East Brunswick · Central New Jersey
Tile Installation, Any Room, Any Format
Ceramic, porcelain, stone, mosaic, large format. Walls and floors. The tile is yours to choose; the flat substrate, the layout and the cuts are mine.
01 — Scope
What is included
- Substrate check and preparation — levelling, decoupling or backer board as the tile needs
- Dry layout so full tiles land where you look and cuts land where you do not
- Porcelain, ceramic, glass mosaic, marble and other natural stone
- Large-format tile set with a leveling system and full mortar coverage
- Herringbone, chevron, stacked, offset and mixed patterns
- Niches, borders, pencil liners and edge profiles
- Grout matched to the tile, sealed where the stone needs it
- Silicone at every change of plane and every fixture
02 — Method
How it is done properly
Flat first
A tile floor is only as flat as what is under it, and big tiles show every dip as a lip you will catch a toe on. I check the substrate with a straightedge and level or float it before setting. On wood subfloors that means a decoupling layer so the tile does not crack when the house moves.
Layout is decided on the floor, not in the corner
I snap lines from the centre and dry-lay a full row each way. The goal is full tiles at the doorway and along the wall you see from the door, and no sliver anywhere. Sometimes that means shifting the whole field by an inch. It is the difference between tile and good tile.
Full coverage, no hollow corners
Every tile gets back-buttered and set into a combed bed so there is mortar under all of it, especially the corners — that is where cracks start. Large format gets a levelling system so the edges sit flush.
Cuts that look planned
Outlets, valves, corners and stone edges are cut so trim sits on tile at every side. Mitred outside corners on stone. A tile edge you do not notice is a tile edge that was cut twice.
Want to know roughly what this costs before you call? The instant ballpark uses the same numbers I quote from. It takes a minute.
03 — Price
What moves the number
No two bathrooms cost the same. These are the things I look at on the visit.
- Square footage, and how many of those feet are cuts
- Tile format — 12×24 and larger needs a flatter floor and more prep
- Pattern: herringbone and chevron take roughly half again as long as a straight lay
- Natural stone versus porcelain — stone needs sealing and gentler cutting
- Substrate condition: plywood, old tile, concrete, or a floor that has to be levelled first
- Niches, borders, transitions and profiles
- Whether the room is empty when I arrive
FAQ
Questions people ask before they call
Can you tile over existing tile?
Sometimes, if it is sound and the extra height works at the door. Usually I recommend taking it up — you cannot see what is failing under old tile, and the floor gets a decoupling layer it never had.
Which is better, porcelain or ceramic?
Porcelain is denser and takes wear better; use it on floors and in showers. Ceramic is fine on walls and backsplashes and is easier to cut. Both look the same once they are on the wall — the difference is what they do over twenty years.
Do you install large-format tile?
Yes — 12×24, 24×48 and slab sizes. It needs a flatter substrate and a levelling system, and I will tell you if your floor needs work first.
How much extra tile should I buy?
Ten percent for a straight lay, fifteen for diagonal or herringbone, and a bit more for natural stone. I give you the number with the quote so you buy once.
Start with a number, not a sales visit.
Get a real range in sixty seconds, or send me a few photos and I will call you back the same day.