Patrik asked:


Greetings everyone, I am Mike Edward, a professional ceramic tile installer, and it made me too glad to share with you the story of starting my great career. Once upon a time, at a Sunday’s sunny morning, my dear wife Elizabeth told me “Don’t you think that we need a little change for our house? Something cheering and elegant?”, Surely, it came to my mind that she wanted to buy something like new bunches of Fresh and sweet-smelling flowers, accompanied by new elegant vases, or a new delightful curtains for bedroom and living room, something simple and easy to get as she mentioned. Unfortunately, when I told her my ideas, she smiled widely and said “No dear, you didn’t get it! I meant something else, I think we need to have ceramic tile for both floors and walls!”. Astonished, disappointed, and maybe little confused-those were the feelings inside me- as I’ve no idea about installing ceramic tile, in addition, a good idea about its difficulties. Thus, starting by my own house, I built my experience, step by step, for 10 years.

Let me firstly give you a little idea about ceramic tile. It’s suitable to be put to many using, basically you can use it in floors and walls, and this is applicable for kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, patios, etc…, this is also could be interior and exterior.

In fact, installing ceramic tile is not an easy job at all; you need to be professionally aware of the proper instructions of how you can lay it, what tools and materials are specifically needed in such a process.

For beginners, it could be too confusing to learn how to install ceramic tile without your guide person or even a very professional guiding videos. Thus you may ask yourself, why should I learn it?

I’ll answer you -exactly as Elizabeth did 15 years ago- that the beauty and elegance of its look would surely make you forget all about hard times and problems.

Now, it’s time to have a closer look on some –not all- mistakes and difficulties you may face.

First of all, you should decide how you’ll learn to start, Who would be responsible for guiding you, answering your inquiries, and where you’ll do first trials -which are usually full of mistakes!

One of the hardest steps is to pick the tile to be applied, because it comes in huge variety of designs, patterns, colors, and styles. You should be able to differentiate the types to be suitable floor tile, and those which are proper for wall tile. You should also be able to prepare the suitable grout to be adequately used, and learn how to clean it, as it’s very ugly to have smudges which cover the beauty of tile job!

Another difficulty is specifying and preparing the suitable tools and materials for the installation issue, surely before you start, because once you begin, it would be too hard and silly to stop your work, to go and find the missed tool.

Finally, I should tell you that it was a really great and nice experience, though it was definitely not easy, but after I finished the ceramic tile at my house, I remember nothing about efforts exerted, such felt happy, astonished again, but this time of the beauty and brightness of the new look we had.



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Matt G asked:


I Removed my ceramic tiles now how do you get rid of the left over grout? that was underneath the tiles?

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sammy malko asked:


A long time ago even before the birth of Christ, the early Egyptians began an art which is still practicing today, the decorating of Glassware and Ceramics. Many of the oldest historical artifacts are ceramics products, which have lasted thousands of years.



The same components used to make ceramics and glassware is used in making the colors themselves, These components (frits) are then mixed with compounds known to man for thousands of years, like the color blue is made with Cobalt, Green is made from Chromium Oxide. Over time new colors have been added. The combination of the compounds and a Frit are then mixed with oil so they can be applied to a product. Unlike colors used in paintings almost all ceramic colors can’t be mixed because they are made with unstable compounds.

After the items are printed onto the ceramics or glass, they are then Fired, Firing is when a product is baked at high temperatures, the color and the glaze fuse together and the imprint of the ceramics and glass becomes permanent when the product reaches 1400F for Ceramics. Before kilns were invented to the fire the products, large holes were dug into the ground and a fire was lit to bring the ceramics to such high temperatures.

The Japanese Jomon culture’s pottery — first onset of vessels found ( coiled ceramics) dates back 10,000 years. In south China, painted pottery began showing up around 8,000 B.C. The Chinese ceramic INDUSTRY dates back about 1,700 years alone. About 7,000 years ago, there’s evidence of ceramics in the Americas were decorated.



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Lambada asked:


I have a very very small hairline crack on my ceramic tiles, which are not deep, Is it possible to place silicone, or any epoxy (resin+hardener) into the slits to stop the cracks from spreading? Would it resolve the issue?

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Diana asked:


I would like to remove some tiles from one area of my kitchen and save as many as possible for use in another area of the kitchen. They are heavy 1979 ceramic tiles. How do I get them up and save some of them?

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buster asked:


I want to cut 3 inches off several ceramic tiles that extend too far from one room to another. I don’t want to take the tiles out completely. What kind of blade can I use in a circular saw. Someone suggested a diamond blade but I’m not sure this will work.

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Al Bullington asked:


Okay, it’s time for your next home improvement project.  This time it’s going to be ceramic floor tile.  Determined to do it yourself and save?  Only problem is where do you start?

Installing tile flooring is a very rewarding project for three reasons.  First, you get that feeling of satisfaction of a job well done.  Buy a few new tools.  Learn a few new skills.  Bleed a little.  It’s great.  Hey it’s hard in many lines of work now to point to what you’ve done.  Here’s another chance to actually build something that you can see and use.

Secondly, it looks great when you’re finished! Nothing you can add to your home adds much more beauty than tile surface.  Ceramic tile and natural stone surfaces add a luxury look of warmth and luster.  The look can’t be beat.

Finally, you’re making a small investment in the biggest investment you’ll likely make, your home.  This is one of those long-lasting investments that you can use as it increases the value of your property.  Adding stone or ceramic tile to your home, makes it easier to sell as well as more valuable.

The only way to get projects finished around the house is to put together a detailed list of everything required to get the job done.  Otherwise, you’ll end up making many runs back and forth to the store and you’ll never get done.  You really need to know every tool, part and piece you need to get the job finished.  The time you spend on your project list will be a great investment that will save you time as well as money too.

For installing ceramic floor tile here’s a list to get you started.

1. What are you installing the ceramic tile flooring over?  Make sure it’s solid and not bouncy.  Often a layer of cement board is the best underlayment for tile.  Put it down first using special cement board screw.

2. Your chosen tile. Maybe the hardest part of a tile project is choosing the tile.  Get about 10 percent extra to allow for trim and breakage.

3. Get thinset or whatever adhesive you choose.  Check with the tile suppler on the recommended adhesive.

4. Tile saw. The tile saw is a must for most jobs.  you may want to rent one.  YOu also need tile nippers and a cutter board is helpful sometimes too.

5. Grout. Get sanded or unsanded depending partly on the grout line size.  What about colors?  The choices are endless since you can get them custom mixed.

6. Trowels. You’ll want notched trowels.  The notches are for regulating the adhesive thickness.  You’ll probably want a small margin trowel and maybe another one or two.

7. The best way to mix thinset and grout is with a mixing attachment and a drill.  Now this is heavy duty work, so make sure your drill can stand the strain.  Don’t forget the mixing attachment.  It’s a big stirrer.

8. Rubber grout float. This necessary tool is used to spread the grout into the grooves between tiles and then to smooth and level the grout.

9. Miscellaneous supplies such as tile spacers, tape measure, a chalk line, buckets, sponges, gloves, goggles.  A rubber mallet is a plus as is a carpenter square and a level too.

Laying ceramic floor tile yourself is a satisfying project.  The toughest part may be gathering the right materials and tools.  Once you get everything together the actual installation is a step by step process.  It’s a process that’s similar no matter what the tile project.

You can get access to video tutorials showing the professional tricks for installing ceramic floor tile for a fresh new look..

Al Bullington invites you to visit http://InstallingCeramicTile.net for more ceramic tile hints.  

 



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Louis asked:


Describe a different process of degradation associated with each of polymers and ceramics
thank you
x

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luvladyblue asked:


My daughter loves to make little bunny ears with her little hands. I want to have a ceramic statue of it. How do I do that?

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TIM asked:


The question says it all but I was wondering if anyone could either give me steps or point me to a website that shows how to go about making a pipe out of clay.

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