Topic · Tile & Stone
Pro Work Flooring articles in the Tile & Stone silo.
32 articles published in this topic · updated weekly.
Tile & StoneCode-Explainer··11 min read
Big tiles fail on two numbers: mortar contact and slab flatness. Here are the ANSI and TCNA tolerances large-format tile must meet, and why a Florida slab rarely meets them as poured.
All Tile & Stone Articles
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Marble and travertine are porous, calcite-based, and react to salt air and pool chemicals; porcelain is vitrified and inert. Here is the absorption and sealing reality for a Florida home.
10 min readRead →
Why tile is the default Florida floor and the hub for every tile decision: porcelain vs ceramic vs stone, PEI and DCOF selection, large-format flatness, grout, and the membrane behind wet-area tile.
13 min readRead →
Rectified tile is ground to a precise size so it can take a tight grout line — but a narrow joint leaves no room for lippage, which on an uneven Florida slab forces leveling clips and a flatter substrate.
10 min readRead →
Travertine is calcium carbonate, and salt crystallizing inside it spalls the surface. Here is why a breathable penetrating sealer is correct for a coastal Florida pool deck, and how often to reseal.
10 min readRead →
A niche and a curbless entry are the two spots a Florida shower leaks first. Here is the bonded pan, the taped corners, and the single-plane slope to a linear drain that stop water for good.
10 min readRead →
Salt air pits porous stone; impervious porcelain shrugs it off. And because a tiled slab floor is flood-survivable, the right coastal tile doubles as a storm-surge recovery strategy.
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Cement grout is porous and needs resealing on a Florida schedule; epoxy grout is non-porous and never does. The honest trade is recurring upkeep versus a higher one-time install.
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A hollow tile is the sound of empty space underneath. Here is what causes the void - coverage, slab moisture, or a missing joint - how to test for it, and the fix each cause calls for.
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Bigger wall tile makes a small Florida bath feel larger and cuts grout lines that grow mold — but the sloped shower floor still needs mosaics, and the slab has to be flatter. Here is the spec breakdown.
11 min readRead →
PEI grades glaze-surface wear from Class 0 to 5. In Florida, tracked-in sand acts like sandpaper, so entry, kitchen, and lanai floors want PEI 4 or 5 even though the number says nothing about water absorption.
10 min readRead →
Wood-look porcelain looks like a plank but behaves like impervious tile. Here is how it compares to real hardwood on absorption, movement, hardness, and the install-side rules a long plank demands in Florida.
11 min readRead →
Pre-mixed mastic re-emulsifies when it stays wet, so it slides in a Florida shower. Here is the spec line between organic mastic and cement thinset, and the one place mastic still wins.
10 min readRead →
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