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π² Why natural stone floors will usually be higher than neighboring flooring
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Thank you for opening this email. I wish you the best 3-day weekend and please take a bit of time to appreciate the meaning of Memorial Day. Until next month... In this issue:
A Disappointing Detail about Natural Stone FloorsI wrote about floor structure this month but neither article deals with how to handle a natural stone floor like marble, travertine, limestone, or slate. Requirements for floors are different for natural stone than they are for tile. Not only do natural stone applications need to be engineered stronger but they also require an additional layer of plywood installed over them to meet standards set by the Natural Stone Institute. Further, it doesn't matter if you install Ditra, cement board, or Hardibacker over the subfloor. None of those count as a structural layer like plywood does. The negativesThe big downside of this, besides the additional labor and material costs, is that your floors are almost certainly not going to be flush with one each other when going from one type of flooring to another. That being said, I'm aware that there are a good many marble floors installed without this second layer of plywood underlayment. Also, I'm sure there are several examples that seem in perfect condition. Failure is rarely guaranteed. But the risk of failure is certainly is lessened when industry standards and proper procedures are followed. New at DIYTileGuyβDoes your Floor Meet Minimum Structural Requirements for Tile?βNot every floor can accept tile flooring and some of the homes that can't are fairly new. This article tells you what the typical industry standards are and gives a breakdown of how to use the Deflectolator over on the John Bridge Forum. βHere is how you can lay tile over an old wood-plank subfloorβThis was the original article I was working on before I realized I should probably write the one above also. It deals with a very specific type of floor construction that isn't 'normal' but I see that it comes up quite a bit in questions. If your floor is more commonly framed, or over concrete, this article won't apply to you. Have a meaningful Memorial Day Weekend. Exact Batch Cheat SheetβYour direct link to the Exact Batch Cheat Sheetβ password: dtgsubscriber Follow me! |
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Don't know where to look for good tile advice? Get the monthly newsletter dedicated to tile installation info. Contains exclusive subscriber info not found on the website.
In this issue: 3 ways of lowering a wood-framed subfloor Rapid Recess subfloor lowering kit Cleaning your shower head Lowering your Subfloor for a Curbless Shower The Rapid Recess System for lowering subfloors My new post this month is about 3 different ways to lower your wood-framed subfloor for a curbless shower. One of the methods that is covered is about using a subfloor lowering kit. Using these takes the guesswork out of how to perform this task. You don't have to wonder what type of...
In this issue: Uneven Floor Transitions Grocery store grout cleaners Tile Backer Board [updated] Should You Use Grocery Store Grout Cleaners on Your Tile? This is an example of a pH-neutral cleaner found on the shelf at Lowes Most products advertised as 'grout cleaners' and available at the grocery store are not typically recommended by grout and tile companies. Why? Typically, grout manufacturers recommend using a neutral cleaner on the pH scale. However, most of what you will find in the...
In this issue: Mixing small batches of Prism grout Shower pans with liquid waterproofing I mixed Prism according to the instructions and it didn't go well The back of a box of Prism grout Recently, I mixed a bag* of Prism grout to what I thought was the water ratio allowed by instructions and the grout was so stiff it was unusable. Further, they have a certain amount they will allow as additional water. Again, my batch wasn't turning out. I only tried this once, so maybe I did something...