Flooring Remodeling
Tile Installation done properly
Tile is only as good as what it is bonded to. The setting bed is most of the job.
What this work involves
Tile does not flex. Whatever it is bonded to has to be stiff enough that it does not either, which is why joist deflection matters and why large-format tile is less forgiving than small.
Wet areas need waterproofing under the tile, not the tile acting as the waterproofing. Grout is not a sealant and thinset is not a membrane.
Layout is the part people notice. Starting from the wrong reference gives you a sliver cut at the most visible edge. We dry-lay the critical lines first so the cuts land where they are least obvious.
The sequence on a job like this
- Substrate assessed for deflection, flatness and moisture
- Backer board or membrane as the application requires, waterproofing in wet areas
- Layout dry-laid so cuts fall in the least visible positions
- Setting, grouting, sealing and trim
What we look at before quoting tile installation
Every tile installation job starts the same way: we look at what the new work has to sit on. Layout is the part people notice. Starting from the wrong reference gives you a sliver cut at the most visible edge. We dry-lay the critical lines first so the cuts land where they are least obvious.
A problem found on the walkthrough is a line item. The same problem found after demolition is a delay and a change order. We prefer to find it the first way.
Worth knowing
The thing that usually goes wrong
Large-format tile over a bouncy floor. The tile does not bend, so the grout cracks first and then the tile does.
Finishes get the photographs, and the parts underneath decide whether the job lasts. On houses like these, that means checking what the new tile will be set on and fixing framing before the walls close up.
Want Igor to take a look at your project? Call (678) 665-7771 or reach us online. The walkthrough costs nothing, and you will get an honest answer on scope.
Other flooring work
All of it is on the flooring remodeling services page.
Where we do this work
Our work stays within six counties around Roswell. If you live in Alpharetta, GA, Marietta, GA, Woodstock, GA or one of thirty-nine other cities across Fulton, Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, Gwinnett and DeKalb, you are inside it. The full list is on the service areas page.
Have a look at the gallery for finished work, or call (678) 665-7771 and we will come out.
Where the money actually goes
You will get a full cost breakdown when we come out, and no quote before that. Pricing a remodel from a phone call means guessing, and you would end up holding a figure that falls apart once we see the house.
The largest variable is almost always whether things move. Keeping the layout keeps the mechanical work small. Changing it means drains, vents, circuits and often framing.
Hidden conditions come next. Rot, old repairs and outdated wiring do not show up on a phone call, which is why we inspect what we can at the walkthrough and price the job afterward.
What we specify and why
Material choice is where a lot of remodeling money gets wasted, in both directions. Paying for the top of a product line rarely doubles its life, and buying the cheapest version of something structural almost always costs more within a decade.
Our general rule is to spend on the things that are expensive to replace and moderate on the things that are easy. Substrate, waterproofing, framing hardware and anything buried gets the good version, because reaching it again means demolition. Fixtures, finishes and hardware are swappable later, so those follow your budget and your taste rather than ours.
We will tell you where a cheaper option is genuinely fine. There are plenty of places in a house where the mid-grade product and the premium one come off the same line.
What gets inspected
Anything structural, most mechanical work, and every addition. We pull the permits, schedule the inspections and are on site for them.
Contractors who work around permitting are avoiding scrutiny, and the scrutiny is the point. The details inspectors look hardest at are the ones that cause real failures.
It also protects you later. Unpermitted work surfaces at the worst possible moment, which is usually when you are selling or making a claim.
Keeping it right afterward
The things that age a remodel early are usually cheap to prevent. A bath fan that vents into the attic and a gutter that overflows onto the same wall every storm will do more damage over the years than daily use ever will.
We walk you through what your specific project needs and how often. Some of it is annual, some of it is once every several years, and most of it takes minutes.
If something we built is not behaving the way it should, call us. We would rather look at it than have you live with it or have somebody else guess at what we did.
Questions people ask
Why does grout crack?
Almost always deflection. Tile does not bend, so if the floor moves the grout gives first and then the tile. Large-format tile is the least forgiving of a bouncy floor.
Where do the cut tiles end up?
Wherever the layout puts them, which is why we dry-lay the critical lines first. Starting from the wrong reference leaves a sliver cut at the most visible edge.
Do you have to remove the old floor first?
Almost always. Floating a new floor over an old one that was never flat just moves the problem up an inch, and it shows within a year.
How long does a project like this take?
The part that stretches a schedule is usually hidden: rot under a tub, old wiring, framing that was never right. That is why the timeline comes after the walkthrough, and why we tell you right away if something we uncover changes it. Bathrooms are typically a few weeks, whole homes several months.
Do you handle permits?
Yes, wherever the job calls for them. We file the paperwork and meet the inspectors. Additions, structural work and most relocated plumbing or electrical all go through permitting with us.
Who is actually on site?
The same crew, and Igor is on the job rather than running it from a truck somewhere else. That is the difference a smaller shop can offer.
Let us take a look at your tile installation project
Call (678) 665-7771 or send a note through the contact page. Igor will come look at the space, talk through what you want, and give you a straight answer on scope. The company is deliberately small. That is not a limitation we are apologizing for, it is the reason the work holds up.