Tile Flooring Installation Services

 Installing tile seems simple enough but actually, many steps must be properly followed by the installer to meet manufacturer’s specifications. If your tile installer does not follow the right installation process, the installation will fail and the time and money you invested will be at risk. Your stress and time are worth more than saving a few hundred dollars.

There is nothing more frustrating to any homeowner than to choose the perfect selection and in a few months to a year, the product starts to crack, come loose, grout wears and your beautiful new flooring is now an eyesore. What’s worse is not only do you have to re-install a new floor but the existing tiled floor has to be removed and then you may find that the perfect tile you spent time ordering and wanted has been discontinued. Because of its use in daily walking a badly installed floor is one of the most common problems facing homeowners.

 Required Steps and Procedures

The good news is you can find a quality tile contractor, but how can you know if they are the right contractor until the work has been done and the warranty runs out? If you are facing a bad install make sure your contractor assesses the damage and explains why the product has failed to begin with. Some signs you need to look for are;

• Has the existing tile flooring been laid on top of a wood floor? if so, did they install a concrete backer board? 1/2″ thick is optimal but in some cases, you can use 1/4″ if you have a height restriction and if the tile floor does not have a lot of movement. Sometimes 3/4″ plywood has to be installed over tile floors first.
• Does the backer board have an expansion gap if butted against another surface?
• Has the surface been cleaned before the tile was installed? Dust and debris can affect the adhesion?
• Has the tile been laid on a concrete floor? If so, does the foundation have sufficient piers or is there any cracks present? if so, an anti-fracture membrane must be installed under the tile before installation is even started.
• Is the surface level? Sometimes the floor has to be floated to ensure a level floor.
• Is the thin-set, the mixture that the product is set with, does it cover the entire tile? This is required. On larger pieces the back of the tile has to be buttered meaning thin-set it applied to the back of the tile and the floor for proper adhesion. 
• Does the thin-set have enough applied? Are there dried ridged on the failed installation, there should be noticeable ridges at least 1/8″ thick minimum and cover the entire surface.
• If the grout has cracked it could be that it was not mixed properly, not enough water or too much water when mixed and they had to add more grout which weakens the mixture. Was it mixed long enough and allowed to sit long enough?
• Was the right trowel size used to spread out the thin-set? Generally, the larger the tile the bigger the teeth need to be, but some tiles have natural cupping so you must allow for the cupping with a minimum of 1/8″ of thin-set is under the tile after it is laid. Also, you must visually check the tile by pulling it back up on the first tile, Is all of the surfaces covered properly?