Q. The tile is about 30 yrs old, and we are not replacing it. It's vinyl tile squares, with the dirt deep in the tile crevices.I was wondering if steam cleaning is the best cleaning, and what company is recommended to clean it. Thank you very much

A. Use bleach mark k

Q. Hello! I currently have a 3 season sunroom addition on the back of my home that has been stripped down to the wood. I recently saw a 4 season sunroom that had tile down and needless to say, I fell in love with it! I am thinking about putting tile down in there but am worried about the weather...I live in Minnesota where it gets very cold...and that room is not heated in the winter. Would I have problems with the tile cracking? Or does anyone know of an alternative way to get a tile-looking floor without having to worry the temperature changes??

A. Tile can be laid outside, so temperature is not the issue. The type of tile you use will determine if it stays down or not. I would look into a porcelain tile which is double fired and extremely hard, or a frost-proof tile which is used around swimming pools.

Q. We have hired a professional contractor to finish a bathroom in our basement and he is installing our flooring and tiling. He is encouraging me to use wall tile from florida tiles @ $3.00/sq. ft. but at Lowe's they have the matching wall tile from the tile that I choose for my floor at 0.58/piece. The only difference from the wall and floor tile there is the size. I told my contractor about this and he said the tile should not be the same b/c of the moisture that will get into the wall tile and that I should order from Florida Tile. I am very confused and don't want to get screwed. Any suggestions or does anyone have knowledge in this area? Any input would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks.

A. He either is intentionally being untruthful or he's an idiot and has no business being in the tile business. He makes a lot of extra profit if you buy the very expensive tile from him. Tile is tile -- it's clay baked in an oven with a glaze, and neither is more likely to allow moisture behind. The shower pan should have a sheet rubber lining, and the walls should be backed with James Hardie Tile Backer. Period. I recommend applying sealant to the wall tile for easier maintenance. Don't like it for floor of shower.

Q. I had tile installed in my house and after a couple years they all started popping off. Called the company that installed the tile and they came out and determined that it was an installation error. They said the floor had not been cleaned properly before installation. They now say they will repair the tile for free BUT I have to pay for the new tile, which is identical to what they installed the first time. They told me they would install some $.99 cent tile for free that doesn't match the rest of the tile in my house. There is ALOT of tile they are replacing. What are my legal rights here and who do I contact?? I am in Texas. Shouldn't they be responsible for replacing the tile for free? Let me also make it clear that they admitted that it is totally their fault. I have paid for the tile once and if they had done their work properly none of this would be going on.

A. Frankly, so much time has passed that you're lucky the contractor is willing to redo the work, even if you have to pay for the tile. Can they save any of the old tile? I know it's hard to do sometimes, but see if they can. Unless you have a contract that gives a warranty on workmanship for XX number of years-- which is rare to get -- then I don't think you have any recourse. Sorry....

Q. We recently had new porcelain tile installed on our guest bath floor, and we'd like to clean it regularly without harming the tiles and grout. The tile installer had no recommendations about this process, nor did the tile company where we made the purchase. Researching this info is very confusing. Some sites recommend using only a wet mop, while others claim that vinegar diluted in water is appropriate; others advise using some type of manufactured cleaning product. We know that regular sweeping is necessary, but we're unsure which products to use to protect our new floor. If you suggest a wet mop, please advise which is best: Shark, Eureka, Bissell, etc. Thanks for any detailed advice you can provide.

A. I am going to assume that the grout has been sealed. If your tile installer did not seal the grout you should demand he come back and finish the job. It is a must. After the grout has been sealed, any type of cleaner that has any type of acid in it will strip out the sealer. Your tile and grout will be clean of everything including sealer. Which means you will have to do it again. So, first off I use and recommend StoneTech Professional Impregnator Pro. Some sealers sit on the surface of the grout and are apt to peel off. Impregnators actually penetrate the grout and seal it from within. Second, I use and recommend StoneTech Professional All Purpose Stone and Tile Cleaner. It operates like any other cleaner. Dilute it in warm water as per instructions and it both cleans the tile and grout and will not interfere with the sealer. To keep up with the sealing, I believe StoneTech recommends re-sealing every 3-5 years. This is purely a guideline. You'll know it's time to re-seal when, as your mopping or getting out of the shower and the floor gets wet, the grout will change color. This means that the sealer has worn out and the grout is getting wet.

A. Tile!!! Real tile!! Like in my master bath we had long slate tile floors and 3 walls floor to ceiling with tile! It looks amazing blue grey and white!! Great color palette

Q. For tile and wood flooring? What are their prices?

A. Www.lumberliquidators.com for wood and wood laminate floors... Tile.. gosh google it ...for ceramic tile....a bzillion of tile places.

Q. I know granite is one, but what other less expensive kinds of tile are durable enough for countertops? Just bought the house so money is tight and granite,or even granite tile, is out of the question.

A. Any tile, when properly set will work fine, but your much better off with a hard bodied or a porcelain type tile.These well average in price between1/3$ per s/f and higher of course. Rule out most natural stones and marbles, these go for much more. Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar and check my qualifications there. GL