Even a minor flaw in floor, wall, or shower tile can easily be an eyesore. One minutely mispositioned tile, for example, can throw off the pattern and grout line, helping to make a mistake super noticeable. Even worse, mending a rushed tiling project is over priced, disruptive and messy, most notably if water has leaked through the grout and wrecked framing, ceilings and completed walls.
Bad quality is why employing the services of an experienced professional and ensuring the job gets done properly the first time are important. What’s more, certain applications could call for specialized tile, edging, grout, glues, and cementitious board. These are definitely best figured out by a service provider who knows what they’re handling.
Background Check for A Tile Installation Company
Instead of receiving prospective leads for installers from retail tile stores, go where the pros go by confirming at a tile-supply store that caters to installers. Politely recind all offers to perform tiling cheaply from a carpenter , laborer or other non-experts thats currently working on your home.
After you have a few names, start the qualification of contractors by requesting current insurance as you would with any contractor. Search for good tile installers in business a minimum of three years– the smallest amount needed for them to obtain an arsenal of specialty tools and an established track record of top premium work. Then ask tilers for references. Here’s a case where simply taking a look at photos of past projects isn’t enough– photographs can be deceiving. Insist on to see a minimum of one prior installation.
Spotting High premium
When checking out a contractor ‘s past construction site, keep in mind that each ceramic or quarry tile is precisely the same dimension as the next. Search for uniform spacing between joints. And sight down grout lines to ensure they’re straight.
A great tile installation professional starts out in the center of a room so segmented tiles at opposing ends of the design end up the same size. Because custom-cutting tile is complex at these trouble spots, they’re a great indication of a tiler’s skill-set. Look for snug-fitting tiles, and be wary of huge holes with gobs of grout.
Complete your evaluation by examining the wood and walls to make sure they’re free of splashed grout or water spots. Then consult with the homeowner if the pro was accurate and if sink and bathtub drains remained clear of cleanup debris; cleanup should always be performed outside. figure out whether the tile seeped or the grout fractured and if the tiler responded in a timely manner and courteously– and without billing– to any issues.
Another way to qualify tile installation professionals: Ask if you can come by a current project site location. Once you’re there, get a sense of how organized the project looks. Because tile installation professionals have to work very quickly to make use of mortars and adhesives with short drying times, neatness counts. A seasoned expert will have tile stacked nicely by type, custom snips handled in advance, and a style map handy. The tile installation professional shouldn’t be walking back and forth to the pickup for equipment and materials. Knowledgeable tile installers also do their tile snipping outside to decrease dust and messy backsplash from the wet saw. The licensed contractor should keep the saw over a plastic tarp to protect the patio or lawn and ensure the pathway between the cutting and work areas is protected with runners.
While you’re there, confirm that the tiler uses some plastic sheeting for dust containment to seal off the work area from the rest of the house. Also see that the licensed contractor shields wood trim, a bath tub or an appliance with tape or a specialized covering if continuous tile work abuts it.
When am I ready to accept bids for the tile installation?
Like what you see so far? Then let the bidding start. To get a definite estimate, however, you’ll need to provide a scale style map and tile samples for the design and tile types you have in mind. A draftsman or designer can convert your style ideas to a 1/4-in.- scale drawings for an expense of around $75. The tile installation professional then uses the scale drawing to determine labor and waste– and warn you regarding potential pitfalls like specifying four specialty accent tiles that come only in boxes of 50, leaving you with an expensive 46-piece souvenir kit.
When the professional submits quote, be sure he points out 1/2-inch thick cementitious backerboard or a similar synthetic product, with the seams taped with ceramic tile adhesive. Confirm a clear line of accountability by getting a written two-year guarantee against water leaks. If you’re having the shower tiled, you should secure the identical warranty from your plumber, particularly for the shower pan (the lead, galvanized or silicone basin that captures any water leaking through shower tile grout ). The pan must be fully tested before the tile installation professional arrives.
Getting a great tile installation job
With their professional discount, they can often make a profit and charge you the exact same or less than you would pay for tiles at a home. And with the many tile types, finishes, edge treatments and porosity ratings out there, it’s better for him to be handling the shopping. Failure of the tiles themselves is uncommon.
You’ll wind up having to pay two times the installation expense, as well as for the labor to get rid of whichever tiles have already been laid down. Don’t walk over newly grouted tile for at least twenty-four hours (wait forty-eight hrs for work handled in a shower). If the grout joint splits as it dries – a common issue– call the tile installer back in a timely manner for repairs.
Tile Demolition Adds More to a Job
Most tiling bids include a demo rate. If you have a healthy back and an efficient way to get rid of garbage, you can save a couple hundred dollars by handling the demo yourself. Beware, however: This is a difficult , dusty job that calls for effective dust control, dust masks and safety glasses, as well as a mason’s chisel, crowbar, large hammer and big buckets for getting rid of debris. If you handle it, ask the tile installation pro exactly what needs to be gotten rid of and how clean stud and floor surfaces must be for them to begin working.