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.

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