Cracked tile, sadly, can’t be helped
Q. I had large (13 by 13 inches) ceramic tiles installed on my kitchen floor by a contractor. I bought the tiles in New Hampshire. The contractor applied cement board as an underlayment for the tile. Now, 15 months later, my daughter noticed what she called a thin pencil line on the floor, extending on a straight line 63 inches from the wall outward. Another line extends from the other wall. Why is this happening, and is there something I can put into the cracks to keep them from filling up with dirt? There are even cracks in the grout lines.
CAROLYN MEHIGAN,
Acton
A. The lines are hairline cracks, and are the bane of the best of the tilers. Tiles and mortar and thin-set mortar are rigid materials, yielding very little to stress until they break. Cracks occur when the underlayment is just a little off level; or when one panel of the cement board is slightly higher or lower than its neighbor. When tiles are installed over a joint, they will rock when stepped on, and when the stepping is just right, the tile breaks. The bigger the tile, the more likely this will happen, but that does not mean we would go back to tiny tiles. Live with the cracks because there is nothing you can do except replace them, and as a floor owner with big tiles, some of which are cracked, I will indeed live with them. In fact, my 13-inch square tiles are not cracked, but some of the 6-by-6 ones in the bathroom are.
The cracks are unlikely to collect much dirt. But try this: apply a masonry sealer or tile sealer to the cracks.
Finally, the cracks in the grout are due to one of two things: The joints are too wide, or the grout was not compacted enough. To fix, dig out the old mortar and put in new grout, very compactly. Wide joints are a design factor and are useless. The best joints are one-eighth of an inch wide, or even one-16th of an inch.
Q. I had a forest of pine trees on my half-acre, and a friend took down 52 of them. Now, some of those left are very close to the house and are 12 to 16 inches in diameter, and I am afraid for my house. Is there any way to sell them?
MARIE TENNIHAN,
Dedham
A. They are not quite king’s trees (used for masts in the Royal Navy), but certainly seem big enough to be harvestable. See if you can locate the state’s forestry service, which can give you the names of sawmills that might find your trees usable, and there are still a lot of them in the Commonwealth. There has to be some good use for those trees, and I would appreciate it if some tree-hugger refrains from lambasting me or Marie for “advocating’’ the cutting of trees.
Q. I used Cabot’s timber oil on my deck, but there are still some shiny areas that are very slightly sticky after five days. What can I do to fix these sticky areas?
CHRIS PHILLIPS,
Arlington
A. I think the oil was put on too thickly in those areas. Most oils that I know of need to be put on very thin, or the excess must be wiped off after soaking into the wood. Call Cabot to see what the company advises. I have found Cabot to be accommodating. Or find a remover designed to remove oily stains, and clean off the sticky areas, and reapply the oil -very sparingly.
Q. I want to get rid of the carpet in my townhouse living room. I’d like hardwood. What would you suggest: a laminate like Pergo, or real hardwood? I’m thinking how much I want to put into this while trying to maximize resale.
FISHMAN,
in Hotton’s chat room
A. Your carpeting is on plywood or concrete, and is an example of the cute trick builders do when marketing residences. They use the cheapest carpeting: It lasts only about 15 years before needing replacing, which the owner dutifully does, only to continue paying for the old carpet for the life of the mortgage. Your idea of using hardwood of some sort is a good one, but is unlikely to affect the selling price, despite agents who tout “hardwood floors throughout’’ in ads.
If your floor is concrete, go with hardwood laminate, which is better than Pergo. Pergo or other plastic laminate are still pretty good to look at. If your floors are wood, then go with solid hardwood, prefinished and more expensive but worth it. It can be sanded several times if necessary, and will last beyond the next millennium.
The wide pine floors in four rooms in my house have been sanded once (by me), and are still pristine after 241 years. No, smarty, I did not sand them 241 years ago. Only 40 years ago.
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton is also in the g section on Thursdays. He is available 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton also chats online about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays. To participate, go to www.Boston.com. Hotton’s email is photton@globe.com 
