Tile Flooring Installation
Porcelain and ceramic set over a substrate that will not crack the grout.
Tile is the most permanent floor we install and the least forgiving of shortcuts. Almost every failed tile floor we are called to look at failed underneath: too much deflection in the joists, no uncoupling membrane, or grout joints run straight over a slab control joint.
Done properly, a porcelain floor in an entry, bath or mudroom outlives everything else in the room.
Where it works well
- Bathrooms, showers, entries and mudrooms
- Wood-look plank porcelain for high-moisture rooms
- Heated floors in master baths
- Laundry rooms and utility spaces
What to watch out for
- Joist deflection must meet the tile's requirement or the grout will crack, no matter how good the setting is
- Slab control joints must be honored with a movement joint in the tile, not tiled over
- Large-format tile needs a very flat substrate and a leveling system to avoid lippage
- Grout color and joint width change the look more than most people expect — see a sample before committing
How we install it
- Substrate
- Cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane over wood; direct-bond or membrane over slab, depending on the assembly.
- Waterproofing
- Wet areas get a liquid or sheet waterproofing system with flood-tested pans on shower work.
- Layout
- We dry-lay to center the pattern on the room's main sightline and avoid slivers at doorways and vanities.
Subfloor requirements
Wood subfloor with adequate deflection rating, or concrete slab.
Typical rooms
Bathrooms, entries, mudrooms, laundry, kitchen backsplashes and floors.
Tile questions we get asked
- Do I need heated floors under tile?
- It is optional, but tile is cold in a Treasure Valley winter and an electric mat is inexpensive to add while the floor is open. It is much more expensive to add later.
- How long before I can walk on it?
- Typically overnight for foot traffic after grouting, longer before heavy furniture. Wet-area waterproofing has its own cure schedule we do not compress.
- Can you tile over my existing vinyl?
- Usually not directly. Sheet vinyl and cushioned floors need to come out so the tile bonds to a rigid, appropriate substrate.
Planning a tile install?
Send the rooms and rough square footage and we will schedule a measure.