The Tile Sleuth

Lots of times, when you do repair work, it's not just about installing the tile, it's about finding the tile to install in the first place. That's why a lot of tile installers don't like to do repair work. Well, that and the fact that you can spend a lot of time doing piddling little things, and not have a lot to show for it at the end of the day. And then there's the detail work, trying to match old grout with a new grout, etc. But I see all of that as a challenge. Some people like to hunt, tracking that big game down, I like detective work and research, which repair jobs can have in spades. I supposed in the end, it all comes down to the hunt, the thrill of the chase, and a successful end to the project.

This particular bit of detective ala tile setter work is currently going on out at the Portland International Airport. In many of the toilet rooms out there, there is quite a bit of repair and renovation work going on. If you've been to the airport with in the past few months you'll have noticed that. In addition to putting in new counter tops and floors in many of the rooms, they are also replacing the partitions, doing ceiling work, etc. and moving some fixtures like the paper towel dispensers to new locations. A couple of new locations for the paper towel dispensers didn't work out, and I was left with a couple of new holes in the wall to repair. In a couple of other bathrooms I'd worked on, we were able to get some left over tile from the maintenance department and then there were some areas that had a full row of tile up above the ceiling. Apparently the walls had been installed before the ceiling and we were able to salvage those to do repairs to the exposed walls. Unfortunately, that is not to be the case in the three rooms where I will be doing my next repair gig, so that necessitates my locating tile to replace the ones that have come off the wall or that have been damaged during demolition, partition moves, etc.

The first order of business is to determine the type, and manufacturer of the tile, which through doing the other toilet rooms I had done. Fortunately, the tile in the rooms needing repair is the same manufatrure as the last ones needing repair so I'm able to use the information gained in the other toilet rooms on these next rooms. Being as how there are more tiles needing to be replaced than I have from the existing walls, I need to find more. A simple enough task at first blush. Maintenance thought that more tile could be ordered, which, unfortunately, given that the manufacturer is apparently not around any more, is not possible.

Now comes the challenge - I need more tile than is available at the airport, and no way to replace it. So, what to do? Well, there are some options. I can try to locate some of the discontinued tile, which will probably not be possible although I'm going to try. The other option, and this one is much more likely to be successful, is to try to find tile that is similar enough that I can use it and not have the walls look too funky. Finding a tile that is the same size and thickness shouldn't be too difficult to find, the existing is a standard grade wall tile and the sizes/thickness on those is pretty much standard from make to make. The tile I need to replace is a matte finish, and just about everyone makes those. It's a creamy pinkish buffy color, and most manufacturers produce several varieties of that color range. But we'll have to see what I can find.

Like my dad always used to say - 'Not just a job, but an adventure' and he was saying that way before I ever saw it on an Airforce commercial.
Stay tuned .....

Cheers,
Joanne Rigutto