Sorry about that, My attention has been on this whole granite thing. You think the HT forum gets testy, you ought to check out some of the threads in the Kitchens forum right now. As for what you're using, it's a topical sealer, as opposed to the penetrating sealers that most people use, and it'll work fine on the tile you have. I wouldn't worry about using sandpaper, but I'm curious why the sealer won't take in certain areas. I'm wondering if there might've been something on the face of the tile, or if possibly his strokes with the applicator weren't as even as he thought. Another possibility might be trying to go too far with the sealer on the applicator, and although there was enough to wet those areas, they didn't really get coated as well as the rest of the floor. I'd say just go ahead right over what you have with another coat, paying particular attention to those places that look bare now, and see what happens.

I assume that you mean before the tile is permanently set in place, not when (or if) there is a dry run so to speak to see how the pattern will fit into the space(?) Correct. Would an experienced professional even need to lay out the tiles ahead of time or would they typically proceed directly from prep to installation? Yes and no. Some WILL actually lay them out dry. I've got my own thoughts on that, but however they do it, so long as they show some kind of forethought instead of just finding a corner and starting, they're ahead of the game. What I'll normally do is take several tiles and measure to see what the coursing (one grout joint and one tile) measures. I'll then make a cheat sheet of coursing that comes out somewhere around 2 feet (whether that be 4 6x6, 2 12x12, etc), and then I'll measure around the area, to see how the tile is going to fall. it's from there that I'll decide if I can center the layout, or if there might be a better way, taking into consideration how the tile will hit several different surfaces, and which ones are most obvious in the room. (did you get all that? LOL) With an agreed upon layout in hand, would most experienced installers be able to anticipate potential issues around niches and other elements that could require partial tiles so that you could have a discussion ahead of time as to how they would be handled? before the very first tile gets set, a good installer will know exactly how the tile is going to hit any obstruction in the layout. In fact, I'll grid out the area with chalk lines, and then all my cuts will be made before I set the first piece of tile. but even before the cutting starts, I'll know how big all my cuts will be. Just curious... Do you find that it's best if the homeowner stay available or stay away while you're completing your work? Doesn't matter to me either way. I'd prefer that the customer be available in case of questions that come up, but if they'd like to watch (and I HAVE had several that did) the whole time, they're most welcome to watch. I LOVE playing to an audience!! That's when they see that all this stuff doesn't exactly happen just by "luck"! I know alot of installers who'd rather the customer weren't around, though-- too many questions. Funny thing is, I welcome the questions. To me, the internet has given us the one thing this industry has really needed-- an educated consumer. Not so many fly by nights getting away with their BS any more. And Bill G-- yes-- that's just the labor cost. the retail is MUCH more. Based on 12x12 tyile, a 25 pound bag of grout should grout about 150 sq. feet, for about 15.00- 25.00, depending on the grout. For epoxy, a unit will do about 75 sq. feet, for about 80.00.

Bill V - I found one of your comments in an old GW post from 2008. I copied and pasted below. So I'm thinking unsanded. If I am wrong, please let me know! Thank you so much for all of your help! As for the explanation of the different grouts, I just posted this in an FAQ thread on the gallery side of the bathrooms forum. Here it is, copied and pasted: Although there are others, for all intents and purposes, there are two kinds of grout-- portland cement based, and epoxy. The portland cement based grouts are the conventional grouts that have been around for millenniums. Although in the last few decades, they've been modified with latex and other polymers to make them stronger and more resistant to mold and mildew, they're basically the very same grouts that have been used since Greek and Roman days. There are two kinds of portland cement based grouts. One is sanded, and the other unsanded. The only difference between the two is, as their names imply, the sand. The ONLY thing that determines which grout should be used is the joint size. NOT the glaze, NOT aesthetics, NOT the material (ceramic vs. glass or polished marble), NONE of those. I'll repeat-- the ONLY thing that determines which is used, is the joint size. Anything under an 1/8" takes unsanded grout. Anything 1/8" or bigger, you use sanded grout. If you use unsanded grout in larger joints, the cement in the grout will shrink way too much as the water evaporates out of it, and the joints will end up shrinking and cracking bigtime. If you try using sanded grout in smaller joints, the grains of sand will literally clog the top of the joint, and not allow the grout to get down INTO the joint, and the grout will flake off in a matter of days.

the Emser website says it has a water absorbtion rate of 3.75%!!! The picture on their website shows the tile installed in a bathroom with a shower tho and, when we picked it, I figured if Emser's website showed it being used in a shower, it must be okay to use that way. So, maybe the website is supposed to say 0.375%? It's GOT to be a typo. I've yet to ever run across a porcelain with that high an absorbsion rate. Even the .375% would be extremely high for porcelain. Most of them are closer to .02- .03%. Next, could some of you kindly tell me - in baby-talk terms please - just what I need to specify with respect to getting my showers built correctly so that they don't leak? And then, what should I watch out for to make sure that whoever I hire is doing the job the way it is supposed to be done. I don't have the time, energy, or money for another law suit if my showers start leaking and my tile guy won't or can't fix them! THere's a link below with the most detailed instructions I've yet to see on the subject. I had hoped to use the 16" tiles on the floor (except for inside the shower where I figured we would use a smaller mosaic). I am willing to use the 12" tiles instead tho if they will be less prone to cracking. 16" should be fine. Okay. As far as the Kerdi system is concerned, that certainly is a consideration, and yes, it CAN be used for off shaped showers. You just need to build the pan out of mud, rather than using the styrofoam base piece. (I've built more Kerdi showers than I can count at thi point, and I've yet to use those foam bases even once yet.) As for cost, it might be a bit higher, being that the waterproofing has to continue up the walls with the Kerdi, and the drain by itself is about 100.00 or more, but it doesn't necessarily have to be Kerdi to be a good shower pan. Here is a link that might be useful: Harry Dunbar's shower pan install instructions