Hello again,

This is our new video. (You may need to SCROLL DOWN to see the video because on some computers our blog appears differently. Also, turn on your speakers to listen to the accompanying soundtrack please.)

Tile Plus, Inc. has been quite productive these past few weeks despite the "recession". (In case you haven't read any of our previous articles we think the recession is just a barrier agreed upon by the group and that barrier can be blown to bits through heavy promotion and constant production.)

Just this week we captured hundreds of photos, sorted through all of them to find the best and then created the above video to show you some of the work we are capable of offering. This was all of a home which we recently completed in Los Gatos, CA.

We also recently completed the tile in a TGI Fridays located in San Mateo, CA and a large commercial building, Plant Sciences, which is located in Watsonville, CA. Plant Sciences develops technology to produce high quality, disease resitant fruit.

We are currently in the middle of a job with Hastings Company located in Hillsborough, CA as well as many other residential homes in California's Bay Area.

Soon we will be working on other homes in Saratoga and Los Gatos, CA.

Please go to our Yelp site and write a review if you have worked with us. It gives us further exposure and helps with our PR. And, if you have watched any of our videos, you can visit YouTube and click on one of our videos to rate it and write a review. The greater the quantity of reviews and ratings give us much more exposure.

Tile Plus Yelp Page
Tile Plus YouTube Page

Thanks for following up on our activities,

The Team at Tile Plus

Visit us at our website here, Tile Plus

            You’ve installed your beautiful tile floor and then it happens, the moment you’ve been dreading from the first well-placed tile. Your grout is getting dirty. Don’t panic, The Tile Plus Team is here to help. We’ve put together a handy list of ways to scrub that grout fresh again.

            First things first, know thy enemy. If it’s your bathroom grout that’s getting grimy, it’s usually on account of mold or mildew. If it’s the kitchen, then it’s a combination of food particles, mildew and the foot traffic going through there.

            Second, always start with the simplest cleaning solution first and then work your way to harsher chemicals if you’re unsuccessful. An easy cleaner can be made out of vinegar or baking soda. Use vinegar that has been diluted with an equal amount of water. For example, if you’ve used half a cup of vinegar, dump half a cup of water in there and spray the cleaner on a small length of grout to test it. If you’re using baking powder, then make a paste by mixing in a bit of water and dab the cleaner onto a sample section of grout. Scrub with a stiff brush, scrubbing in small circles, rather than sweeping motions will clean the grout more effectively. Rinse well with water and mop up the remaining moisture with a sponge or paper towels. Mr. Clean, Lysol or powder-based generic household cleaners can also work. Use them as directed for the vinegar or baking soda cleaners above and rinse the grout well after cleaning.

            If your grout stains are still being persistent, like a large blemish on the face of your tile floor, up the ante by trying commercial tile and grout cleaner. You can purchase these wherever home cleaning products are sold. Try to find a product that is pH balanced so that the chemicals in the cleaners don’t erode or ruin your grout with continued use. When using these cleaners, spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing, unless the directions on the label say otherwise. Additionally, if you own or can get to a steam cleaner, try using it on your grout work. The pressure of the steam cleaner can dissolve stains that cleaners can't.

            After all of this, if your grout still looks like decayed teeth, make like a dentist and bleach it. This is only for heavy duty stains, use products such as chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach powder or hydrogen peroxide. All of these cleaners must be well diluted before use! You may also find strong cleaners at hardware stores or janitorial supply outlets. When using ANY of these products, read the labels very carefully and follow the directions on them exactly. It’s only fun until someone loses an eyeball right? And you don’t want that person to be you.

            Once you’ve got your grout clean, keep it looking fresh all year long by applying a coat or two of grout sealer. There are various types of sealers, available for different uses so make sure you buy the appropriate type for the grout you’re applying it to. Reapply the sealer annually or more often if needed.

            Now that you’ve got your list of ways to get your grout fresh like a baby’s bottom, here are some general tips when cleaning up your grout. Safety for you and your grout.

-         Never use bleach on colored grout, as it will discolor it.

-         Use a stiff brush for scrubbing. Old toothbrushes are too soft, and any brush with metal bristles is to be avoided, they will wear the grout away and may scratch your tile.

-         When working with chemicals, make sure the room is well-ventilated and use gloves and wear protective eyewear.

-         Test your grout cleaner in a small area first to make sure it won’t damage the grout. This is especially important if your grout is old or damaged. Your test area should be in an inconspicuous area!

-         Lastly, and very importantly. Never mix cleaners together as the resulting combination can cause toxic fumes or burn upon skin contact.

Now that you’ve been properly orientated to Grout Cleaning 101, get started! Throw yourself a nice party to celebrate when it’s sparkling and invite us!

 

 

-The Tile Plus Team

 

 

 

Despite these challenging times, what is now being referred to as "the new normal", Tile Plus is still a busy place to be. Our estimators are constantly placing bids and our staff is happy. Lunch was on David the other day! Business is thriving and we're trying out some new marketing techniques. So far we've only received good remarks from them and we'll see where that takes us.

Come do business with us!

Sincerely,

The Tile Plus Team

Our online marketing consultant recently shared a personal do-it-yourself story that we think you and your clients will appreciate. Roberto and his wife Sami decided to take on a master bath improvement project for their current home. They managed to pull off a beautiful improvement that looks like it could have been done by pros.

While Roberto and Sami did a great deal of work on their own, they had some trepidation about prepping their new shower for ceramic tile. "We did great deal of work on our own, including demolition, insulation, drywall, cabinetry install and the tile floor; but I really wanted to make sure that our tiled shower walls were water tight," said Roberto. They decided to bring in a professional for the shower wall prep, and were extremely pleased with the end result. Roberto and Sami are friends with a couple who did a master bath improvement that ended up with a tragic leak beneath their intricately stone tiled shower. Roberto took the advise of this same couple, and considered the help of a professional for this step in their bathroom tile. The professional tile installer was hired to prep the wall and install the tile for the shower walls. The grout work and curved curtain rod pictured here were left for Roberto and Sami to work on.

Hiring a professional, in this case, allowed the homeowners of this story to finish the job knowing that the shower was water tight. Find out how Tile Plus can help you begin or complete a complex tile project. Whether it's ensuring that shower walls are water tight, or that intricate section of your tile project turns out exactly as you envision it, you'll be happy that you chose Tile Plus to help out. Afterall, we are the place where tile becomes an art.

David