Tile Installation one job at a time

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. residential bathrooms and kitchen floors.You do not have to spend a lot of money to change the whole appearance
of a room or add value to your home.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. First of all before you call a contractor,know what you want.Read about the different tiles that are available to you about their pro's and con's.
Do not hire any contractor on just one visit.Set up a second appointment and be sure to ask detailed questions.
One last thing,when you meet a contractor for the first time,tell him that he is the first of 3 bids that you are getting.He knows right then that he has compitition and you will get a better price.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. If I were a customer,I would like to know about the different qualities of tile that I could use.Ceramic tile is fired at only 750 degrees and is glazed on the top surface,while porcelain tile is fired at over 2000 degrees and the color goes all the way through it.This is a far more durable tile but you should know that you must seal those grout joints once a year.
Travertine( a natural stone ) can be purchased for about the same price as porcelain and it is sealed before grouting and after grouting.This means to the home owner,no stains and no mold or mildew to clean-up.Also,if you use a good sealer,you are not going to have to re-seal this product.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. Our craftmanship speaks for itself.We only do one job at a time,so this allows us the ability to concentrate on the work that we are doing at that time.
We first meet with our clients to find out exactly what work they would like to have done.We offer suggestions such as the type of tile,colors and patterns to use at no cost to the customer.We then e-mail a list of all materials needed to complete their project along with our labor bid and our warranty.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I have enjoyed this type of work for 25 years because it allows me the opportunity to meet a lot of different people and to create for them something more than they may have first envisioned.
This is an art form if you think about it.I enjoy creating something for my customers that will be around for decades to come.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. A lot of my customers have an idea of what they want but they don't know what they could have for the same cost or even less.They ask about the different types of tile and tile patterns.
I take the time to explain that with a straight,staggered,pinwheel or random tile pattern,they should only purchase 10% more tile then needs to be installed but a diamond pattern usually takes 20% more tile.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. I do shower pan repairs as well as tile installation.I received a call from a gentleman to look at his shower for a possible leak.His plumber had already looked at his shower and told him that his shower pan liner was leaking.I drove to Marietta Georgia on a Saturday and inspected his shower and performed a shower pan liner water test.No leak!
I kept looking at his shower to try and figure out where his leak was coming from and asking him questions.I asked if he had any recent work done to his house and he told me that he had replaced his roof just a few months before.I looked out the bathroom window and saw that the corner of his roof over hung his shower.I explained to him that his shower was not leaking but that his roof was the problem.
He called his roofer and he came out and inspected the roof and found out that it was indeed the roof that was causing the leak.
I do not charge for estimates and my customer was not charged for my time because of this policy.I may not have received any work from this client but I did receive something that I consider more valuable.I received a review from him personally and I have it to this day in my files and on my website.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I know it has been said before but I will say it again;I take pride in my craftsmanship and will stop any job to take care of an unexpected problem.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. We were in a recession at that time 25 years ago and I took this work to support my family.I had no idea at the time that I would come to enjoy my work so much.
You see,my work is a lot like art and if done right,it will be here long after I am gone from this world.I would like to think that in years to come,someone will still be enjoying my work.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. A previous customer of mine from 10 years ago called me to say that he was selling his house but he only had 1 and 1/2 bathrooms.I took a look at his half bath and moved his toilet drain over 9 inches.redirected his water supply lines and installed a 2 1/2 foot by 4 foot marble shower.We also installed a new cabinet and sink for him.his total cost for the entire full bathroom was under $3500.00 pictures of this bathroom are now on my website at thumbtack.com

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I am a member of the tile council of America and read all the latest updates.that is why we now put a plastic sheeting over the wall studs before we install our tile backer boards and we silicone all joints between each board.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. Adhesives have come a long way since i first started.They penetrate deeper and are more flexible.Also,you should look to natural stone products to show themselves more in the near future.They can help cool a home in summer and warm a home in winter.if they are installed with the right materials.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. Building a full bath from a half bath is really very simple.You have all your water lines already there and so are most of your drain pipes.You may need to redirect some of them but that should not be to hard.Just know what you want from the start,talk to your contractor and let him help you form a plan that will work.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. I have no complicated pricing system.I add up the total cost of my materials,figure out how many days a job will take and add these two figures together.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. I would first suggest that they wait another year for the economy to improve.During that time,get to know people in this line of work and ask if he or she can tag along and learn for minimal pay on a part time basis.Ask questions but keep your mouth shut if you can figure that one out.

Q. Write your own question and answer it.

A. Why do most homeowners end up not liking their finished product?
Simply this;they have some idea of what they want but failed to convey that idea to their contract.Also,they bought material that is second rated materials.You can not make a silk purse out of a sows ear.