Adding Metal Tile to Backsplash Or Shower Wall

Metal tile is available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and types of metal. They come plain or with intricate designs carved into the surface. No matter how you decide to use them in your home, there are plenty of options to select from.

Adding tile of any sort into your home decor is fun and allows your creativity to come out. You can use them in any arrangement or combination, but working with metal adds more sophistication and luxury than ceramic and glass tile just cannot create.

The most common use of tile made from metal is as an accent to the rest of the decor. They are worked into the room in a certain pattern or at very specific points in order to support and highlight other features in the room.

Accent tile is usually adorned with some kind of pattern and the type of metal should be carefully chosen so the color will work well with the color scheme of the room. There are many different types of metal to select from, including bronze, silver, and copper. Pewter is a popular material for accent pieces.

Using tile for accent can be more cost effective because you do not need to purchase as much of it. Just make sure to always purchase some extra tile just in case it is needed at the time of installation.

Another use for tile made from metal is as a focal point or mural. This is especially popular in kitchens, but can be done in any room of the home. You can either select your own tile varieties and arrange them in an interesting pattern that catches the eye or purchase a mural pattern already arranged for you.

This can be a feature of the room that pulls all of the other decor together. When done properly it can really set the mood in the room and give the allure of luxury and sophistication.

The third use for this tile is as filler. If you have an idea for your wall using other types of tile or even just small areas that may be difficult to paint or wallpaper, you can add in select metal pieces to fill small spaces where needed.

In many cases this can be done so that the metal looks as if it were originally built into the design, when in reality it was added at the last minute to hide a mistake or unforeseen problem in design.

However you use these tiles in your home, make sure to look around before making your final purchase. You should never just settle on a tile because you can't find the color or pattern that you really want. Where you put this tile and how well it blends with the rest of your room will determine whether the decor is a warm success or a strange blunder.

Metal tile can make a very dramatic addition to your home, as long as you take the time to shop wisely and work it into the overall design of the room with great care.

Bruce Mendes has been in the high end trade for over 15 years. His experience is in flooring and cabinetry. He has a high end tile and glass showroom in Powell, Ohio and an online presence at My Tile Backsplash If you have any questions pertaining to flooring material or products feel free to contact him for answers or visit his blog at The Tile Blog

Why My Shower Leaks - And What To Do

Why my shower leaks and what to do. Have you ever had a shower pan that leaks? This can be a nightmare for a homeowner! This can ruin walls and floors and cause mildew and fungus, which can be a health hazard.

Some background information:

Some older homes, built 20 years ago,or more had "composition" shower pans. They were made of kind of a tar paper. When a shower base filled up with water from a leak the cement work under the tile got wet and so did the shower pan, after a while it deteriorated and the pan no longer was a receptor to hold the leaking water. The water just ran out of the bottom and onto your bathroom floor.

Newer bathrooms use a vinyl shower pan material that does not deteriorate. So unless there is a serious hole in the vinyl pan from construction nails or screws the pan does it's job, which is to retain water from a shower floor leak from flooding your bathroom. So with the new vinyl pans, or if you had a soldered copper pan, you have a great receptor to hold leaking water.

But...Even with a good shower pan you can still have problems! When the cement in the shower pan is completely saturated there is no place for the water to go except, through capillary action, up the wall and down into the bathroom. If you have cementatious sub walls it's not to bad if fixed in time. The walls will dry out and loose tile or marble , can be replaced.
If you have green board (treated drywall) your walls if not fixed will rot out and
then its time for a major overhaul.

Why do showers leak?

The biggest cause of shower floor that leaks is a bad installation:

1. Which could be the tile or marble not cut tight to the wall.

2. Low areas in the cement work under the tile. Water sits in the depression and does not
flow to the drain. On some materials it can migrate into the pan.

3. Tile not cut tight to the drain itself that can crack and open up an entrance for water.

4. The most common reason is the shower floor was installed after the finish walls were!
In this case when the shower moves from expansion and contraction due to
temperature changes, or the house settling. A crack or separation occurs between the
finished shower wall and finished shower floor. "This is the entrance for water".
The shower floor should be built the other way around that is the wall material lands
On top of the finished shower floor and forms kind of a water barrier and it is much harder for water to get in. There is a second set of holes in the drain where water is suppose to go if the cement under the floor gets wet, but this, in my experience seldom works.

5. Sometimes it is not the shower floor letting the water in, it is the diverter leaking behind the wall. This is easy to determine.Take off the faucet handles and eschucheon (cover plate) Put the handles back on and turn on the water .Look in the open hole with a flashlight if necessary and see if there is water leaking out of the diverter, once in awhile that's the problem. If it is you need a new divereter.

More next article : How to keep your shower from leaking and preventive maintenance

Anthony J. Ventura has been in the marble and tile business for 30 years as a contractor and advisor. He is also a manufacturer and importer of natural stone products.

http://www.naturalstonesinksusa.com

Do it Yourself Shower Faucet Replacement

If you are not a plumber you will be one after reading the do it yourself information on shower faucet replacements. Contrary to popular belief replacing shower faucets is not a mammoth task. It can be very simple provided you follow the correct steps.

There are many kinds of shower faucets available in the market today. Some are washer type faucets and some are washer-less. There are different reasons why you will need to replace shower faucets. The washer might have worn out, stem may be corroded or the problem may be in washer seat and cartridge. Whatever may be the reason, with the correct set of tools the job can be done in a jiffy.

To replace washer type faucets shut off the water supply of the entire house. Then remove the faucet handle by turning the screw clockwise. This can be done with the help of screw driver. After that remove the stem and examine the threads. If they are corroded or worn out then take them to a retailer. If the stem is dirty clean it. If the brass screws are corroded you can replace them too. Take a look at the washer seat. If they are worn out you can reface them using seat dress tool. As faucets are available in various shapes and sizes do remember to install the correct faucet washer. Some stems use O ring. In such cases replace the rings too.

If it is a noisy faucet then the problem may be in the loose washer. In such cases remove the faucet and tighten the washer. The faucets might be noisy due to poor design and construction also. When threading the stem back in faucet body try moving the stem up and down. If it moves then entire faucet may have to be replaced.

In washer-less faucets you will need to replace the working parts. Pre-packaged kits are available. Just follow the instructions carefully.

The diaphragm type faucets are similar to washer type faucets. Here instead of washer you will have a disc. To replace these you need to remove the handle and the stem. If the rubber diaphragm does not come out with the stem it may be still inside the faucet. In such cases, use pliers to peel it from the faucet. Then replace the diaphragm around the disc.

In ball type faucets there will be a ball inside to control hot and cold water. Due to improper ring tension the handle may be leaking. In these cases you will have to replace all the working parts of the faucet. You may need the help of spanner or hex wrench. If the ball is coated with scale you will need to clean it.

For cartridge type faucets you will need to remove the handle. Then there will be a swing spout which needs to be removed. Using a screw driver pull out the retainer clips and then cartridge can be pulled with the help of pliers. While replacing the cartridge, use silicon-grease to lubricate the cartridge.

Remember to :

• Always read the installation manual.
• While soldering copper pipes make sure you remove the cartridge. This is because the excess heat generated may damage the smaller parts in faucet body.
• Clean out the faucet body with a wet cloth after you finish soldering to remove the flux.
• Always have an access panel on the opposite wall behind the faucet. This will make it easier to install a new faucet in the future.

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