Tile Questions, Straight Answers

The most useful thing you can send us is the room dimensions and a photo of the existing floor or wall surface. Knowing the square footage and the condition of the substrate lets us give you a realistic number. If you also know what tile you are considering (size, material, and finish), that helps too because larger tiles and natural stone have different labor requirements than small ceramics. You can send all of that through our contact form or just call and walk us through it.

For most jobs we can give a solid preliminary range based on photos and dimensions. For larger or more complex projects, a site visit is worthwhile, especially if there are existing tile removal, substrate repairs, or unusual transitions involved. Site visits are free and by appointment. Call or submit the form and we will schedule something.

A standard 10 percent overage covers normal cuts and breakage. For diagonal layouts, herringbone, or any pattern with a lot of angled cuts, 15 percent is more appropriate. For natural stone with variation, or if the tile is a discontinued run you will not be able to reorder, 15 to 20 percent is reasonable. We will tell you exactly what we recommend when we see the room and the tile you have chosen.

For a kitchen backsplash, yes, most of the time. The sink and appliances stay functional. For a bathroom floor or shower, the room is typically out of use during installation and for 24 hours after grouting while the mortar and grout cure. If you have a single bathroom home, let us know when you contact us and we will plan the schedule to minimize disruption, often starting on a Friday so the cure window falls over the weekend.

Substrate prep is the part most homeowners never see but it is what determines whether the tile stays flat and bonded five years from now. It involves checking the existing subfloor or wall surface for flex, levelness, and structural integrity. A wood subfloor that deflects more than L/360 under load will crack tile grout joints over time. We check this before setting anything. If the substrate needs reinforcement, additional cement board, or a self-leveling compound to correct low spots, we address that before tile goes down. It adds time, but skipping it creates problems that are expensive to fix later.

Back-buttering means applying a thin layer of mortar to the back face of the tile in addition to the mortar on the substrate. For large-format tiles (anything over 15 inches on a side), back-buttering ensures full coverage across the entire tile face. The industry standard for floor tile is 80 percent coverage minimum; for wet areas it is 95 percent. Tiles set without back-buttering often have voids underneath, which can crack under point loads and allow water to sit in wet applications. We back-butter all large-format tiles and check coverage periodically by pulling a tile and measuring the contact area.

The mortar (thinset) needs 24 hours to cure before grouting. After grouting, the grout needs 72 hours before the shower should be used. So the full cure window from the last day of tile setting to first use is typically three to four days. If we used a rapid-set thinset, the mortar cure is faster, but we still recommend the full grout cure window. We will tell you the exact timeline for your specific job based on the products used.

Cement-based grout is porous and benefits from sealing, especially in wet areas and on floors. We seal all unsealed grout installations as part of our work. After that, resealing depends on use and cleaning habits. A shower floor used daily may benefit from resealing every one to two years. A kitchen backsplash may go longer. You can test it by dropping water on the grout: if it beads up, the seal is still working. If it soaks in within a few seconds, it is time to reseal. Epoxy grout is non-porous and does not require sealing at all.