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Ask the handyman

By John O’Rourke

Q: Our tile floor in the foyer is only a couple of years old. Some of the tiles have cracked, the grout is coming out from between the tiles, and many of the tiles are coming loose. What is causing this, and how do we correct this problem?

A: As you have described the problem, it sounds like the tiles were installed over a wooden floor surface that was not prepared properly. Tile is rigid and does not flex like wood; therefore, it necessary to install tile over a very sound surface. If the wooden subflooring below the tile surface is not of sufficient thickness, or the framing supporting the floor structure is not adequate, every time someone walks on the tile surface it causes movement within the floor system. This constant movement will cause some of the tiles to crack under pressure and may loosen the individual tiles and grout lines. Also, if the tiles were installed directly over a wood surface such as plywood, the wood expands and contracts as the temperature and humidity conditions change. This movement may also cause the tiles to come unglued from the floor surface below and the grout to loosen between each tile.

You may need to redo the floor. The proper way to prepare and install a tile floor is as follows: Make sure the subfloor is thick enough to provide a sound surface. The wider the tile, the more sound the floor needs to be. You can do this by adding another layer of plywood subflooring. The thicker the plywood, the more rigid the floor will become. Glue and screw any additional layers of plywood, making the floor one solid system. Next, the subfloor must be topped with a layer of tile backer. This must be applied to all surfaces to be tiled. After dry fitting the tile backer, thin-set mortar must be applied to the subfloor surface and the tile backer then set in place and fastened at regular intervals with screws or ringed flooring nails. The finished tiles are then applied to the tile backer using thin-set mortar according to the manufacturer’s directions. Allow the newly installed tiles a day to set up before applying grout to the spaces between the tiles. This tile installation system should give you many years of trouble-free use of your tile floor.

Q. What is the best way to clean old paint off radiators? Would you remove the radiators or leave them in place to clean and repaint them?

A: I am going to assume you are asking about the old-fashioned cast iron radiators. There are a couple of ways you can approach this task, depending on how thorough you want to be.
If the existing paint on the radiators is in fairly good shape, and you do not need to remove much of the surface paint, then I would suggest leaving them in place, provided you have easy access to work on each radiator. To prepare your work area, place some blue painter’s tape on the floor around the feet of the radiator. Cover the remaining exposed floor surface below and around the radiator with some newspaper or other convenient covering material. This is to protect your floor from the old paint being removed and the new paint to be applied. Also place a tarp or drop cloth against the wall behind the radiator. Another drop cloth placed on the floor in the general work area is advisable.

The exposed and easy-to-reach surfaces of the radiator can be wire-brushed to remove any loose paint and surface rust. After wire-brushing, wipe down the radiator surfaces to free them of dust and loose paint chips, being particularly careful to remove any dust built up between the radiator sections. An oil-based, heat-resistant primer should be applied to all accessible surfaces of the radiator. Using a primer color that is similar to your finish paint color will make the job a lot easier. You can apply the finish paint to the radiator after the primer has been allowed to dry thoroughly. Please wait until all paint coats are dry before allowing the radiators to become hot.
A second option, which would be advisable if the paint on the radiators is in really bad shape, would be to remove the radiators and have them professionally refinished. They can be sandblasted or dipped in a chemical solution to remove the old paint. Ask to have the radiators returned to you completely primed and repainted and ready to reinstall. It is not unreasonable to ask for a minimum of a one-year warranty on the workmanship. This will allow the radiators to go through all four seasons to ensure that the paint has been applied properly.

John O’Rourke is the owner/operator of Case Handyman Services of Cape Cod. He has been maintaining, repairing and improving homes for more than 25 years. You can reach him at jorourke@casehandyman.com.