Home Repair and Paint Guide

... Use a piece of duct tape to keep the drill bit still until it bites into the surface. Again, don’t use much pressure. To prevent overheating, keep the drill bit cool by dipping it in a small container of fresh cutting oil every 15 seconds. Wipe excess oil from the bit with an old rag to keep the tile and grout from being contaminated. You can buy this oil at a home improvement store or plumbing supply house. Use diamond tipped bits for porcelain tile. These will do a satisfactory job as long as they are kept cool the same way as carbide bits. Once the drill bit cuts a cone-shaped hole into the tile, it will make good progress. Large holes can be created using a hole saw that has diamond cutting teeth. The hole saw must be equipped with a pilot bit that drills a smaller hole at the center of where the larger hole is to go. The pilot bit keeps the hole saw from wandering. Don’t cut too fast. Hole saws must be operated at very low speed and with little pressure. Keep the cutting teeth cool by dipping into oil as for regular drill bits. Be sure to wipe away excess oil before continuing with the drilling process. When drilling into an existing wall, be very careful of pipes or electrical wires that may be behind the surface. You could receive a very nasty shock if a wire is cut. A water pipe could also be nicked and start dripping behind the wall. This could go unnoticed for a long time and would completely wreck the wall backing as well as the floor. You can purchase a drill depth collar and set it so the bit cannot penetrate past the collar set point ...

... It usually snaps the backer board in two along the scribed line. Cement backer board can be screwed or nailed to the wood framing. Always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Screws are best because they hold tight and don’t loosen over time. Make sure that the screws or nails are corrosion resistant. Leave about a 1/8 inch gap between the boards and fill this gap with silicone caulk. Never install the board with an edge directly touching something like a bathtub rail because water can get into the board and destroy it. Instead, leave a 1/8 inch gap between the tub rail and cement board edge and fill the gap with silicone caulk. Allow the caulk to cure thoroughly and then start applying the ceramic tiles. If you took your time and made sure everything is flat and plumb, the tile installation should go smoothly with a very satisfying result. ... Cement backer board is a product that goes behind ceramic tile. It comes in all different types from cement to specialized gypsum core products that are faced with fiberglass. Cement board provides a very stable surface for ceramic tile. It is thin and installs easily with basic hand tools. The surface provides a high level of grip for tile adhesive. For a top quality ceramic tile job, you need to be sure the backer board is securely attached to the substrate and is flat and level. For walls, this means that there are no bows in the cement board and the edges are attached over, and supported by, the studs. Don’t leave an edge “hanging” - in other words, not supported from behind. On floors, the cement board is attached to the sub-floor material ...

... Some grouts have additives such as powdered latex or acrylic to improve bonding. Portland cement can absorb water vapor from the air if left exposed. That’s why grout bags are lined with plastic. Don’t open a bag of grout until you are ready to use it.  The correct consistency of grout will stick to a putty knife and not droop or fall off. As stated earlier, mixing grout with too much water will cause it to fail over time. If you open a bag and find lumps or clumping, don’t use it because water vapor has already been introduced. You cannot discard the lumps and continue with the rest of the powder. Throw the entire bag away and start with a new one. The grout should look like a bag of baking powder, with no lumps. Mix enough grout for about 30 minutes of work. This will keep it from hardening and also keep you from trying to move too fast. Make sure you have an extra bag in case you mix a batch with too much water. If this happens, just add a little extra powder. If the grout starts to harden in the bucket, discard it and make a smaller batch. Don’t try to “save” it by adding water. This will guarantee premature failure at a later date. During application, use a sponge that is only damp with water. Squeeze all excess liquid from the sponge before working the grout. Don’t leave water sitting on the surface because this will weaken the material the same way as mixing it too thin. If you live in a very low humidity area, run a humidifier for 48 hours after the grout has been applied ...

... Allow to dry thoroughly. It’s also a good idea to wipe the tiles with an old towel after they are dry to remove any film that might be left behind by the cleaner. Water-based paints that contain a urethane resin would be a good choice. Urethane is a very sticky glue and that’s just what you need to prevent peeling. Tile is smooth and shiny, and that’s not a good surface for adhesion. Paints containing urethane resin overcome this problem and provide a good lifespan. There are some areas where it’s not a good idea to paint tile. Do not apply it where it gets wet on a regular basis, such as the inside a tub or shower area. The bathroom floor should be fine because wet spots are not usually allowed to sit for long periods.  If you are going to paint the grout with the same color as the rest of the floor, the job will be much easier. Otherwise, you will have to either paint each individual tile by hand (keeping paint off of the grout), or mask the grout with acrylic masking tape before starting. This is slow and difficult to do, but will give good results as long as the tape is pressed down tight and you are careful while applying the paint. You can use a roller or a spray gun. If using a roller, go with with a low nap to keep bubbles and texture to a minimum. A sprayer will also work, but you will have to protect areas from over spray. Spraying does give a real smooth, nice looking job. To keep the paint looking new, you need to protect it. That’s where the clear urethane comes in. It provides protection from wear and gives the tile a smooth look ...