Tile Selection is a very personal decision, and really, any color, shape, size, finish is acceptable. It is YOUR bathroom. But here are things to consider.

Size matters, in that for floor tile, most people prefer a larger tile, as it does minimize grout joints, which in turn makes it easier to keep clean. But on the other hand, grout lines work a little bit like treads on your tire. they reduce the likelihood that you will lose your footing on a wet bathroom or shower floor.  Two other considerations on size/shape: The smaller the area to be tiled, the odder it looks to use a larger tile. A typical hall bathroom is five feet wide, an eighteen or twenty-four inch tile means the floor is covered on two or less tiles, especially in front of the vanity. One solution is to set the tile on a diagonal pattern, which breaks up the visual, while preserving the reduction in grout lines. Note, there is an additional cost to set tile on the diagonal, both in labor and wasted tile.

The other issue is the shape of tile. Today, most floor tile is square, in twelve, thirteen, sixteen, eighteen or twenty-four inch, while wall tile is rectangular, with dimensions of eight by ten, eight by twelve, nine by thirteen, and even larger. Again size matters, in a relative sense. If you have a grand master bathroom with floor dimensions of over eight feet wide and ten feet deep, and especially if your bathroom ceilings are over eight feet high, fifteen by twenty or twelve by twenty-four inch wall tile can be beautiful. In the typical hall bathroom, tiles larger than nine by thirteen inches usually look a little overwhelming. Also keep in mind, larger tile, and the heavier square floor tile add to your labor costs if you choose to have them set on walls.

Lastly, color and finish, while a matter of personal taste, are showing certain market trends. In various areas of the country, bright colors, earth tones, natural stone looking tiles are all the leading sellers, depending, of course what part of the country you live in. South Florida tends to be a leader, because we have so much tile in our homes.

The trend has been towards a matte, stone looking finish for several years, and even though colorful glass tiles have also gained in popularity, the travertino tiles are still the favorites. And while the lighter beiges and off whites are still somewhat more popular, the darker, noches are fast becoming the best sellers in high end neighborhoods, from the various towers in CityPlace, to Palm Beach Gardens and even some of the finer homes in the old downtown parts of West Palm Beach.

So make sure you are happy with your choice before it goes on the wall, because almost anything goes, but once it is up, you are going to be looking at it for a long time!

If you’d like help with your tile choices or any other bathroom repair or remodeling project we can help.

Caulk is a basic part of the construction and maintenance of any bathroom. It should be applied to all joints in any tiled wall, which includes the corners of the walls, as well and the floor and ceiling (if the tile goes to the ceiling).

Caulk will NOT repair a leaking shower pan, but if you have cracks in the corners, or gaps under the shower curb (step in area) or at the joint of the tub and tile around your bathtub, you can develop a water leak even if all your plumbing is in good working order.

It is a good idea to inspect your shower and tub surrounds on a regular basis, a casual glance anytime you are bathing will let you know if the walls are separating at the corners, but about once per month, or at least a couple of times per year, one should get down and look at the edge of the tub and under the inside of the curb if you have a shower.

How to Caulk/What kind of Caulk?

We use DAP® KWIK SEAL PLUS® Premium Kitchen & Bath Adhesive Caulk w/MICROBAN®, while the are other fine caulk products made by reputable companies, the handy squeeze tube, anti microbe,  and super elasticity of this product makes for satisfactory and long lasting repairs.

Traditionally, you had to buy caulk in large cardboard or hard plastic tubes and load them into a caulking gun, which, if you didn’t buy a high quality enough gun, would sometimes leave you with a trigger  failure, and no matter the quality of the gun, you always had to deal with the dripping caulk between uses. Today, caulk is still sold this way, but it is also offered in a squeeze tube, more like a toothpaste tube. you simply remove the cap, cut the tip of the tube at a sloping angle, and squeeze as you need, replacing the cap to save the remainder for a few minutes later, or a few weeks later. the cost per ounce is pretty close either way.

The second question is how do you actually apply the caulk? I have seen so many bathrooms where a homeowner or a handyman has slathered caulk, not only on the gap, but about an inch on each side of the crack, as well. Besides being terribly unattractive, this method doesn’t even properly seal the area. The surface of most tile is already sealed, some of it even has a high glaze, in either case, tile is not a suitable surface for caulk to bond to. the edge of the tile (in the grout line or at the tub lip) is porous, as is most grout. Caulk bonds nicely to the unfinished tile and to grout. the ideal method of application is to run a bead of caulk down the gap, and then remove as much of the excess caulk as you can.

Years ago, I was taught to use the end of my finger, actually the bottom of the first joint of my index finger to smooth caulk. This works fine on finished wood prior to painting, or even better on old painted wood, but when I started working with tile, I quickly realized that much of the time, an edge or joint that needs caulking, has at least one surface that is a cut piece of tile. the cut edge on tile is about as sharp as a razor blade, so not only do you cut your finger, your  caulk has a tendency to look kind of pink! Today, I always use a commercial grout sponge, these are available at your local home improvement store, for about three bucks, and can be found in the flooring department. If you forget the sponge, an old rag will do fine, dampen it and wrap the tip of your finger in it and wipe. in any event, you should have almost no caulk visible outside of the actually crack. Caulk is cheap. a water leak is not. Apply it generously, and then wipe off the excess.

If you are experiencing a leak, caulk is not the solution to a pan failure, or a tub leak, but as water will go through any opening it find, it is a good idea to make sure everything is tight before you call a bathroom specialist. If a $3.00 tube of caulk can save a $2000-$3000, shower or tub replacement, it is a good investment. If it doesn’t stop the leak, then it is the time to call us.

As a side note, Palm Beach Builders will come to your home and recaulk your bathroom, as needed, and also inspect your bathtub or shower and give you a free estimate if more work is needed. but keep in mind, while our estimates are ALWAYS FREE, for us to caulk your bathroom will run about $100.00, so if you are physically able to do it, there is no need to pay a professional to recaulk your bathing area.

If you’d like help with caulking or any other bathroom repair or remodeling project we can help.

While most of the time, when I am called out because a homeowner has a leaky shower, it is pretty obvious where the leak is, sometimes, the moisture has an ambiguous origin. There can be a couple of other reasons, besides a leaky pan to cause water to either leak downstairs and to the outside of the curb (shower step in area). If you have a shower door or curtain, it is possible, especially if you have children using the shower, that you are getting splashover water, that is either, in the case of a curtain, going under or around the bottom and ends of the curtain. In the case of a shower door, check to make sure the door is properly caulked, and that the waterseal device at the bottom of the door isn’t leaking.

You may also either have grout cracks in the corners that are wide enough and high enough to let some water run down the walls behind the pan, or you might have a large opening under the inside lip of the curb, especially if the curb top is a slab of marble. I have known many veteran tile setters who sometimes overlook this gap. Simply lean down and look under the step, if you do not see tile or grout solidly to the bottom of the marble slab, you will want to seal it, either with grout and caulk, or if it is a small opening, just caulk. (note: the heating and cooling, as well as the dramatic changes in humidity in a typical bathroom may cause the walls to expand and contract at different rates and cause cracking, all 90 degree corners should be caulked as well as grouted.

If you aren’t sure what is causing your leak, you do, or have a plumber do for you, a leak test. Palm Beach Builders can do it for you, too, for a minimal cost. This involves removing the metal drain cover from the drain of your shower and inserting a rubber ball like device, filling the shower with water up to just under the curb, and letting it sit overnight. if the water level is down significantly by morning, the pan has to be replaced. If the water is basically as deep as it was when you went to bed, you probably have a leak at one of the aforementioned locations.

Question from homeowner:

We just painted and got some paint in the tub. Should I use turpentine to get it off? It’s an interior latex paint and the tub is an old one (70’s) it’s porcelan, maybe (?) Also, is there something I can use to make it whiter?

Answer:

If you have tried scrubbing your tub with Softscrub and/or, but not at the same time, wiping it down with regular household bleach (with good ventilation) and leaving it on for several minutes and then rinsing, then your only two choices are refinish or replace.

(Note: Softscrub is not recommended for general tub cleaning, in spite of its name, it is an abrasive cleaner)

Refinishing is just a paint job, so it will come off if it isn’t done well, or if you use the tub everyday. It is ideal for a guest bath after the kids are gone.

A good refinish costs about $250.00-$300.00 dollars, make sure they do a good acid wash first do not get the cheapest guy you can find. replacing the tub costs about 200-300 for an Americast (don’t use steel unless you plan to sell in a couple of years) then you are going to either have to pay a plumber about $400.00- $600.00 to set it, unless you are really brave and do it yourself. It is not impossible, if you are really handy. If you hire a plumber, he will totally tear up your walls, leaving you an unusable bath. Then you have to either hire a tile man or do it your self, to remove the damaged walls and replace them with Durock board and replace the tile. So your total cost for a new tub will range anywhere from about $1000.00, if you do most of it your self, or up to $3000.00 if you have a professional to do the complete project.

There are a couple of things to consider.

$300.00 vs $3000.00, if the tub is in good shape, with no rust.

You can just replace the tub and part of a full bath remodel, you should be able to totally update and replace a typical hall bath for in the neighborhood of $5,000.00.

You are not likely going to be able to match the tile, even if it is 4×4 white tile, so do you want a patched up looking wall?

If you’d like help with your bathtub repair or any other bathroom repair or remodeling project we can help.

There is never a “good” time for someone to come into your home and totally disrupt your life. We work with homeowners everyday, so we try to make our work as unobtrusive as possible and we work around your schedule. The best time to schedule a project is when you are ready, we can usually accommodate your plans as long as we have two to three weeks notice. Note: If your schedule is flexible, we can sometimes save you money by giving you a discount to fit our schedule.

We have trustworthy employees so you will feel comfortable if you have to run an errand, you won’t be worrying about the good silver disappearing while you are out. Our workers also respect that they are working in your home, not that you are living on a construction site. You are going to get some noise, dirt and dust, but we work to keep them to an absolute minimum and we clean up after ourselves. You will still need to clean up a bit after the project is finished, but we haul away the debris and sweep up our work area when we finish every job.

Traditionally, the built environment has been designed for an idealized, able-bodied, non-elderly adult. Since that description fits less than 15 percent of our population, the result is environments, including kitchens and bathrooms, which create handicaps and barriers for the rest of us. Demographics, legislation, public awareness, and personal experience are pressing us to examine the basic assumptions we have used in design, particularly in high function areas like the kitchen and bath.

The result is design that breaks the traditional molds and is more flexible and adaptable. It is accessible to or useable by all people, regardless of age, size, or physical ability, as much as possible. This is Universal Design.

In terms of bath design, you will want to consider clear floor spaces sufficient for entering, closing the door, and approaching each fixture. In addition, you’ll want support in the walls for grab bars to be placed as needed. The beautiful choices available today in fixtures make it easy to create this supportive environment attractively. For more information, ask your Watkins Construction representative.

Unless your fixtures are easily removable in one piece and are at least 40 years old, they probably have not monetary value. Even then, the salvage yard will likely pay you less than 10 cents on the dollar for their asking price, and you will have to haul the old stuff to them. They don’t make house calls. We will dispose of any old fixtures with the other items from the demolition and put them in a county approved landfill. If you know of someone who wants your old toilet, sink or shower doors, we will try to save them for you.

The price of a fixture depends on a great deal of options. The type and quality of the valve; the variety of finishes; the quality of the finish; as well as the length of the warranty. Better faucets will have ceramic cartridges and be made of solid brass. The most costly units will have outstanding design and be available in such exotic finishes as antique or polished copper; stainless steel, etc. If you are looking for value, keep in mind that the working parts of any brand’s fixture are pretty much the same. The additional cost for the cosmetics may be worthwhile if you appreciate the visual improvement, but you are not improving the mechanics by adding a brass finish or choosing a “classic” toilet or tub.

Don’t overlook the wall space above the toilet. A full 30 inch high, 12 inch deep cabinet can be used there. Shallow niches built between wall studs can hold a multitude of small bathroom products inside the shower area. Niches add slightly to the cost, more so than “Over-the-John” cabinets, but can add a great deal of functionality as well as a distinctive look.

We’d be more than happy to come out and talk to you about increasing the storage space in your bathroom. Just call us at 561.719.8627 to schedule a free, no obligation visit today or click here and we’ll contact you!

First, remember, most bathrooms today are using larger tiles. 8″ x 10″ tiles have 38 inches of groutable edge, while the old style 4″x 4″ tiles would have 80 inches of groutable edge, so you’d greatly reduce the grout area and the maintenance.

Grout is porous giving it the ability to absorb liquids, including those that can leave behind a residue stain. A silver or beige floor grout can help to make staining less noticeable. For walls, white tends to have the “cleanest” look.

Sealing of the grout can help reduce staining as well. Sealing should be done a few days after the project is completed to prevent trapping moisture in the grout or setting materials. The homeowner can do this with a bottle purchased from Home Depot or Bonnie Tile or anywhere you might buy tile. There is even a new spray on, self dispersing version, that, according to the label, does not even have to be wiped down.