I found out that there is a gap between the tile and tub that would be too big for caulk. It's one of those things where in the grand scheme of things, it isn't worth a battle - especially since the way the designer laid out the tiles in the design there would have been a gap ... plus the designer originally had shoe molding around all the baseboard. It's one of those details I didn't really look at until the tile was already installed. Now that I see the bathtub without all the construction materials in it and decided to go with the baseboard without shoemolding, I can live with what we have. Weedyacres, I really like the quarter round you have - it looks very natural with the bathroom. Thanks. It makes me feel better to see that this isn't that unusual.

You need a solid surface for your waterfall to sit on... and floating floors must be allowed to expand and contract- you can't place cabinets on top of it. So the safest bet is to cut the tile just in front of the waterfall and leave the tile underneath in place. You will need to leave a 1/4" gap (could be slightly smaller, check the manufactures instructions) between the new floating floor and the edge of the island, so you need to be able to live with the gap or install baseboard. I think a simple square baseboard that is about 3" high could look "ok" glued along the bottom of the waterfall, but certainly not ideal. Your best bet is to go with a wood look tile instead.

The tiles should be left in tact. The 'break' will happen with the WEAKER material. The molding will certainly break before the tile. You will need more molding that's for sure. And PLEASE have MORE VINYL on hand for this. Most vinyl planks can ONLY handle ONE installation. The edges on the planks OFTEN break when they are removed. It is the nature of the beast. Vinyl is BRITTLE and it LOVES to chip/break if it is handled too roughly. I like to tell clients to PLAN on having to REPLACE (ie. purchase more) up to 25% of the removed vinyl planks. Yah. As much as 25%. That means your regular 5% waste/left over that you have tucked away (you do have that, right?) isn't going to cover the loss you are ABOUT to have. Before you do anything, please contact the store where you purchased the vinyl and see if you can get more of it...you will want to have it on hand when the removal goes on. Just make sure you can return any unopen boxes. And remember: you MOST LIKELY will have DIFFERENT DYE LOTS...which can mean different colours. Once you have everything installed once more, try to keep 1-3 boxes for future repairs. Once these floors have been on the market for 18 months of more, they are DARN NEAR impossible to find again. The manufacturer makes a limited run and then they STOP making it. IF you need a repair in, say, 5 years you will NEVER find this stuff again. Never. So keep up to 100sf on hand (that depends heavily on HOW MUCH flooring you have installed).

So just exactly what is spot bonding? Spot bonding, sometimes called “5 Spot,” is an incorrect procedure used to “bond” or adhere the tile to the surface. Typically, globs of mortar are placed in various “spots” on the back of the tile, often the four corners and the middle (5 spots) but they can be random as well. This is NOT an approved tile installation method, and failures resulting from this practice generally require a tile repair using proper methods which can include complete removal and replacement of the tile. Why is spot bonding a problem? Spot bonding does not ensure adequate bonding of the tile to a properly-prepared substrate. Per industry approved methods, 80% mortar coverage on the back of the tile is required in dry areas (floors and walls) and 95% mortar coverage is required in wet areas. Dry set mortar, often referred to as “thinset” can only be used up to a certain thickness, often no more than 3/8”. Spot bonding will always require that the thickness is far beyond what the mortar is designed for and will result in the mortar shrinking, and pulling away from the tile. This leaves an inadequate bond between the tile and the substrate, and forms voids under the tile where no thinset is present. The result of spot bonding means: · Wall or floor tile will have inadequate support and may crack. · Voids under the tile create areas that are not bonded. Moisture can become trapped in these voids, causing discoloration and/or mold and mildew behind the tile. · No impact resistance, shortening the life of your tile installation. · Due to lack of support, tile may punch through to the subfloor beneath when point loads like high heels are applied. · Grout cracking or loose grout, creating an unsightly appearance. · Tiles easily come loose and/or crack (even fall off the substrate, causing a serious hazard). · Hollow sounds that at the very least can be annoying. It’s also important to understand that tile is a surface covering. In actuality, the tile itself is often a thin layer of fired clay, which is not strong enough to be load-bearing, unless it is properly bonded to a sound substrate. That’s why spot bonding is a problem. Why would a tile installer use this improper spot bonding method to adhere the tiles? · It’s faster. There may be “production pressure” to get it done. · The tiles can be maneuvered into place easier, even if the substrate was not properly prepared. This is particularly true with larger tiles where “lippage” can be a problem, especially if the tiles are not perfectly flat or the substrate was not properly prepared. · The installer is not properly trained or familiar with the accepted industry standards and recommendations. What can I do to avoid the problems associated with spot bonding? · Make sure a qualified tile installer is performing the work. A qualified tile installer will use approved industry recommendations and follow product manufacturer specifications. · A proper tile installation starts with a flat, even surface! Require that proper substrate preparation is performed. Your tile installation should last for many decades, and the vast majority do! Your first line of defense against an improper installation is to make sure you have a qualified tile installer on your project.