Q. We live in San Francisco and are refurbishing our town house. We would like to use marble on our kitchen floor, but are concerned it may crack during an earthquake. Is there any way to install it that would minimize the cracking?   A. There are... Read More

There are several fracture membranes that can be installed to help minimize cracking. These membranes are rubber or plastic-based and are designed to absorb some shock. However, you will not totally eliminate cracking if the tremor is severe.... Read More

The condition you are describing is called compression cracking. It is caused by movement of the substrate to which the granite is attached. If the granite tile is set over a plywood floor supported by joists, movement in the floor may be responsible... Read More

The are several reasons why the grout may have cracked. The installer may have used too much water when he mixed the grout causing it to crack or there may be movement in the floor causing the cracking. To repair the grout you can overlay a thin coat... Read More

The marble tile was most likely improperly installed. Before you grind a floor you should sound the floor by tapping on each tile with a broom handle. If you hear a hollow thud sound then there is a strong chance that the tile has no setting material... Read More

Q. The resin coating of our Knoll Saarinen marble top table has been cracking and peeling for the past year. We don't know what to do. Any advice?   A. Some manufacturers use resins to create a topical polish, which look amazing... at first.... Read More

Sounds like you are dealing with a tile floor that has not been installed properly. A poorly installed tile will sound hollow when you tap it with a broom handle . The hollow sound is an air pocket under the tile. The material that the tile is set in... Read More

You should have a professional installer check the installation for soundness. It may have not been installed properly. The hollow sounding tiles is an indication that areas under the tile are not in contact with the setting bed. These hollow areas... Read More

There are several reasons you may be getting stray scratching check the following: Do the grout joints contain sanded grout? If the grout joint is wider than 1/4 inch, the chances are you have sanded grout. If you do, then the grout is becoming... Read More

Q. I had granite countertops installed about five months ago. Yesterday, I noticed the granite had cracked all the way through on both sides of the undermounted sink. What caused this - was it improperly installed?     A. Cracks of this nature can... Read More