Most shower floors are small. The rule of thumb is to use a small tile if the area is less then 15 square feet. You have to pitch the floor to the center drain and if the tiles are bigger then a 4”x4”, the corners will stick up.  read more...

Our newest blogger, Steve Marcus, is the founder of Best Tile and has 50 years of experience in the tile world. His very first blog is below. Five Dos and Don’ts of Tiling Your Tub Surround.

Sheetrock: If you installed sheetrock in your tub surround, cut it about ½” away from your tub on all 3 walls.  read more...

Installing tile yourself is a great way to save money, but if the products you use are not installed properly you will end up spending more money in the end to fix the problem.  read more...

Marble floors are beautiful and timeless, but if they are not taken care of properly they can scratch and stain.  But have no fear, there are steps that you can take to rejuvenate your existing marble floor:

• If you have stains that need to be removed Aquamix's Poultice Stain Remover is what your looking for.  This product comes in a jar in a powder form and is mixed with water to form a paste.  This paste is then placed over the areas where your staining is and it actually pulls that staining out of the stone.  This may need to be repeated once or twice if the staining is very deep set.

• If you have light scratching in some areas Aquamix's Renue is the product for you.  This prodcut is  a polishing cream that can be used to remove light scratches and etching to polished stone.

• If you have a large amount of scratches and the general polish is worn away Aquamix's Reviver is the product you are looking for.  This product requires the use of a hand polish machine, but it is highly affective in reviving the polish and shine to your polished marble floor.

• One of the most important step to this whole process is SEAL SEAL SEAL your stone.  Your marble floor should be sealed with a penetrating sealer such as Aquamix's Sealer's Choice Gold.  This will protect it from future staining.  Your stone should then be sealed every year or two after that depending on the usage.

• Your final step is to use a Ph Neutral cleaner when cleaning your floor in the future.  Any cleaner that is acidic will eventually strip off your sealer.  Aquamix's Concetrated Stone and Tile Cleaner is a Ph neutral cleaner that will keep your floor looking beautiful.

What are the different types of grout?

I am sure you have researched and wondered what type of grout is better? I hope this makes it a bit easier for you!

1) Epoxy grout is strong, stain resistant and water resistant, better used in areas that require a high degree of water and stain resistance such as shower floors and commercial kitchens. Epoxy grout is more expensive and not as user friendly as other grouts. 

2) Cement based grout, you will find these almost everywhere, resistance to water and stain is not as high as the latex modified grout. Latex and Epoxy additives may be added to this grout instead of water to help with stain, water resistance and bonding depending on the project. 

3) Latex Modified grout commonly used, similar to the cement grout that has water resistance and bonding characteristics already added. Latex is in either powder or liquid form, this increases the color consistency, strength of the grout as well as reduces the porosity of the grout. Ideal for bathrooms and areas that may be exposed to moisture. 

4) Urethane grout is chemical and stain resistance, color consistency, flexible and mildew resistant. This grout is for indoor and outdoor applications and is ready to use. 

5) Furan grout is mostly used in commercial applications such as factories that would need high chemical resistant grout applications and almost never used in residential. Furan grout is composed of Polymers of fortified alcohols that are highly chemical resistant. Furan grout is only available in black.

You may ask what is liquid Latex and Epoxy additives? These additives are used instead of water in certain cement grouts to add bonding strength and water and stain resistance as well as color consistency.