Bill,
It must be easier for you because you are not as emotional about the job as the homeowner. Emotional stress is worse than physical.

The ceiling went up and I of course watched and listened for the hissing sound. I didn't hear all the tiles hiss but I did hear some hissing going on. My poor contractor, I made him look at a post from JB with pictures of the 1/2" Versabond rim around the perimiter of the tile.
All of the wall tiles are up but he didn't have time to do the Ditra. I want the Ditra to dry before he starts laying the tiles, (in case he needs to reposition them), so will the ditra dry in 24 hours or less?
The wall tiles should be dry already, about how long will the floor tiles take to dry? You think a couple days? Should I do the Saran wrap test on them to be sure? Once they are dry he starts grouting. Does the grout dry in 24 hours? After that I am going to seal the grout and the tiles are finished!!!
I owe so much gratitude to you Bill,
Donna

Bill,
One more question before I forget....this is about the caulk around the rim of the tub. The tiles are very close to the tub and I don't think they plan on using silicone to caulk. They said that silicone tends to yellow. Can they use the same type of silicone that was used on my kitchen granite? The granite guys custom mixed a color to match my blue granite. It hasn't yellowed at all.
Also, is one brand any better to another when it comes to grout for the limestone?

Donna

will the ditra dry in 24 hours or less?

Yes.

The tiles are very close to the tub and I don't think they plan on using silicone to caulk. They said that silicone tends to yellow. Can they use the same type of silicone that was used on my kitchen granite? The granite guys custom mixed a color to match my blue granite. It hasn't yellowed at all.

Tell them to use siliconized latex caulk, made to match the color and texture of your grout.

Also, is one brand any better to another when it comes to grout for the limestone?

So long as you stick to the big 5-- Laticrete, Mapei, TEC, Hydroment, or Custom, you should be fine.

Bill,
You have been so very helpful and I thank you.

The Ditra is going in today. I read some posts on the JB forum about not walking on the tiles for a while after they have been set. How long should we stay off of them?
Donna

Bill,
You said to use siliconized latex grout made to match the color and texture of your grout. Do I buy it from Mapei or does my contractor custom color it?
Donna

Buy it from Mapei.

I hope I'm not butting in on this thread, but we're putting 12"x12" porcelain tile on a 40-year old concrete slab in great condition except for a couple of narrow (1/16"-1/8")cracks it. We didn't test the bathroom slab for moisture but for previous projects our garage and kitchen did not have a moisture problem (same slab). I thought we wouldn't have to do anything as long as the slab was clean, but reading this thread made me think twice.

Is there any prep work we should consider for the slab before laying tile? What type of thinset should we use? Modified or unmodified? We were looking at Flexbond or Versabond but would an unmodified (CustomBlend?) with the liquid latex be better? Any other advice/lessons learned?

bkwl,
I'm going to try and save Bill some time and answer your questions myself. You shouldn't have any moisture on the slab but if you want to be sure, lay out a large piece of Saran wrap on the concrete and tape all sides snuggly overnight. If there is any moisture it will show up. The slab must be flat so be sure to scrape all the old thinset off completely. It doesn't have to be level but it must be flat. You are laying it directly on concrete so Versabond is what you would use. Bill, is a 3/8 trowel at a 45 degree angle correct?
Donna

One question before I answer-- rub your fingers over the cracks. On either of them, is one side higher than the other, or are they flush?

Bill,
You have been so helpful I can't begin to express my gratitude. I didn't want to bother you with more questions so I posted on the JB forum. I would love your input though if you have any time and patience left after my never ending questions.

I do have one specific question for you to answer. If you look at hobokitchens post about sealer there is a picture of her tiles and they are the exact same as mine! I have tried a grout by Mapei called Saharah Beige and it looks just a little too light. We just ordered Custom's New Taupe #185. My contractor doesn't like the checkerboard look and he wants the grout darker. He said if the New Taupe doesn't work he wants to try Charcoal. Have you used Charcoal? I can't get TEC brand in my area.
Donna

Bill,

This is a great site for comparing grout colors.

Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: Grout colors by brand

Not for nothing, but Mapei also carries a charcoal.

Thanks for the site, too. You're right-- it is! :-)

I just looked at the other thread. Taupe would be a good choice, if you want to blend the tiles. I don't think sahara Beige would be quite as light as you think. It WOULD be lighter than the tiles, but not nearly as light as what you see in those pictures. Charcoal would actually contrast the tile in the other direction, but I happen to like the look. :-) It shows off the workmandship, and you know how shy I am about my work. *rolling eyes*

{{gwi:1477325}}

Bill,
This is a picture of the Sahara beige installed,(test sample only). The tile color is not acurate at all. It's not that brown it's really gray (same as hobokitchen's). The contractor thinks it's too light. We have the Custom's New Taupe being shipped and we will try that one. Mapei's Charcoal is special order and would take two weeks so that's out. I'm going to go look at their #9 Gray sample today. The only other choice is custom's Charcoal and that's what the contractor wants. It will look darker than the tiles and won't have any taupe in it which the tiles have, just a deep almost black. Would you be inclined to go a little lighter than the tile or a little darker? It sounds like you would go darker. I'll post the final choices as I test them.

Thanks

Donna

{{gwi:1477326}}

Here is another picture without grout. I don't know why it's showing up brown, it's really very gray.

Donna

organic donna, Thanks for the tip on checking slab moisture. I'll have to check my trowel size, too. I think I've only got 1/4x1/4.

Bill, I haven't checked the cracks in the slab closely yet but I didn't notice one edge being higher than the other. Assuming they're even, what's your advice? (I'll copy/paste my previous post here so you don't have to scroll up.)

...we're putting 12"x12" porcelain tile on a 40-year old concrete slab in great condition except for a couple of narrow (1/16"-1/8")cracks it. We didn't test the bathroom slab for moisture but for previous projects our garage and kitchen did not have a moisture problem (same slab). I thought we wouldn't have to do anything as long as the slab was clean, but reading this thread made me think twice.

Is there any prep work we should consider for the slab before laying tile? What type of thinset should we use? Modified or unmodified? We were looking at Flexbond or Versabond but would an unmodified (CustomBlend?) with the liquid latex be better? Any other advice/lessons learned?

bkw,
I'm not 100% sure that's the trowel size you need but I am 99% sure, Bill is that correct?
Donna

Donna-- if charcoal is special order, look at pearl gray. It's almost as dark-- maybe one shade down. Definitely darker than your tile.

Bill, I haven't checked the cracks in the slab closely yet but I didn't notice one edge being higher than the other. Assuming they're even, what's your advice?

One of two things-- Either look into a product from Laticrete called "Blue 92". It can be used for both a waterproofing membrane, or a crack suppression membrane. in this case, it would be used as a crack suppression memrbane, spanning the crack to both sides by about a foot or so. The other possibility would be to use a membrane from Schluter called Ditra over the entire floor. This would be the better of the two options, but also the more expensive, for obvious reasons.

And yes-- the 3/8"x 1/4" notch is what you want.

Thanks Bill,
We'll be testing two more grout colors soon. I'm not going to go nuts choosing the color. Hopefully one of my grouts I have already purchased will work. I have 3 colors to choose from!
Donna

Thanks, Bill. Now I've had a chance to check the crack and one side is very slightly higher than the other - by maybe a fingernail. Is this bad news?

What size tile are you using Donna?

Now I've had a chance to check the crack and one side is very slightly higher than the other - by maybe a fingernail. Is this bad news?

Yes, it is. There's a slew of membranes on the market that will solve the problems caused by lateral movement. Some of these membranes will allow a crack to open as much as 3/8" and STILL not affect the tile above it (the Ditra being one if them). However, there is not a membrane on the market that will protect a tile floor from even the slightest vertical movement. You can give it a shot, if you like. But for my money, I'd be thinking carpet.

Bill,
Not to change the subject but.....the JB forum said it takes the grout 72 hours to cure correct?? So I have to wait for 3 days before I can seal the grout is that also correct.

As usual I am going to convince my GC to go with the siliconized caulk that matches my grout. If I use Custom's grout do they make this stuff to match? If the grout is a special order color I'm sure this caulk will be too.

Donna

Bill,
This stuff is not so easy to locate by brand. Does Mapei and Custom's make it to match?

See below

Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: colored caulks

Does Mapei and Custom's make it to match?

yes, they do.

the JB forum said it takes the grout 72 hours to cure correct?

Just a matter of semantics, but it takes 72 hours to completely dry initially. Just like any other cement product it takes 7 days for initial cure, and 28 days for full cure.

So I have to wait for 3 days before I can seal the grout is that also correct.

That depends on the sealer. There are some that can be used the next day, once the grout is dry to the touch. Others you need to wait the three days. Still others where you have to wait the 4 weeks till the grout is fully cured. Check the directions on your particular sealer.

Bill,
I chose the Custom's New Taupe, I just looked at the powder and could tell. I ordered the matching silicone caulk, of course they are out of stock, so it's about 10 days. I can't use the tub until the caulk is in. I didn't ask my contractor, he has no choice now.

The sealer is SCI and they said to wait 3 days. I hope they can grout tomorrow and finish the grout in one day so it has the weekend to dry.

Donna

Bill,
I ordered a transition strip from Schluter after explaining my floor to Jay at customer service. I paid $35.00 to have it shipped in 3 days. Anyway, it was the wrong strip and when I called him he started asking me a lot of questions about my floor.

Let me explain my situation...I live in a older highrise and our floors and ceilings are concrete. They are not at all level. My contractor has done hundreds of jobs in my building and is very experienced. He explained to me that to make the floor level would bring it up too high in some areas. Also, he has to match up the grout lines from the wall tiles with the floor tiles. He made the floor perfectly flat but not level. He also didn't want any lippage in between the tiles and he added a little bit more Ditraset as needed to acheive a uniform look. Jay basically told me that my contractor did not install as per the manufacturer and "he hoped the Ditra would hold up". He said "he shouldn't have added any extra thinset to try and level the floor". He upset me very much.

Bill, my walls and floor look beautiful and all the grout lines are lined up and I like the way everything looks. My contractor said the Ditra would definately hold. What's done is done so I hope installing the Ditra didn't mess up my whole floor. I am trying to stay calm but the Ditra guy upset me.
Bill,
Say it ain't so.....

Donna

It ain't so. I don't know Jay, but he's wrong. You add or scrape as necessary to flatten out a natural stone floor. End of story. If your guy got it flat with no lippage, then he did his job as it should be done. Go have a glass of wine and calm down. This is one fire that shouldn't have even been lit.

Ahhhh, a sigh of relief....thank you. My gut feeling was this Jay guy was wrong. He wasn't very helpful either.

My tiles ended up being about 1/4" above the hardwood. I know that's a lot but again the contractor said if he made it more level the tiles wouldn't line up properly. The floor is really slanted and he explained that to me in advance. I gave him the OK to not try and level it.
The Reno T strip didn't work so my local Schluter rep is sending me a ring of samples so we can figure out if any of them will work.

Tomorrow is the grouting and I will seal the tiles myself on Tuesday. We left the last tiles by the door off so we could figure out the finishing strip.

Thanks for the reply, I took a nap instead of a drink but it helped just the same.

Donna

As for where it hits the hardwood, if you go to any hardwood flooring dealer, they can make you up a custom reducer piece in the same wood you have, so that the edge of the stone is protected, and it still looks nice and professional.

Bill,
I have a piece of hardwood that was made for the transition but it looks too bulky to me. Maybe I'll call them tomorrow and see if they have a thinner one.

Donna

The piece I'm talking about would be the width of the doorway, by about an inch- inch and a half wide, going from the thickness your tile is over the hardwood (+/- 1/4") rounded down to nothing. This is why I said CUSTOM made.

Thanks Bill, I'm going to call them tomorrow.

One of the last tiles he installed today had some lippage. Is that to be expected?

Donna

Depends on what you call "some" lippage. The rule of thumb for acceptable is if you can take a credit card and slide across the edge of the tile, then it's fine. If the tile's edge stops it, it should be changed.

I think it's a little too much lippage. These are the last two tiles he installed and there isn't a tile installed in front of either one yet. If he takes them out will they break? I don't want to risk damageing these tiles. They have great veining and I don't have any nice replacements. Is this just a cosmetic issue or will the integrity of the floor be in jeapardy?

Donna

If he set them properly, they won't come out in one piece, and it's a cosmetic issue.

Thanks Bill,

I'm going to leave it alone, I like that tile too much to replace it.

We've almost reached 100 replies to this post.

Can we say I'm a little obsessive????

Donna

100 posts isn't obsessive. SIX PAGES IS!! LMAO

Bill,
The grouting went well. I wanted to share with the other GW members some of the methods I used that seemed to help.

First, I mixed the grout with distilled water. Then I used 3 different microfiber cloths. The installer ran the wet sponge over the grout as minimal as possible. Next, he used a damp cloth with the water squeezed out once and a second damp cloth and last a dry cloth. That way the grout didn't get diluted and we didn't get grout haze. Each time he used the damp cloths I ran to the washbasin and washed both cloths and squeezed them out for the next section. I felt like a surgical nurse. LOL

Bill, I ordered one more Schluter transition strip. It's the Reno TK 3/8.

Cross your fingers.

Donna

You were washing those off in the SINK?????

Yes I was, why, Uh, Oh, is grout residue going down my sink drain bad? There wasn't a lot of grout on the rags but the water was the color of the grout.

When you referred to the 6 pages above was that my post on the JB forum?

Donna

When you referred to the 6 pages above was that my post on the JB forum?

Why-- is there ANOTHER forum where you have 6 pages of questions? LMAO

Yes I was, why, Uh, Oh, is grout residue going down my sink drain bad?

major bad. It doesn't seem like much, but it adds up-. DO NOT do it any more. I've seen times where FEET of pipe had to be pulled out and replaced because of what you're doing.

Man oh man....the workers knew what I was doing so why didn't they say something. They put in the new plumbing last year under my kitchen sink so they know all about plumbing and pipes. Should I have them pull the pipes under the sink and check for gunk?

I was just trying to help and look where it got me. If this helps at all the water was hot and soapy.

Argh!

Donna

P.S. Other posters have 6 pages.

If it hasn't plugged up, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just don't do it any more.

Bill,
This is the JB post I was referring to. I guess I didn't remember the part about the 3 different buckets. I feel so stupid. I didn't have any grout haze, but I have hardening of the arteries in my pipes.

I am on the 18th floor so I hope I don't clog someone elses drain. Should I have my contractor remove my drain pipes and check? How about some Draino?

Donna

P.S. Do I have 7 pages yet?

Here is a link that might be useful: rags

Donna, don't worry about it at this point!! If there was a problem right now, you'd know about it!! Just don't do it anymore!!

Bill,
Did you think I was finished asking questions??? Of course not.
Tomorrow I'm sealing the grout. I have a white cast iron tub I want to protect. Should I put the plywood over the tub while I seal? Would it be better to take off the plywood and try and cover the tub with towels. SCI said I had to spray it on and not roll it or use a rag. It will run down to the tub so how do I protect it? Will it damage the finish if it gets on the bathtub?

I know this is a simple question but look what happened when I got involved with my grout application.

Donna

Let me get technical with you for a minute. When you go to seal, I assume you'll be sealing both the grout and the stone at the same time, correct? In that case, you're going to need two implements. it might be tough to find them. Not very many tile stores carry them. What you need is....

excuse me-- I gotta go

Just kidding!! :-)

All ya need is a couple of old teeshirts or towels. Use one as your applicator, and one to wipe up any that gets on the tub. The sealer is not going to ruin the finish of the tub, trust me.

That was funny!!!

I guess I can handle this without asking you 100 more questions.

But I do have another one, what about....oops, gotta go.