It's all three. GE is silicone caulk adhesive :) It does all three! I am probably one of the few that do not use GE Silicone II. I used the cheapy Mainstays stuff from Wal-Mart. I did a bunch of fish bowls and other glass items covered in the flat marbles and then used it to do two BB's. The only thing that I have had trouble with was one BB and I had also spray painted it so I think it was a spray paint/silicone issue there since everything else is fine and they are older pieces. DH started using this silicone and also the caulking at work that's called Quad. It's in a black tube with white lettering and orange designs. That stuff has worked better than ANYTHING we have ever used around the house to seal or glue things together. I might have to try it out with my one BB that I have sitting out here that I need to do something with. Happy crafting :)

Didn't get to tiling today :( as the stone place was closed when I got there last night. As I was writing the post, it just crossed my mind that there would be inevitable overlap. I pushed the thought aside. I will look at my sample over the next few days... maybe I will just find another grout and stop making this so difficult. OH- and I just remembered a question I had for you!!! The white tile (red body) I have used is 5x5 and the edges are wavy- yes wavy, like someone had an unsteady hand while cutting, but it's intentional. So there is variability in the grout line size. I am concerned that some of the spaces are quite tight and some are perhaps greater than 1/8". So in the tight spaces, I don't think I could get sanded grout in, yet I am wondering about the wider grout areas? Any suggestions? DH had used epoxy grout like over 10 years ago, and found it difficult, as I thought this may be an answer as there is only one kind, any suggestions on how should I decide which grout?

"The GC is telling me the cracking will soon stop (in other words, within the first year) -- is that more BS or is it true?" Maybe yes, maybe no. In lightweight frame construction, the framing lumber can take several months to a year to come to an equilibrium of sorts. During that time, the wood can move. Moreso if the framing lumber was green (not pressure treated green, but non kiln-dried green) instead of kiln dried. Still...houses move. There is still seasonal movement due to humidity, subtle movement from wind loading, etc, etc. So while grout in changes of plane is more likely to crack within months of the initial installation, it could crack year after year. Or after every other year. Or never again. There's just not a one answer fits all solution. Cracked grout in decorative tile is cosmetic cracking. But cracked grout in a wet area like a shower represents another avenue for liquid water and water vapor to get behind the tile. Normally not a problem with a topical membrane like Kerdi or RedGuard. But still, industry standard, and best building practices, dictate that with inside corners in wet areas, it's best to use color and texture matched caulk instead of grout. Caulk flexes. Grout doesn't. If their caulk is failing, then they need educate themselves on how to properly caulk, prep, application and tooling, and on using the proper caulk. Mongo

Hello everyone, I have some ideas and questions I'm hoping someone might be able to comment on. We have decided to remove the tile. The installer is gone and we cannot get a hold of him. I can't blame him totally as the problems originate from the floor install not being level. These are my thoughts. The bottom cabinets must be off as well as the floor. In order to fix that we'd have to use shims to raise the cabinet base where the tiles slant downward horizontally. Then we have the issue of the granite not meeting the wall evenly. I hope I'm making sense because I know I'm not good at explaining. Anyhoo, unless the cabinet base can be raised, no matter what tile is put in, it's going to meet that one corner on a downward slant. (I think.) So, I'm wondering, is there some kind of material we could use that won't show the crooked walls/cabinets/tile line? As a last resort, I even thought to use bead board to cover it all up. This has not been an easy decision. I have been agonizing over this. Thanks in advance. Mary & Jeff