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How Avoiding Common Mistakes?

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Start with less toxic cleaners. In general, the least toxic cleaner is best for cement. Start with a mild cleanser, like detergent, and work your way up to chemical cleaners if necessary. Chemicals can wear cement down, so they should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Do not pour water into acid.


When using an acid-based cleaner, never pour add the acid to a bucket first and then the water. You should add the water followed by the acid. Doing so the other way around can cause a dangerous reaction. Use a deck brush over a push broom. Many people use push brooms to target cement floors.


However, push brushes are actually less effective than deck brushes. The bristles are too long to effectively remove dirt and debris from cement. If you don’t have a deck brush, buy one at a hardware store. Apply 1 / 2 in (1.3 cm) of mortar to stone finishes. When you’re ready to begin the installation, use a trowel and other tools to coat each panel.


Start with the panel you intend on positioning on the lower left corner of the wall. Spread mortar around from top to bottom and left to right into a flat, smooth layer. Do this for each panel as you install it. Dampening the stones with a spray of water from a hose can help the mortar stick to them. If you need to cut the stone panels to fit on the wall, use a circular saw with a diamond-tipped masonry blade.


Install the stones from the bottom of the wall to the top. Work from the base of the wall, starting in one of the corners. Push the stone panel firmly onto the wall until mortar begins squeezing out from underneath it. Move onto the panels that fit next to and above it, leaving a 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) gap between each one. Keep this gap uniform throughout the entire wall.

How Applying a Wood Cleaner?

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Make a vinegar and oil based cleaner. You can make your own wood cleaner for the wood walls at home using 1 cup (240 ml) water, 1⁄4 cup (59 ml) white or apple cider vinegar, 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) mineral oil, and 20 drops lemon oil. Shake the mixture well. Then, use a clean cloth to apply the cleaner to the wood walls. Work the cleaner into the wood with the grain in smooth, circular motion.


The cleaner will remove surface dirt or dust, leaving a nice warm shine to the wood. It will also give the wood a pleasant lemon scent. Use a commercial wood cleaner. You can buy commercial cleaners made for wood walls online or at your local hardware store. These cleaners contain natural ingredients and oils that are safe for use on wood paneling or wood slats. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to apply the cleaner correctly to the wood walls.


It may be worthwhile to invest in a commercial wood cleaner and keep it on hand at home. You can then apply it on the walls on a regular basis when it needs a clean, especially if the wood walls are located in high traffic areas like your kitchen or your living room.


Get the wood walls professionally cleaned. If you are unsure of how to best clean your wood walls without damaging them, contact a professional wall cleaner. Look for a professional wall cleaner online or through friends. Get a professional who has worked with wood walls before and has experience cleaning dirt, dust, and grime off of wood.


Clean your floor regularly. Mark when you cleaned your floor. Strive to clean your floor about once a week to keep it looking clean and fresh. If you wipe up minor spills, like splattered food, as they occur, it’s easier to clean your floor during routine mopping.

How cutting a tile with the tile nippers?

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Smooth the cuts with a tile file and wipe the tiles down. Once you’ve finished cutting a tile with the tile nippers, use the tile file to sand down any rough edges along the cut. Follow this up with a damp cloth to wipe away any dust. After this, dry-fit the tile to make sure it rests snugly along the toilet base. If it doesn’t, keep nipping, or get a new tile and start again if necessary.


When all the tiles have been cut, filed, cleaned, and dry-fitted, you can move on to setting them in place permanently. Trace the outline of the flange onto the sheet(s) of paper. First, run your finger along the outline of the flange to create a crease in the paper. Then, lift up each sheet and use a pencil to trace an outline that’s slightly—about 0.25 in (0.64 cm)— larger than the creased outline.


The tracing doesn’t need to be perfect, because the toilet will rest on top of the flange and the cut tile(s) and hide any minor errors. If you have a removable flange and want it to rest on top of the tiles instead of on the subfloor, make the pencil tracing about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) smaller than your crease outline instead. That way, the outer rim of the flange will rest on the surrounding tiles.


Cut out the flange circle and trace it onto the tile(s). Use scissors to cut the sheet(s) of paper to the correct shape, then tape the sheets onto the tiles. Transfer the cut lines onto the tiles with a pencil, then remove the paper. Don’t discard the paper yet—you’ll need it again if you break a tile while cutting it!


Don’t try to cut more than about 0.125 in (0.32 cm) deep with any single pass, or the tile will probably break in a random spot and you’ll have to start over. Be as precise as possible but remember that the circle you cut doesn’t need to be perfect. The actual cut line will be covered by the toilet base.

How to Tile a Shower?

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A tiled shower adds beauty and durability and value to your home, and you can tile your shower all by yourself. There are several things you need to do to properly prepare a leak-proof shower. If you are tiling a shower for the first time, consult with a general contractor before starting the job.


Use a hole saw with a carbide bit to cut the holes where the shower head and handles would come through. Make the cement board flush with the tile lip of your shower pan by using shims behind the board to bring it out to the desired thickness. Make sure to use composite shims. Use 100% silicone caulk to seal the seams between the panels and then apply the silicone behind the board on the stud. Add some seam tape between the panels as well.


Lay the drywall. If using crown molding near the ceiling, lay down 12 to 18 inches (30.5 to 45.7 cm) of drywall instead of cement board. Nails used to fix the crown molding in place will not travel through the cement backer; you’ll need to use moisture-resistant drywall such as greenboard in order to take the nails and affix the molding.


Feather any edges with seam tape and thin set mortar where the backer board meets the wallboard. If there’s a gap between the backer board and the wallboard, you’ll want to use seam tape and then feather the gap with thin set mortar so that it appears as one continuous back. Remember that the seams must remain tight with gaps 3/16″ or smaller.


Paint a water resistant primer over any areas you intend to tile. After you’ve feathered the edges to remove the gap, apply a high quality water resistant exterior primer over the feathered wallboard and backer.

How Cleaning Grout with Vinegar and Baking Soda?

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Mix 1  c (240 mL) of vinegar and 1  c (240 mL) of water in a spray bottle. Measure the vinegar and water into a spray bottle. Screw the lid on tightly and then shake the spray bottle vigorously for 5 seconds to combine the water and vinegar.

Malt vinegar and white vinegar both work well for this method. This method works on all types of tiles and surfaces, such as flooring, backsplashes, or countertops. Spray the solution liberally over the grout and let it sit for 5 minutes. Ensure that all the grout is coated with the water and vinegar spray. Leave it for 5 minutes to soak into the grout.

Mix 1 cup (180 g) of baking soda and ½ cup (125 mL) of water in a bowl. Measure the baking soda and water into a small bowl. Use a spoon to stir them together until they are fully combined and form a paste. If you are cleaning a very small area, halve this recipe.

Scrub the paste into the grout with a grout brush. A grout brush is a thin brush that is designed to easily remove the dirt from between tiles. Dip the brush into the baking soda paste and then scrub it over the tiles until all the dirt is gone. Use a scrubbing brush or a toothbrush if you don’t have a grout brush.

Spray the vinegar solution over the areas that you have scrubbed. The vinegar will mix with the baking soda paste and start bubbling vigorously. This chemical reaction helps to dissolve any remaining dirt and grime from the grout. Spray enough vinegar solution to completely cover the baking soda paste.

Use warm water and a dishcloth to wipe up the baking soda and vinegar. Dip a clean dishcloth in water and then squeeze it to remove any excess water. Wipe up all the baking soda and vinegar paste from the grout. Rinse your cloth after each wipe to avoid spreading the baking soda over the glazed rustic tiles. This also helps to remove the vinegar smell from the grout.

How to Clean Tile Floors with Vinegar?

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The right floor tiles can lend a look of subtle sophistication to almost any room in your home—until they get dirty, that is. After a while, dirt and mildew can begin to build up on the surface of textured tiles and down in the grouting, leading to unsightly discoloration. Cleaning floor tiles can also be a tricky task, as many types of cleaners can inadvertently fade or damage porous materials like natural stone. Luckily, there’s a convenient solution sitting right in your kitchen. With just a bottle of ordinary vinegar and a little determination, you can clean and polish your tile flooring, extending its lifespan and leaving it looking like it was just installed.

Talk to your local hardware store about the trowel size that they would recommend for your particular project. Usually, glass tiles come in sheets and trowel with smaller notches will be needed. However, if you are using larger glass tiles that are not in a sheet, the average 3/8″ trowel will probably be better.

Lay your tiles. With the mortar in place, you can start setting out your tiles or tile sheets. Simply press them firmly into the mortar; push it solidly against the surface but remember that it’s not toothpaste. You don’t want to push the tile so that you disturb the mortar. You just want to get the tile to stick. Try to start in a corner or against a wall, to cut down on the amount of cutting and sizing that you need to do. Insert tile spacers between the tiles or tile sheets as you go.

If you are using tile sheets, you can cut the sheets as needed to create a sheet of any size or shape for your project. You can also cut out the middle of a sheet in order to make space for outlets. Simply use a utility knife to cut the mesh backing.

Cut tiles as needed. You will likely have a space that does not perfectly fit the tiles that you have, create a need for only a portion of a tile. In order to fill these gaps, you will need to cut the tiles to size. You will need to use a wet saw with a blade designed for glass in order to cut glass tiles. Be very careful and keep your fingers as far away from the blade as possible.

How to Cleaning Grout with Vinegar?

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Vinegar is a natural, effective cleanser for porcelain tile. You can clean tile floors, countertops, backsplash, and bathroom surfaces using a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. Cleaning wood tile grout is also easy. You can use vinegar alone or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to remove tough stains and grime from grout.

Pour vinegar along tile edges. Vinegar can effectively clean grout when applied at full strength or when diluted with water. Carefully pour vinegar along the edges of the marble tile, allowing it to soak into the grout.

Let the vinegar sit for 10 minutes. After you pour the vinegar along the wood marble tiled edges, allow the vinegar to soak into the grout. Letting the vinegar sit for 10 minutes will help loosen debris and stains.

Scrub the grout with a toothbrush. After you allow the vinegar to soak into the grout for 10 minutes, scrub the grout using small, circular motions. An old toothbrush works best, but you can also use a small cleaning brush.

Rinse with clean water. When you finish scrubbing the grout, you will want to rinse away the remaining vinegar from the wall tile and grout. You can pour clean water over the tile, or you can wipe with a clean, wet cloth.

Use vinegar and baking soda for a deeper clean. Add a small amount of vinegar to baking soda. Add just enough vinegar so that the two ingredients form a paste. Use a toothbrush to scrub the grout with the paste. Rinse with clean water when finished, making sure you remove any residue from the mixture.