Before you hang that nice big bathroom mirror, be sure you keep these things in mind. You'll need to support the bottom edge by screwing in a length of j-channel. To protect the mirror's silver backing, cover the screw heads with duct tape and be sure to use specially-designed mirror mastic, since other adhesives can eat away the back and leave spots.

Rob Shedrofsky from Davinci Stone explains the tiling process to Bob as the Porcelanosa wall tile is installed in the bathroom. A glazed clay tile is being used on the wall, while the floor will be done in a porcelain tile that is super strong and only �� inch thick. The wall tile is a Subway design, replicating the look of the New York Subway on a larger format. Shedrofsky explains how the datum line is used to create a tile layout that is centered from top to bottom and side to side for a pleasing look. The tiles are applied to the wall with an petroleum-based mastic and a ��-inch notch trowel. The mastic is less expensive than thinset, sets up quicky, and prevents sagging or dipping tiles. The tiles have an ��-inch joint that is held by spacers for 24 hours while the job cures. After 24 hours, the spacers are removed and an unsanded white grout is applied to blend the seams into the tile and give a sleek, urban appearance.

Eddie Lambert of Coconut Grove Glass installs the mirror panels that will serve as the back and side walls for the built-in bar in the Miami condo. He first applies Miro Mastic, an adhesive created specifically for mirrors, that will not bleed through or damage the silvering on the mirror. With the larger pieces across the back, Lamber applies the mastic directly to the wall. For the small side pieces that will brace the glass shelf that sits on top, Lambert applies the mastic to the back of the mirror. Using suction cup handles, Lambert puts the pieces in place, then applies pressure while they set. The glass shelves are sandwiched between two pieces of mirror affixed to the wall, so there are no fasteners to break the illusion of enlarged space created by the mirrors. Lambert is able to apply the mirror sections directly on top of the backsplash because Formica is a relatively soft material. If it were tile, a shim would be used to act as a cushion.

Tile installer David Cloutman from DC Tile is installing the decorative, artisanal tile in the new bathroom for the Rowley Victorian. Cloutman explains that he begins at the bottom, setting the tiles along a level line, with a 3/16-inch grout line to hide any irregularities. Cloutman will follow preset lines for each element of the design, including the border tiles, accent line, and field tiles. He is using a premixed standard tile mastic to set the tiles. Bob watches as he sets the pencil-line tiles, the feature-tile border, and another line of pencil tiles to finish this section of the wall. Patience, Bob notes, is critical to a good tile installation.

Birger Juell visits the home to supervise instalation of this unique floor. Use 3/8 or 1/2 inch thickness of wood. Type of wood is user preference but it should be as dry as possible. The wood tiles can be just about any size or shape as long as they are not too large or warping will occur. The grout for the cobblewood flooring is composed of sawdust from the wood mixed with a fast-drying oil-based sealer in a ratio of 2 parts sawdust to 1 part sealer add any stain to grout to your liking.Insure you have a standard sub-floor. First glue floor down, use regular tile mastic as an adhesive. rubber based instead of Water based is best. Let set for two days... Then grout, Pour the grout on the floor push it into the cracks using a rubber trowel or your hands. Trowel in the grout. Squeegee off the excess. Steel wool the face of the wood tiles to remove any remaining excess grout that could dry to the top of the bricks. Let it sit over night and then apply another coat of oil-based sealer the next day. Let set for one day. Then do final coat of varnish, stain etc. Maintain like any wood floor. Oil it every 2 years using wood floor oil. Varnish once a year. Buff once a month.

Bob meets with Cortney who is installing porcelain mosaic tiles with acrylic mastic over an existing bathroom mortar bed and finishes the tiles with black grout.

Jeff Akers of The Air Authority explains how heat is recovered from the water that flows to each of the units in the high-rise apartment to fuel the heat pump in this Miami condo. The water is received, the heat is rejected from the water and into the pump, then the water is sent back to the water tower for cooling and redistribution. The unit is housed in a utility closet that will be concealed by a louver door to provide the only air return for the HVAC system. The ductwork in the building must be fiberglass or metal, rather than flex, and is covered with mastic at all seams to prevent leakage as mandated by Florida energy policy. Akers then shows Bob the Energy Star thermostat that operates without wires or mercury, plugging right into the system at the wall. The thermostat features a five-minute delay to prevent short-cycling and resulting damage to the system. It also has a fan-only setting for cooler days. All settings can also be locked to avoid tampering, a feature that is critical for a vacation getaway that is frequently unoccupied.

The existing basement floor was a cold concrete slab that will now have ceramic tile floor installed over radiant heat mats. Bob talks with Kevin Murray from NuHeat Inc. about the electrical radiant heating pads. The pads go underneath the tile and can reach a temperature of about 92 degrees. Using the pads to heat a room uses about the same amount of electricity lighting the room. The pads plug into a programmable thermostat so the heating can be set to come on at regular times during the day. Murray then demostrates how the pad is installed. First, it is dry-fitted to the floor and set to fit the general area. The pad is then affixed to the floor using an adhesive mud. After the mud has been put on the concrete and the pad set in place, a float is used to press it down. The pad is made of a porous polycarbon fabric. After all the pads are put in place, the tile setter can put in the mastic and tile. Mike Blangiardi from Portsmouth Quality Flooring set and grouted the tile after letting the thinset sit for 24 hours. The homeowners selected a DalTile ceramic tile for the laundry and bathroom area. The homeowners should wait another 24 hours once the grout is complete before using the room.

Bob looks at the finished wall tile from Shaw in the second floor bathroom off the hall. The bathroom is cleverly designed with the tub and toilet in an alcove separated by a door from the sink. The tile is a white tile with a blue and yellow flower and a matching frieze. The tiling was essentially two-day mastic job. The lavatory has a Pennington self-rimming cast iron sink with an enamel finish from Kohler. The faucet elements are high quality castings from Kohler's Revival collection.

Cracked and broken bathroom tiles are easily removed and replaced. There may be water damage to the backing behind the tile, so be prepared for a longer job.