Blog : flooringsupply | Flooring Supply Shop Blog - Part 43Flooring Supplies

Tiles are a great investment

Since tiles offer a number of advantages over other materials they are widely used for home renovation purposes. Tiles are widely preferred since they are highly durable and require very little maintenance. Let us take a look at some of the reasons that make tiles the right investment option:

One of the major reasons for the popularity of tiles is that there is a wide range for you to select from. You will find various tiles such as granite, marble, vinyl, stone and ceramic that offer specific benefits. Stone tiles offer a timeless aesthetic appeal, and are highly durable as well. On the other hand, ceramic tiles offer a more contemporary look along with being a lot more affordable to replace. With such a wide range to choose from, you cab ensures that you are able to select one that best suits the specific theme of your house. Tiles are available in different colors and you can either, mix & match to create a mosaic effect, or you can create borders or dividing lines using different tiles. Moreover, you can also find tiles with patterns and designs that continue into the next tile piece.

The best thing about tiles is that they are easy to clean and are resilient to dirt and water. Tiles have a smooth and shiny surface and any liquid that spills on it can be easily wiped off using a piece of cloth. This is in contrast to paint or wallpaper that absorbs moisture and results in staining. This further makes tiles more effective at high moisture areas such as the shower area.

Tiles are more resilient to chipping and other damages, thereby making them more durable than other flooring options. Since wood generally expands during the summers and contracts during the winters, it can pose a problem as a flooring option. Tiles are generally considered to be the strongest flooring material and are not prone to seasonal contraction and expansion, thereby making them an ideal flooring option for your house.

You can also use certain types of tiles to create a non slip area in you shower. Mosaic tiles, natural stone tiles porcelain tiles and ceramic tiles are ideal for creating a non slip area, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of your shower area.

Designing the various aspects of a house takes a lot of time and consideration. It is essential to select the right construction material and lights, among other things; however, one aspect of home designing that should be given the maximum consideration is the flooring. When it comes to flooring, tiles have become the preferred choice of many, due to the above-mentioned benefits as well as their cost effectiveness. These tiles enable to create the look of your house as you desire. It is for this reason that tiles are considered to be a great investment option over other materials, and are widely used by people for designing and renovating their homes.

Use polyurethane sealants to repair cracks effectively

Cracks in the walls or on the floors can be a matter of serious concern. Not only do such cracks affect the aesthetics of your house, but they can also result in water leakage, thereby causing significant damage to your house. You can either call in an expert repairman to fix the cracks in your walls and your floors, or you can undertake this task yourself. Although a number of serious cases of cracks would require you to call in an expert, minor cracks in your basement or on your concrete slabs can be easily fixed by using a polyurethane Sealant.

Polyurethane is an organic compound that has excellent corrosion and moisture resistance qualities. Further, polyurethane is also effective as a heavy duty adhesive and is ideal for coating. It is for this reason that polyurethane sealants are widely preferred for repairs and waterproofing in both commercial as well as domestic sectors. Apart from its heavy-duty adhesive and waterproofing properties, polyurethane is also renowned for the flexibility it offers when applied over joints.

This flexibility comes in handy while using over concrete joints since concrete expands and contracts due to temperature changes. If a concrete crack is not treated in time it would get worse and could result in significant damage in the future. What makes a polyurethane sealant more effective while fixing cracks in concrete is that it is generally applied using a caulking gun. This makes it significantly easier to fill in the cracks with the sealant, thereby resulting in effective repairs.

Polyurethane sealants are also ideal to repair cracks in wood floors due to its various benefits. Polyurethane offers excellent abrasion resistance as well as scuff resistance, thereby making it ideal for use on wood. The use of a polyurethane sealant on wooden floors will ensure an effective waterproof and water resistant layer.

Polyurethane sealants have very high viscosity and can easily seep into even the minutest cracks to form an effective and waterproof seal. This is especially effective in case you find minor cracks in your basement wall. Although, a crack in the basement wall could be due to improper foundation, but in case you find that it is not a foundation crack you can easily use a polyurethane sealant to fix the problem. Further, since a polyurethane sealant can easily expand and contract, your basement crack will be effectively sealed and will remain waterproof for a long time.

A high quality polyurethane sealant will effectively adhere to different surfaces such as wood, masonry, concrete, steel as well as aluminum. The polyurethane seal will remain flexible as well as corrosion resistant for a long time. You can even paint over a polyurethane seal to ensure that the aesthetics of your house are not affected in any way. It is due to the excellent adhesion qualities as well as the other additional benefits that are offered by a polyurethane sealant that these are becoming the preferred choice for home renovation and repair work.

Ready to tile shower pans an ideal way to build a shower area

A shower pan is probably the most important part of a shower area since it prevents excess water from trickling down to the sub floor and causing damage. Traditionally, shower pans used to be made up of mortar; however, since mortar was not all that effective, a separate layer of pan liner used to be placed over the shower pan. Although this method is widely considered to be the most effective solution to the problem of leaky shower floors, there have been many instances of leakage in the pan liner as well.

It is in order to provide an effective solution to this problem that you can install ready to tile shower pan floors in your shower area. Ready to tile shower pan is an easy to install structure that can solve all the problems associated with traditional forms of shower pans. Let us take a look at some of the problems associated with traditional shower pans and how a ‘ready to tile’ shower pan solves those problems:

Creating a mortar shower bed is not an easy task and requires a lot of skill and labor. Multiple layers of material have to be used to ensure that water does not seep through to the sub floor. In case a pan liner is being used, it is essential to set it in the right place. Any miscalculation or problem during the creation of the pan floor can result in leakage and severe damage to other areas of your home. Since ready to tile pan floors are completely waterproof, there is no chance of a leakage to the sub floor.

In case you are concerned about molds that have appeared on your shower floor, the answer to this problem lies in the area in between the pan liner and the shower floor. Since your shower tiles are not completely waterproof, there is a chance that water might accumulate above the pan liner, thereby leading to the growth of mold. By using a ready to tile pan floor you will be able to eliminate this layer between your shower floor and the pan liner, thereby eliminating the chances of mold growth.

Finally, creating the appropriate slope on the shower floor can be a big challenge, especially for the ‘do-it-yourself’ enthusiasts. An inappropriate slope can lead to water accumulation on your shower floor, thereby leading to problems of leakage and water accumulation. However, most of the reputed ready to tile shower pans come with a pre-formed slope of ¼” per foot, thereby ensuring that your shower floor is perfectly pitched.

It is due to benefits such as these that ready to tile shower pans have gained in popularity across households. Further, these ready to tile shower pans are constructed using high grade material and are treated with waterproofing coatings to ensure that they remain waterproof for a long duration of time. So if you are looking to re-do your shower area or are considering building a new one, you should definitely consider using a ready to tile shower pan.

Enhanced protection for your shower against water leakage

light themed modern shower bathroom

A shower area is your personal space, and it is important to keep it clean and dry in order to enjoy a refreshing showering experience. However, it is not uncommon to see problems such as molds and water leakage in a shower area. In order to provide an effective solution to this problem of water leakage & molds, you should ensure a proper slope of your pan liner as well as the tiled floor. Further, your shower area should also have an effective curb to make sure that water does not splash out and does not damage the surrounding areas.

A typical shower area consists of a sub floor, usually made up of plywood, a waterproof pan liner above the sub floor, layers of mortar and a tiled floor. Since the tiled floor is not completely waterproof, there are chances of water seeping down the layers of mortar and accumulating over the pan liner. In case there is a leakage in the pan liner, this accumulated water could seriously damage the plywood sub floor. Therefore, in order to ensure that there is no water accumulation over the pan liner there should be adequate pan liner pitch.

This pan liner pitch can easily be achieved by using Pre Pitch, which is a unique screeding tool used beneath the pan liner. Pre Pitch would create the desired level of sub floor pitch to ensure that water is directed effectively towards the drain weep holes. The convenient design of this system ensures that do-it-yourself enthusiasts will be able to install it without any hassles.

After creating the appropriate sub-floor pitch, your next line of defense against water accumulation and water leakage should be a proper shower floor pitch. By having a proper shower floor pitch, you will ensure that water flows directly into the drain, thereby reducing the chances of water seeping down the mortar layer. Quick Pitch is an effective system that can ensure that your shower floor has an appropriate slope of 1/4” per foot. Further, since Quick Pitch would be installed over a Center Ring, which will be placed on top of the drain flange bolts, it would not add to the slope of the pan liner.

Your final line of defense against water damage to your shower area would be an effective shower curb. A shower curb acts as a dam against the shower water and ensures that there is no water splashed outside the shower area. However, while installing a shower curb, there are chances of the pan liner getting damaged, thereby resulting in water leaking out on to the sub floor. Kirb Perfect is a unique solution to this problem since it ensures a perfect curb, without any damage to the pan liner.

Installing these three unique tools will effectively protect your shower area from extreme damage caused due to water leakage, mold and other similar damages. Moreover, the ease of installation offered by Pre Pitch, Quick Pitch and Kirb Perfect will ensure that you are able to create a perfect shower area in the most convenient manner possible.

Remove Grout the easy way

Grouting is an important aspect of a tiling job since it helps in binding the tiles together, and enhances the look of the floor as well. The problem is that grout between the tiles can get discolored or crack. In such a situation, you would be required to either clean the discolored grout, or remove the cracked one and end up repeating the grouting process.

Cleaning the grout is a much easier process than removing it. People can easily clean grout by using detergent powder, bleach, or hydrogen peroxide. The real problem comes when the grout has to be removed since there is an imminent danger of damaging the tiles during the removal process. People who use a chisel and hammer to remove the grout often crack the tiles while removing the grout. You can always call in a professional to fix the problem. However, if you purchase an effective hand or power tool you can save money by doing it yourself.

If you wish to remove the grout yourself and have a reciprocating saw in your toolkit you just need to purchase the latest Grout Grabber tool to convert your reciprocating saw into an effective grout removing tool. Grout Grabber consists of a set of special carbide grit blades that can be easily attached to a reciprocating saw. These blades have been specially designed to make the job of removing grout effective and convenient. The unique curved bottom of these blades ensures that you are able to easily initiate, and complete your grout removal process.

Not only can you use the Grout Grabber tool to remove damaged grout, but you can also use it to remove any thin-set that has emerged out of the grout. Further, Grout Grabber can be effectively used in between tile joints ranging from 1/8” to 1/2”. This ensures that you are able to use this tool irrespective of the design and layout of your tiled floor or walls. You can easily add or remove the blades to configure this tool as per the specific tile joint size in the floor or the wall of your house.

Once you have removed the damaged grout it is important to wash the tiled area well before re-grouting. This will ensure that all the grout and dust is washed away before a new layer of grout is installed. Grout Grabber will enable you to remove grout conveniently without making a mess.

By using such an effective grout removal tool you will be able to ensure that the grouting job is completed in an effective and affordable manner. You will further save on a lot of expenses by using Grout Grabber since you will not have to purchase any additional hand tool or power tool to remove the damaged grout from in-between the tiles Because it is easy & convenient to use, you will not be required to hire any external help. This further adds on to your savings. So go ahead and use Grout Grabber in order to effectively complete a ‘Do-It-Yourself’ grout removal job in your house.

Author: flooringsupply

Tiles are a great investment

Use polyurethane sealants to repair cracks effectively

Ready to tile shower pans an ideal way to build a shower area

Enhanced protection for your shower against water leakage

Remove Grout the easy way

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