Flooring

Sadly, if you are looking to fix the tile with the grout, there is none. If you are looking for something that will not crack because of movement, a high end epoxy grout.

Varathane is the best product available to the general public. The finish is very durable and dries relatively quickly.

The clearest isn't an oil based polyurethane, it is a water based polyacrylic. These are clearer and typically used on maple or bamboo because they do not amber the face of the wood. Minwax sells one in most home improvement stores. Nothing is completely clear, but you can pick up a small can and try it out on a sample. The disadvantage to these products is they are a lot more expensive and also not nearly as strong.

Whomever is actually finishing the floor.

You should NEVER install tile over laminate. Pull up the laminate (which is very easy) and install the appropriate subfloor, then install tile on that

No, in fact the wax can ruin the polyurethane finish. Clean the floor with a good wood floor cleaner. Do not mop with water.

Carpet is sold by the yard. (9 sq ft)

You can used exterior grade plywood when tiling floors, but it is only an acceptable choice. If going over a wood substrate, the best choice is a mudbase or cement board.

Until carpets became cheap enough for the average home owner. It was used as standard flooring into the mid 60's and even as late as early 70's.

Porcelain clay is denser (tinier particles) than ceramic, so it fires harder. It will stand up to abuse better than ceramic, and is generally approved for outdoor installations with freeze/thaw cycles, where ceramic cannot withstand them. Porcelain is generally more expensive than ceramic.

That doesn't mean ceramic shouldn't be used - just be wary of installing it in rooms where billiard balls, fireplace logs, or iron frying pans will be bouncing off of it. In my opinion, ceramic is fine for bathrooms where the hardest things to hit it will be plastic hair dryers or shampoo bottles, but in other areas I'd use porcelain.

I hate replacing broken tiles.

It depends on the tile.

Yes, it must be a glue down wood or a floating wood floor.

# The floor was unlevel before the tile was installed. # The thinset was to dry or did not cover the back of the tile 100% # The floor is settling # It was installed onto an improper subfloor

It really depends on your preference. If you like a traditional mop and bucket, I've found the Liebman mops work well. I don't care for sponge mops because they tend to dry with an odor. I've recently discovered the Swiffer Wet Jet which I really like because it's quick to use.

You should not buff a laminate floor.

Yes, it can and with laminate you cannot repair the scratch like wood.

Usually, unless it is less then a few years old and you are replacing it for color or style reasons. But you will most likely void your warranty on the carpet by not replacing it.

If installed correctly, 50+ years. Although in that time you will most likely need to regrout in 15 or 20 years.

the laminate is laid upon a expanded polythene mat like fine bubble wrap. The laminate is not fitted completely into the floor space. A 5-10mm gap to allow for expansion is required and an edging strip fixed only to the skirting board covers this gap

Bruce hardwood floor cleaner is the best hardwood floor cleaner for day to day use.

This will vary by style, manufacture, and weight of carpet. Generally between 100 and 200 square yards.

No, acetone will etch marble.

They make special paint that is designed specially for garage floors. You can pick it up at most paint or hardware stores

No if the old floor is only one layer, smooth, and not curling.

No, wood floors should have no steam products used on it. These will cause damage to the floor even if they are polyurethaned.