ServicesTile Flooring
Tile Flooring in Seabrook, Planned on Your Schedule
We install porcelain and ceramic tile in kitchens, baths, entries and whole floors. We help you pick the tile, set a budget and choose a start date before a cracked grout line or a loose tile forces the issue. Then we prep the slab right and set it flat.
When tile is the right floor
Tile is the floor we point people to when water is part of the room. Bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens and the entry by the back door. Porcelain doesn't swell, doesn't mind a wet dog and shrugs off the sand that gets tracked in after a day by the bay.
It is also the slowest floor to install and the hardest to undo. Thinset has to cure. Grout has to cure. A slab that wasn't checked shows up as cracked tile a year later. That's why we like to plan tile jobs early, with time to order the tile, look at the slab and line up dates that work for your week.
If you want the look of wood at a lighter cost, ask us about luxury vinyl plank too. We'll tell you plainly which one fits the room.
What a tile job with us includes
- 01
Tear-out and haul-away
We pull up the old carpet, vinyl or tile, scrape the slab clean and take the debris with us.
- 02
Slab check and leveling
We run a long straightedge across the concrete. Low spots get self-leveler and high spots get ground down. Known cracks get a crack isolation membrane so they don't come up through the new tile.
- 03
Layout before setting
We dry-lay rows and snap lines so the cut pieces land at walls and doorways, not in the middle of the room. You see the layout before we mix any thinset.
- 04
Full coverage setting
Larger tile gets back-buttered and set with a leveling system so the edges sit flush. That keeps lippage down, the raised edge you catch with a sock.
- 05
Grout, trim and transitions
We grout, wipe off the haze and fit transition strips where tile meets carpet or wood. Baseboards and shoe molding go back on.
- 06
Spare tile left with you
We order a little over and leave the extra boxes in your home. Same dye lot, ready if a tile ever cracks.
Questions about Tile Flooring?
Call(346) 676-8873Signs it's time to plan for new tile
Cracks running across several tiles
One cracked tile is often a dropped pan. A crack that runs through three or four tiles in a line usually means the slab moved underneath. That calls for a membrane, not just new tile.
A hollow sound when you tap
Tap the floor with the handle of a screwdriver. A hollow sound means the tile has come loose from the thinset underneath. Those tiles tend to crack or pop up next.
Grout that crumbles or stays dark
Grout that's sanding out, or stays dark around the tub, lets water get under the tile.
The wrong floor in a wet room
Vinyl peeling at the tub. Laminate swelling by the dishwasher. Those rooms are a good place to switch to tile before the damage spreads to the subfloor or cabinets.
A bigger project on the calendar
New cabinets, a kitchen remodel or plans to sell in a couple of years. Flooring has to go in a certain order with those, and it's easier to sort out now than in a rush.
How a tile job runs
- 1
Walk-through and measure
We come out, measure every room, look at the slab where we can and talk through tile size and pattern. You get a written estimate broken out line by line.
- 2
Order first, then schedule
Tile can take a while to arrive, especially large porcelain. We order once you've picked, and set the start date after it's here. Nothing gets torn out until the tile is in hand.
- 3
Tear-out and prep
The first day is usually demo, slab cleanup and leveling. We hang plastic at doorways and cover vents to keep the dust in the work area.
- 4
Set, grout and cure
We set the tile, let the thinset cure, then come back to grout. We'll give you the timing for your tile and grout so you know when to stay off it.
- 5
Cleanup and walk the floor
We clean up, put trim back and walk the floor with you. You keep the spare tile and the name of the grout color for later.
What moves the price of a tile floor
We don't price tile by guesswork. The number comes from what we measure and what we find under the old floor. Planning a few months out gives you room to pick tile that fits the budget, not just whatever is in stock that week.
- Tile size and type
- Large-format porcelain needs a flatter slab and slower setting than a standard ceramic tile. Natural stone also needs sealing.
- Slab condition
- Leveling compound and crack membrane add material and labor. We can't fully see the slab until the old floor is up, so we tell you ahead of time what it could add.
- Pattern and cuts
- A straight lay is quickest. Herringbone, diagonal or a lot of small rooms and closets mean more cuts and more waste tile.
- What's coming out
- Breaking old tile off concrete is heavier, slower work than pulling up carpet or vinyl.
- Trim and extras
- New baseboards, transitions and pulling and resetting a toilet each get their own line, so you can see where the money goes.
Tile flooring questions
Can new tile go over my existing floor?
Sometimes it can go over old tile, if that tile is flat and stuck down tight with no hollow spots. It does raise the floor at doors and under appliances, which can cause its own problems. Over vinyl or carpet, no. We'll check and tell you which way makes sense.
Will tile crack on a slab foundation?
Most cracked tile we see comes from slab movement, and the clay soils around here do move. A crack isolation membrane over known cracks and a gap at the walls for movement go a long way. It won't stop every shift, but it's the right way to set tile on concrete.
Is porcelain better than ceramic?
Porcelain is denser and soaks up less water, so it's our usual pick for kitchens, entries and whole floors. Ceramic works fine in a bathroom with light traffic and usually costs less. We'll show you both and let you decide.
How long before I can walk on it?
It depends on the thinset and grout we use. Light walking usually comes back well before furniture can go back on. We'll give you the exact timing for your job before we start so you can plan around it.
How far ahead should I call?
If you have a date in mind, like a holiday, family coming to stay or listing the house, call a couple of months ahead. That leaves time to choose tile, wait on the order and fit the job into a week that works for you.
Start planning your tile floor
Tell us the rooms, your timeline and a rough budget. We'll talk through tile options and set up a time to come measure.