Tiling delivers durable, water-smart surfaces with clean layout and crisp lines. Solid prep, the right membranes and mortars, and careful detailing at edges and drains keep floors and walls straight, dry, and easy to maintain.
Overview
- Areas: showers and tubs, bathroom and kitchen floors, backsplashes, fireplaces, entries, mudrooms, and laundry rooms.
- Materials: porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, glass, mosaics, and large-format tile.
- Goals: flat substrates, straight lines, proper waterproofing, correct slope in wet zones, and durable grout and sealant choices.
What This Service Includes
- Substrate prep: patching and leveling, cement backer board or foam board, priming where required, and surface flattening for large-format tile.
- Membranes: crack isolation or uncoupling for floors; sheet or liquid-applied waterproofing in showers, with flood-tested pans.
- Heated floors: electric heat mats or cables embedded in thinset/self-leveler with sensor placement and clearances.
- Setting: mortar selection matched to tile and substrate (standard, medium-bed/large-and-heavy-tile, rapid-set); back-buttering where needed; consistent joint widths.
- Grouting: sanded/unsanded, epoxy, or high-performance cementitious grouts; movement joints caulked with color-matched sealant.
- Edges & transitions: metal or PVC profiles, bullnose, thresholds/reducers, and clean alignment to adjacent flooring.
Substrates & Waterproofing
- Showers: pre-slope, pan liner or bonded waterproof system, curb and niche detailing, and 24-hour flood tests before tile.
- Walls & floors: cement backer or approved foam boards in wet areas; decoupling or crack isolation over slabs and wood subfloors; appropriate fasteners and tape at seams.
- Moisture control: vapor management in steam showers (perm-rated systems and sealed penetrations).
Layout & Detailing
- Centered or balanced layouts at focal points, with full or generous cuts where they read most.
- Laser lines and story poles used to maintain level courses and align grout joints across planes.
- Slopes set at drains (typically 1/4″ per foot); linear drain placement coordinated with tile size.
- Niches, benches, and corners trimmed with profiles or bullnose; inside/outside corners detailed cleanly.
Standards & Practices
- Subfloor stiffness and flatness verified; large-format tile needs tighter flatness tolerances.
- Mortars mixed to spec; open time and pot life respected; coverage checked by lift tests.
- Expansion and movement joints honored at perimeters and transitions; soft joints placed per standards.
- Stone sealed as needed; grout haze removed properly without etching or dulling finishes.
Sequencing & Coordination
- Occurs after plumbing rough and waterproofing, before final fixtures; walls painted and trim sequencing planned around splash zones.
- Cabinetry, shower glass, and door clearances confirmed with tile thickness and transitions.
- Heat mats coordinated with electrical; penetrations for valves and drains set to finished tile depth.
Quality Markers
- Flat, lippage-controlled surfaces; consistent joints; straight, level, and plumb lines.
- Even grout color with tight, well-packed joints; clean caulk lines at movement joints.
- Waterproofing verified; drains flow without pooling; edges and profiles aligned and flush.
Safety & Compliance
- Cutting and mixing done with dust control; PPE and wet-cut methods used where appropriate.
- Shower assemblies and membranes installed per manufacturer instructions for warranty eligibility.
- Slip resistance considered for floors; exterior or wet-area tiles rated for conditions.
Care & Maintenance
- Allow cure times for mortar and grout before heavy use or sealing.
- Neutral cleaners only; avoid acids on cement grout and natural stone.
- Reseal stone and grout (if specified) on a schedule; maintain soft joints to prevent cracking.
