You research Pinterest and Houzz looking for the renovation project of your dreams. You plan to do the work yourself; there are enough how-to videos out there, why not? You purchase tile, setting materials, and grout and get to work!  Many…

Watch any home improvement show these days and you're likely to see the throwback looks of encaustic cement tiles . These tiles often feature mono-chromatic gray, white, and black backgrounds with geometric designs but can also include colors from…

Today in our 21st Century Glass Mosaic Tile is finding a new generation of admirers as building owners and homeowners are looking to make use of various finishes now available, including glass mosaics and tiles, that are not only functional but…

Are you in a hurry? Self-levelers can be your best option for leveling an existing floor.  While the specific details on the history of self-levelers are somewhat foggy, we know that the term ‘self-leveler’ was officially coined in the United States…

There is one thing you can count on when approaching a wall tile installation…the walls are rarely plumb and true. In the past, fixing the problem would be time-consuming and problematic. The gypsum or cement boards would have to be removed to…

As we've mentioned on the Tech Tips blog before, ISO is the international standards setting organization that covers, among many other things, tile and installation products.  This year's annual meeting was held in Guangzhou , China, a city of more…

In the 1980s, MAPEI championed the importance of “sustainable chemistry” with the introduction of the Ultrabond ECO® line of adhesives, which dramatically reduced or eliminated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by moving away from solvent-based to…

Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enacted lower thresholds for worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica, causing both debate and concern within the construction industry. In response to these concerns, our…

Flood damage can be costly to repair and confusing to assess. We have prepared some information about how inland flooding (rising water from local rivers and streams and overflows from nearby ponds, lakes and reservoirs) can impact floors and walls…