adhesive or grout.

Greek Key- A classical pattern of right-angled vertical and horizontal lines that is generally used for borders.

Grout- A rich or strong cementitious or chemically setting mixture used for filling tile joints.

Herringbone- A pattern consisting of rows of short, slanted parallel lines with the direction of the slant alternating row by row.

Kiln- A special oven used to dry and harden clay objects in a process called firing.

Matte- A ceramic glaze having low gloss.

Miter- To cut on an angle so that two edges join without a space.

Molding- Provides a decorative or architectural accent as it finishes off a run of tile.

Mosaic- A pattern or picture composed of tiny pieces of stone, tile, glass, or pottery fitted together.

Netted- Pieces held together by a fabric backing.

Pavers- Flat tile or stone blocks designed specifically for use on floors and walkways.

Pillow- cut- A type of tile with edges softly tapered to create a shape like a puffy pillow.

Porcelain- Hard, transparent, nonporous white clay, fired at a very high temperature used for decorative tiles and fine tableware.

Quarry Tile- A tile made from clay that is fired at a very high temperature to make it durable.

Quarter Round- Used to turn a 90-degree corner with a rounded edge either vertically or horizontally.

Relief- A figure or pattern that stands out from the surface of a tile.

Running Bond- Also known as brick bond. A tile pattern that when installed, alternates every other course to make the classic "brick" pattern.

Soldier Course- Oblong tile laid with the long side vertical and all joints in alignment to make a rectangular grid pattern.

Stoneware- Ceramics made of strong, opaque, nonporous clay that is fired at a high temperature.

Terra Cott- A hard molded and fired clay that is used for tile, floor pavers, and sculpture. The most common terra cotta is a dark red-orange, but colors vary depending on the trace elements it contains.

Trim- Finishing pieces of tile that transition two areas.

Trowel- A flat bladed hand tool for leveling, spreading, or shaping substances such as cement or mortar.

Wainscot- The lower part of an interior wall when finished in a material different from that of the upper part.

How to find inspiration for a room transformation

There are many things that can be done to alter the appearance and feeling of a room.  The ancient Chinese system of aesthetics called Feng shui has many principals that can really help transform the appearance and energy of a space.  Some people believe that a positive Qi (Chee) or energy can influence your productivity, happiness, and well being.  If your having a hard time deciding where to start it may not hurt to read up on Feng shui. You don’t have to believe in it, but following its principals can lead to a framework that may help drive your concept.

They say Donald Trump and Bill Gates uses Feng Shui for Inspiration

Make your space more comfortable

Tips For Setting Glass Tile

Glass tiles require an adhesive with a superior grip, and extra-special care to eliminate air pockets or voids beneath the tiles that are visible through the tile body. The color of the adhesive also has a significant bearing on the appearance of the installation: some art & decorative installations are specified with a colored epoxy adhesive and matching grout to impart a muted color treatment. Gray or natural cement-colored thinset or epoxy adhesive will dull the installation while white thinset or epoxy will help brighten the tiles and the installation. To ensure that the appearance of the thinset (as viewed through the body of the tile) is uniform, glass tiles may be back-buttered with a thin film of adhesive, but this practice may mask voids below the tiles.

Michael Byrne wrote in an article for Tile magazine January 9, 2004, to ensure maximum adhesion, he selects a non-latex grout powder, and mix it with a latex thinset additive, to produce an adhesive that would be used for spreading and back-buttering. He also prefers to use Laticrete 4237 liquid in place of water, and to mix it with a regular (non-latex or polymer) grout powder (as the thinset base). Since the color of the adhesive is the same as the color of the grout joint filler, bleed-through—a common installation hassle with glass mosaics—is less of a problem.

For installing sheets of glass mosaic, with individual tiles of uniform thickness, no greater than 1-inch, and face-mounted with a water-soluble paper, I use a 3/16 or 1/4-inch V-notch trowel to spread thinset on the setting bed, and I use the smooth edge of the same trowel to hard-trowel a thin layer of adhesive on the backs of each tile in a sheet just before setting. As each mosaic sheet is bedded in thinset mortar, a beating block and hammer is used to gently align neighboring faces (See Illustration 4). It is essential to remove unwanted material before moving on to the next sheet, and to focus on spreading uniform layers of mortar—this is done by holding the trowel at a consistent angle to the floor, and combing away all the excess. I let the sheets firm up in the bed of thinset for about 20 minutes before very gently blotting the face paper with a wet sponge to soften its adhesive, and easily let go of the tiles. I apply moisture with the sponge, as needed, so that the paper stays wet continuously. After about 5 minutes, the sheets should easily peel away, allowing me to do any last minute tile positioning.

Movement joints should replace grout at all panel margins to prevent normal building movement from cracking the tiles or shearing them off the setting bed. All adhesive and grout residues should be removed from these joints. Note: when working with latex grout, the movement joints should be filled after grouting; if an epoxy grout is specified, fill the movement joints with a flexible sealant before grouting. With 24 lineal feet of joint to fill, a 12-inch sheet of 1-inch tiles demands more work than is required for a single 12-inch tile. I let mosaic sheets harden off at least 48-hours before grouting with a latex grout. Although his preference is for latex thinset and grout, a few glass tile manufacturers may specify other materials. Always consult the tile manufacturer for specific recommendations or an installation spec.

How to keep your floor looking good

How to keep that floor looking new?           

Tile products may periodically require a little maintenance to keep that fresh out the box –showroom-shine.  Residue can accumulate over time that can dull the finish, but don’t worry follow these simple suggestions and we can avoid the buildup of residue, grease, dirt, dirt, grime, and other substances.

To keep a floor looking good, start with the basics. 

Vacuum or sweep the surface.

Use tile and grout cleaner, but read the manufactures instructions before applying to the floor you are cleaning

Apply some elbow grease (Hey that is a joke, we all know elbow grease is slippery :-) )-Work that dirt loose with a sponge or Mop that has been immersed in a bucket of your cleaning solution

Mop up the solution

Rinse mop and change out dirty contaminated cleaning solution about every 600Square feet.

Rinse floor thoroughly with clean water

Dry mop the floor, or use a soft dry towel, or a wet-vac to remove all moisture from the floor

Wipe with a soft towel again to ensure the floor is dry

Smooth tiles may require less effort coarse tile surfaces may require more frequent cleanings

If it’s needed re-apply sealants per manufactures instructions

For routine cleaning use any non-abrasive cleaning compound recommended for floor or glass tile.

NO NOT USE: green scrubbing pads, scouring pads, steel wool,  sandpaper, or any abrasive cleaning medium. Avoid cleaners that contain ammonia, bleach, or abrasives.

Scrubbing your booty is cool; scrubbing your floor is not (avoid abrasive products).

Glass Tile Information

Glass tiles have grown in popularity in recent years. The Tile Council of America handbook has detailed installation specs to help mitigate the possibility of a failed install. When glass tile is properly installed it can provide years of service. Glass tiles absorb less than .5 percent moisture. The use of such tiles should be confined to decorative, non-functional installations only.

 Thin-Set mortars have been developed specifically for glass Tiles.  Custom Building products has developed a Glass Tile Thin-Set Mortar (ITEM GTMW4-4).  It contains a blend of white cement and recycled aggregate.  It is specially formulated for glass tile and difficult to bond tile and stone.  It creates a white backdrop that reflects light and enhances the translucency of Glass Tile. They also have Polyblend Non-Sanded Grout it is available in 48 different colors.  This is a polymer modified Grout designed for use with highly glazed or polished tiles, marble and natural stone that would be susceptible to scratching by a sanded grouts.

Glass tiles can be surprisingly durable and long-lasting, but surface treatments given to some glass tiles may render them too delicate for use on floors or countertops, and they may also require the use of non-abrasive cleaners.

There is a glass tiles available for almost any installation: thick, thin, crystal clear, bubbled, translucent, prismatic, colored, slumped, cast, sandwiched, layered, impressed, blown, hand and machine-made, tempered and not. The surface of glass tiles can be altered with luster treatments, overglazes, slumping, and other artistic techniques. Like any other finishing material used on a hard tile installation, the durability of a particular glass tile should, at least, be matched for the demands of the installation (Because the properties of glass tiles and it artistic treatments vary widely, this information should come from the manufacturer).

Color is sometimes applied to the backs of glass tiles, in the form of paint, epoxy, or other applied coating, to (obviously) put some color into the tiles, and (not so obviously) to mask the appearance of un-flattened adhesive ridges, voids in the adhesive, adhesive swirls, and other imperfections that might otherwise be clearly visible through the body of a glass tile. Coated tile backs sometimes call for a specific adhesive but all glass tiles used in wet areas require 95 percent uniform adhesive coverage between the backs of the tiles and the setting bed.