I have honed Ostrich Gray slate/quartzite (16x16) in my laundry room / mud room, powder room, pantry, and entry. I also intend to install it in my kitchen. It's gray, charcoal, silver, and black with a lot of variation and pattern. The surface is very smooth and also has a slight sheen. I purchased from a local store, but Arizona Tile also carries it. I don't have it in a shower, but so far I have been very pleased with the material. I absolutely love how it looks and everyone that sees the new floors has nothing but nice things to say.

There are diamond bits for dremel-type tools. I've only had to R&R grout once, that was years ago, and that's what I used. The bit I use looked like a smooth drill bit covered with diamonds. Maybe $10 each, I use 3 of them. I ran the dremel down the grout lines holding it at a 30-45 degree angle. I ran the bit down one edge of the grout line, then the other side. You don't need to get the joints spanking clean, but do be careful you don't nick up and roughen the edges of the tiles or (egad) run the bit across the face of the glazing. It's very very dusty work. Very dusty. The sooner you get on it the better due to cure strength timelines of cementitious products. The bits I used looked somewhat like this "7122" bit. It doesn't look like the exact bit I used, but it's pretty close. I caught this link too, dremel has an attachment kit and bit for grout removal. Their "569" bit is carbide instead of diamond. And this video. They have a few other tools as well. Good luck! Mongo

I thought I would chime in here, as I have been following these threads after seeing an infomercial on the H20 mop, and being curious, decided to try to find some reviews. I hadnt decided on which mop to purchase (still havent, actually), but was hoping to find at least some good reviews on the H20. I havent as yet. The Sharp sounds good according to most people here, and I can pick one up at Canadian Tire should I choose that one. However, I did find a used Bissell last week on our local craiglist type site, and I got it for $10. I figured for that price, if I didnt like it, I could simply toss it out. The downside of this mop, being a used one, is that the two pads have holes in them so would need replacements soon. The filter smells musty so would also need replacing. That would cost $35 plus tax. In using the mop I did find that it leaves more water on the floor than I would like. This isnt a problem on my ceramic, but I dont think it's very good for all my hardwood. Dries fairly quickly, but still..... As for cleaning.. although my floors weren't overly dirty as I clean them daily with a Costco cloth mop and bleach (I have three dogs), the pads didnt come up too dirty, but my floors did look a lot cleaner and with a nice sheen. This is especially true of the hardwood. No streaking whatsoever and just a nice soft shine left. My master bath has black shiny tiles, and the Bissell cleaned tehm beautifully.. not a watermark or streak anywhere. I was never able to achieve this before unless I got down on hands and knees and polished them with a clean towel.. something I wasnt too keen on doing every week. So.. I am still undecided. Should I get a Sharp, or is wetness an issue too? Should I get the new model of the Bissell (which is supposed to be improved), or will it work the same as this older one? How often do the pads and filter need replacing? The pads are very soggy after use, and I have to toss them in the wash daily. I have used this mop every day since getting it last weekend, and do prefer it to a regular mop as far as how it leaves my floors looking, and ease of use. I just dont care for the wetness left behind and wonder if this happens with most steam mop brands.

Actually I wouldn't need the tv. I wouldn't want to take up space in the armoire (clothes press) for a tv I never use. I just like having it there in case DH or I ever get ill and stay in bed but it would be simple enough to stow it and bring it out if it is ever needed. Carolssis, to the right is the sewing cabinet, the chair, and tall chest. The corner to window dimension is 5'4" in both directions. May the clothes press is the armoire and it is huge, it would be too large for anything but the widest of hallways. I don't recall why I decided to put the armoire on the diagonal but I don't think placing it flat against the wall would give me more space but I could be wrong. If I place it flat against do you think I should place it on the cramped wall or the adjacent window wall? I could remove the tv and perhaps place the sewing cabinet in our foyer or stow it in one of the downstairs unused bedrooms. I would love to give it to one of our DDs but DH wants to keep it.