A16- Wednesday, October 6, 1982 - Nor If the wall tiles around ' your bathtub are loose or broken, -or the grout’ bet- ween them has disappeared, better fix them now or face serious bills later’ That's the suggestion from Raiph Wusthoff, mer- chandising manager of Red Devil, Inc., who notes that water from a shower or bath can: easily work its -way behind wall tiles and rot out wallboard and_ structural wood. -“The real shame is that most people don’t discover the problem until _ water the tile if you plan to use it again. ‘While most tile adhesives ‘are sold in quart or gallon cans, homeowners can. pick up a 2'4-ounce tube of tile adhesive designed specifically for small ‘tile jobs and repairs. _ . Spread the adhesive on the exposed wall and the back of the tile, and press it firmly into.place. Let the tile set for 48 hours;.do not -use the bath or shower during this period because moisture can’ inhibit the curing proce: time starts dripping through walls and... ceilings,’’. notes Wusthoff. With some inexpensive , do-it-yourself" prodcts”’ Xand” about an hour's -worth of time, the average homeowner can do some repairs that will ward off big: contracting: -bills and headaches later, says Wusthoif. ‘Helpful hints “.He offers the following _ tips to ‘homeowners: . For * damaged or loose wall around ‘the ‘tile, then use a 1%-inch, flexible blade putty knife to pry. ‘the: tile from. the wall. — : Use turpentine and the putty” ‘knife to remove d6ld™ _ adhesive. from, the. exposed _ area. Also remove the adhesive from the back of with: “the: - kitchen. . flowing © ss._A longer_cure- may ‘be required when high humidity is present. Available in box or tube Grout i in powdered or pre- Cut down on clutter and banish bending; you'll find housekeeping pleasanter and less stressful. -Of coufse, you can't avoid all clutter and bending, but __ tiles, chi ip away old tile grout you can accomplish -a—lot-—left--in- the ~‘box “should with little ingenuity. -FOR ‘CLUTTER, $start Over- “miscellaneous” drawers and.’ ‘bulging. Pot and ypan <‘cabinets™.can-be a continuing . irritant. Here's “what todo: ~ > Take one > drawer, empty it S smove tf mixed paste form can be bought by the box or tube respectively, But, for. small projects involving tile : repair, the pre-mixed | grout is available in both 542-ounce and 2'%2-ounce tubes. Apply the grout from the tube, then smooth it into the cracks around the tile with your finger. Remove excess grout from the tile “surface with a moist sponge. Let the grout cure for 48 hours before using the bath or, shower. This same project is about five dollars and involves tubes of tile grout and’ tile ‘adhesive, a flexible | blade. putty knife... some sponge. turpentine and a wall,” notes Wusthoff. ” To remove old soap. film . and mildew from existing tile and grout, . Wusthof recommends you try a commercial tile and grout. cleaner available from most hardware. stores and home | center chains. “proceduré should be used where grout has _ eroded around an otherwise secure wall tile. “The total cost of the 1e into a box and place the box on a cabinet. As you use each piece from the box, wash it and put it aWay in the drawer. After.a few days, whatever is ~ And, if you want to “keep 2 sone film and grime from collecting around bathtub and shower stall,:: most of the hardware stores it) and don’t put ariything | away until after you use it. After three or four days your counter: probably ‘will . still -be-cluttered