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Tile installation, floor, wall and shower
It is the name on the truck. Porcelain, marble, mosaic, picket and large format, set flat and lined up, on a substrate that was prepared first.
Tile is unforgiving in a way most finishes are not. A floor that is out by an eighth of an inch reads as lippage you can feel through a bare foot. A wall that was never plumbed shows up as a grout line that drifts toward the ceiling. Once it is set, the only fix is to take it out.
So the prep is most of the job. We level the substrate, check the walls, lay out the field from the most visible line in the room rather than from the nearest corner, and dry fit the cuts around niches and outlets before anything is buttered. In a wet area, the waterproofing membrane goes on first and it carries five years.
We work in porcelain, natural marble, mosaic, picket, hexagon, herringbone and large format, for homeowners directly and as a subcontractor for general contractors.
What is included
- Substrate inspection and floor leveling
- Waterproofing membrane in wet areas
- Layout planned from the sightline, not the corner
- Floor, wall, shower and backsplash tile
- Niches, benches, curbs and linear drains
- Large format and natural stone
- Grout, caulk joints and transitions
- Cleanup and final wipe down
Not included. We do not sell tile. We install what you bought, or we source it for you at no markup, whichever you prefer.
Real jobs
Six tile jobs, close up
Look at the grout lines and the cuts around the niches. That is the part you cannot photoshop and the part you live with.
How it goes
How a tile job runs
Look at the substrate
Before we talk tile we look at what it is going on. Half the tile failures we get called to fix were decided before the first piece was set.
Free visitLayout on paper, then on the floor
We plan the field so the cuts land where nobody looks, and dry fit the tricky runs before anything is permanent.
Day oneWaterproof, then set
In a shower or a tub surround the membrane goes on and gets checked before tile. That is what the five year warranty is written against.
Wet areasGrout, seal, clean
Grout, caulk the movement joints properly instead of grouting them, and wipe the haze off before we leave.
Last dayQuestions
Tile questions we get every week
Can you tile over my existing tile?
Sometimes, on a floor, if the existing tile is fully bonded and the height change does not break your doors and transitions. In a shower, almost never worth it, because you inherit whatever waterproofing is underneath and nobody can warranty that.
Do you do large format and natural stone?
Yes. Large format needs a flatter substrate than standard tile and we will tell you at the estimate if your floor needs leveling to take it. Natural marble also needs sealing and a different cleaning routine, which we walk you through at the end.
Can you match tile I already have?
We can try, and we will be honest about it. Dye lots move between production runs, so a patch next to ten year old tile usually reads slightly different in daylight. Where that matters we suggest a deliberate break instead of a near match that looks like a mistake.
Do you work for general contractors?
Yes, it is a large part of the work. Send photos and a plan and we can price without a site visit, and a bathroom or kitchen is normally 3 to 4 days. The waterproofing warranty follows the work, so the callback does not land on you.
Service area
Tile installers near you
Based in Pepperell and working within roughly 50 miles of it, across northern and eastern Massachusetts and into southern New Hampshire. See the full service area.
Free estimate
Send us the room
Photos, rough square footage and what tile you are looking at. Estimates are free, and contractors can get priced from photos and a plan without waiting on a visit.
