Do You Need A Skilled Contractor To Repair Tile and Grout Or Polish Marble?

Everyone would love to get their tile cleaning or marble polishing  done without any interference in their lives, homes, and schedules. Unfortunately, that isn't possible but understanding that this is what you want is the key to minimizing the inconvenience.

We know we are working in your home so we make sure that all of our people are not only skilled but also ones you can communicate with and will feel comfortable having in your house and around your family.

We take showing up on time daily seriously. When we start a project we complete it without interruption. We never do what some companies do and what the industry is notorious for, start a project and leave it in the middle while we go make money doing work elsewhere.

Restored & Polished Marble

We cover all surfaces with drop cloths and clean up the work area daily and at the end of the job. Our people will respect your property.

Ceramic and stone tile, beyond increasing your property value, add beauty and elegance to your home or commercial setting. They are practical as well. That is why most people shop carefully for their tile. Really though it is equally important to shop for the contractor as well. Let me explain why this is so vital.

Marble & Glass Mosaic Tile Shower Install

We also repair ceramic, porcelain, natural stone (marbles, tumbled marbles, granites, travertines, onyxes, slates, and limestone) tiles and glass tile. We see major problems that arise due to shoddy workmanship weekly. 

For example, it is very common to find leaking and broken shower and tub surround walls, because they were never waterproofed, and cracked floors and grout because the subfloor was not built correctly.

Porcelain Tile with Metal Inserts Installed

Specifically, when it comes to wet areas as showers and tub surround, many install tile on plain sheetrock that swells and rots when exposed to moisture. We regularly find glue (organic mastic) was used instead of cement. It loosens it's grip when it gets wet and leads to failure of the entire wall. We sometimes can replace the rotten sections with waterproof materials but other times, it is necessary to rip out the whole shower or tub surround and start over.

Even when the cement board is used most don't waterproof or do so only partially. Since both grout and cement board are porous that means water is constantly wicking back to the studs. This results in the growth of mold and mildew and their rotting away.

This first appears as black in the grout lines as the mold grows from behind. Then the grout and tile start to crack or fall off, as the wet studs behind turn mushy. Eventually, if it is not caught in time, as the water gets behind the tile, leaks develop with resulting water damage. 

As for floors, rather than simply adhering the tiles to plywood as is very common, we recommend first installing a cement-based backer board (Hardibacker, WonderBoard, and Durock) so that the tile will rest on a surface that it bonds to well.

Many problems with floor tile installations come from a subsurface that has too much movement – deflection, as the trade calls it. This is especially true in the United States, where we use plywood and beams to build structures instead of masonry and concrete. Wood has inherently more motion and ‘bounciness’ that must be controlled.

Too much movement, over time, can lead to grout cracking, tiles coming up and broken tiles. The best way to avoid future problems with tiles (and especially natural stone such as marble, granite, travertine, and slate) is to spend the time and money in advance to make the subfloor rigid, level and flat, without any ridges or dips.

It may seem more like carpentry than tile installation, preparing the subfloor ahead of time is your best insurance policy that the floor will last. Some tile-setters rush this step and hope you won’t mind if the floor cracks in a few years – we don’t agree. These steps may take a bit of extra time and energy and may cost a bit more but they are vital if you want your newly installed tile to last.

Custom Porcelain Tile Installation

Granite Tile Installed

It is also important to select floor or wall tiles that fit the environment. For example, a highly polished soft marble may be beautiful, but if it is in a very high traffic area exposed to cooking acids, it may etch and dull rapidly and need diamond pad refinishing sooner than necessary.

Similarly, if a tile is rated for wall use by the PEI (Porcelain and Enamel Institute) and it is installed as a floor tile, it may not be able to handle the traffic without breaking. We can help guide clients to a suitable choice for tiles and provide addresses for leading showrooms that have excellent selections of ceramic, porcelain, natural stone (marble, tumbled marble, granite, travertine, and slate) and glass mosaic tiles.

After the grout has cured, we recommend applying a high quality impregnating sealer that does not affect the appearance of the tile and grout, but reduces porosity so the surface is more cleanable and stays looking better. Some porous granites, marbles, and travertines may need more than one coat to be sealed effectively.

For residential jobs, we work during the weekday. For commercial tile work, we are available evenings and weekends if needed to avoid disrupting office routines. We pride ourselves on our clients being happy with their beautiful newly installed tile!

Wall Tile Installed

Custom Ceiling Tile Installation