Most manufacturers recommend 100% silicone bath and tile caulking in corners. ( no grout ) I have had great results with epoxy grouts if you can find your color selection. A bit more labor intensive but well worth it. Check with a local tile distributor. Difference between sanded and unsanded. For residential applications, siliconized latex is more than sufficient. As for the epoxy grout, it's my opinion that with a few specific exceptions, in residential installations, it's expensive overkill. As for differences in the grouts, those of you who aren't familiar with them, you can check it out in the FAQ's on the gallery side of this forum. As for Colorfast and Mapei, yes, I'm familiar with both of them, and the only times I've ever had problems with Colorfast's caulkings was when it was old. I've yet to ever see what I'm seeing in the pictures up above.

This is white Italian Marble and it received 3 coats of sealer. Look at the water bead. A solvent based sealer has smaller particles than water based sealers and will seal deeper into the stone. Aqua Mix is my preferred sealer of choice. Always test your sealer and inspect the results before jumping in feet first. Some of my biggest tilling mishaps have resulted in learning proper installing techniques and proper dwelling times. Much better to go slow and steady and do the job in 4-5 coats than 1-2 heavy ones. Keep a bunch of lint free rags with you and read up on this procedure from multiple sources before starting. We have made it a rule since last summers "Enrich n Seal" disaster that a test board be made for every job and that the grout and sealers all installed prior to setting tile. This test board can aid in tile layout and allows the client to see the grout installed and dried and what the sealer looks like finished. I think marble in a bathroom is timeless but it comes with caution. Iron content and other strange "Tile Fairy" issues come up and there is always a chance you may need to replace some or all of a natural marble installation. If you don't like these risks, do extra testing, buy better tile from a better supplier or switch to porcelain. Here is a link that might be useful: Aqua Mix - Ultra Solv

I am up to about 25K in our master bath. In these homes of a certain era the huge master bath was all the rage. It was new construction 15 years ago with the gigantic whirlpool tub with cultured marble everywhere, bright brass fixtures and CARPET in the entire space even in the water closet. We had a leaking shower which started us on this journey and one thing led to another and ended up ripping out the shower, flooring, toilet and the counter tops, lighting fixtures and taking down the old wallpaper. A franchise company who advertises heavily in our area did the travertine floor with radiant heat, new shower floor, walls, glass enclosure, set the new toilet and new tub and did all tear out and plumbing charged us $16,700. But we supplied the toilet, granite countertops, tub, faucets, sinks, paid separately for the cabinet painting and new hardware and for the wallpaper to be taken down and repainted. That is where the other 7K came in. I wish I had found GW first to see all the beautiful bathrooms before we let them have at it. I just had someone come in to frame out the mirrors which were still there from the old bathroom, another $1500. I would have much rather hired a carpenter to add trim around the mirror but just couldn't find anyone to do it. I know I paid way too much. I will be honest and say that I do get a lot of compliments on the bathroom but if I had known that in the end I was going to spend this much I would have hired a K&B that could have helped me with finishes and perhaps avoided some costly and disappointing results. I must also admit that the freestanding tub with the British type of faucet was $3200 of the 7K we paid for the fixtures and fittings and also of that $1200 was for painting the existing cabinetry and adding end panels and for crystal door/drawer knobs.

Rebecca, unfortunately, I don't have a recommendation. The only time I've worked in Manhattan was in my apartment building. After gutting and remodeling the two apartments I bought I ended up doing some work for others in the same building. Mongo