We just completed a White Carrara mini brick marble mosaic backsplash installation in Clearwater, Florida and wanted to talk about it. The best way to do that was to write a blog about it on my website. The customer found us on the Angie’s List under Tile Contractors. They contacted me asking if I could give them an estimate to install a kitchen backs splash. They just redid their kitchen with new white cabinets and granite counter tops so we talked about what they had in mind. They wanted to go with something white, so I told them about white glass tile or a white 3×6 subway tile. I emailed them some pictures of similar installs we did. They liked the look of them but it wasn’t what they wanted. I then told them about Thassos white and White Carrara aka Bianco Carrara in Hexagon, Rhomboid & Mini Brick marble tile. Right off the bat they really liked the mini brick style and thought it would go great with the new kitchen style.
I sent them to one of the tile showrooms we use and they were able to find a very nice colored White Carrara mini brick they had in stock. While there they also selected a white grout and a penetrating sealer. The tile was in stock so they told me to proceed with the job when I could schedule it. I placed the order for all of the material for their project and picked it up the day I started the project. I had also purchased some Laticrete 4XLT thinset, which is a non-sag mortar and great to put up mosaic sheet like these. When I got to the job the new cabinets were already installed and granite counters were in. We had told them to leave off the 4″ granite splash so we could run the tile down onto the counter, which they did. I went though all of the boxes to make sure the tile was perfect, good sheets, not chipped and consistent in color. I had my helper stack them in piles and then cover the granite counters with our canvas drop clothes prior to working on them.
I then looked at the backsplash and decided what would look best and then planned the layout. I decided that starting the tile from the tall window corners would be best. The tile is mounted on sheets and I could make the corners look good buy over lapping the outside edge. This would create a nice looking corner at the large window opening which is a focal point of the kitchen. The sheets fit perfectly into each other as I worked outward from the window setting the tile. The size of the tile was perfect to start with a full tile on the bottom row at the granite and hit with a full tile up under the cabinet. Using the non-sag thinset really helped hold the sheet mosaic up on the walls without having them slide. It took us one long day to install all of the tile on the back splash. We finished setting the tile, checked to make sure the outlet plates covered the tile cuts and allowed the thinset to dry over night. The next morning we got there and the thinset was set up good. We sponged down the tile, cleaned the counters of dust, made sure outlets were covered with tape and prepped to grout.
I bought a few bags of grout since I knew the many amount of joints would eat up a lot of grout. We used and unsanded white grout since the joints were just at 1/8″. The grout went on really easy with the polished Carrara marble. We let the grout sit up for a little bit and started to wash the wall down. The grout came off the smooth tile fairly easy since the tile was polished and the grout was unsanded. We made sure not to use too much water in our wash as to not wash out the grout joints and make them low. After the first wash set a while we went back over the whole backsplash and wiped it again to take off the grout haze. We then screwed back in the outlets and re installed the outlet covers. Once that was done we caulked all the corners with a matching white caulk and gave it one final wash to make perfect. Right as we got done the owners got back and they were so happy with the finished product she started to put things back on the counter and take pictures to show her friends. 
Here are picture of this installation and the last 3 are from the owner.
Also a note from the owner…..
“After several months use, we continue to love our kitchen and have had many compliments about how stylish it looks. we’ll be sure to recommend you.”
I recently completed a custom 2×4 Tumbled Travertine back splash with random glass tile accents in Lutz, Florida and I wanted to talk about it. I was contacted by a customer who seen a few pictures of back splashes and wanted me to give them an estimate on a similar installation in their new home. I was able to find the exact tile they had on a picture they had seen online that they liked. It was a Jeffery Court tile called Quartz Fire & Ice Brick. I located the tile through a couple places and it was pricy. On top of that the shipping from Southern California to the Tampa Florida area was high and the texture of the tile for grout gave them second thoughts. I gave them the price and it was reasonable but I showed them a few picture of it installed in other kitchens which led them to decide against it.
I then sent them to Tampa Tile, one of my tile suppliers in the Tampa area. They met with my sales person and she helped them with a few designs and styles. They looked around for a while and then made a final decision on a 2×4 Paredon “Durango Cream” tumbled travertine in a 1/4 offset subway pattern. The glass tile accent they selected was a Vetrissimo “Murano Decorato” 2×2 Tozzetto in color Gold/Brown. The customer told me that the help they received from the showroom I sent them to was above the norm which they liked. All tile was then ordered and a schedule start date was set. The tile all came in within a week and we had scheduled the project for 2 weeks out. The day we started we first covered the granite counter with our canvas drop clothes to protect them. Then I opened the boxes of 2×4 & 2×2 tumbled travertine along with the 1×12 dome pencil liner and the glass tile and inspected them for any problems. All of the tile was in good shape, same shade, no chips, etc.. I then removed the outlet covers and started to do the tile layout on the backsplash.
The main area of focus was on the framed design the customer wanted behind the range. They wanted a diagonal area of 2×2 tile framed out by the 1″x12″ dome pencil liner. I laid it out so I would have full diagonal halves inside the picture frame of travertine dome liner. Once that was done I set the lower 2 rows of 2×4 tile under the area that would be framed and then set the dome liner and the diagonal 2×2 tile. I did it this way so I could make sure it all lined up and I also used the lower rows as support. After that area was installed I started setting the sheets subway travertine on the left and right sides of the back splash. I was using Laticrete 4XLT as the thinset on this project. It helped with the installation since its a non sag mortar. You can spread the wall and set the tile without the tile sliding. It is made for extra large tile, but I find it better used on small mosaic tile like glass, porcelain or marble so they stay in place.
Once all of the tile was set on the main back splash and the other section across the kitchen. I then made some copies of the glass tile and cut them out. I taped them on the tile for the customer to decide where they exactly wanted the glass accents to go. I felt it was easier doing it this way then installing the glass tile and them deciding to move one. Which could possibly ruining the glass tile by chipping it. After the copies were placed in the right spots and the owners liked it I removed the 2×4 travertine in those areas. The thinset wasn’t fully cured yet and they came of fairly easy. I then installed all of the glass tile accents in those spots selected and called it a day. The next day after the tile was dry I showed up to grout the travertine back splash. The grout used was a Laticrete sanded grout #23 Antique White. Clean up of the grout was easy and after the final wash I installed new travertine colored resin outlet covers. It was a nice touch to finish off the backsplash.
Enjoy the progress photo’s of this beautiful back splash.
I received a call from a customer in South Tampa that was redoing the kitchen in her home and wanted to have wood looking porcelain plank tile installed. She found me online by doing a search for a porcelain plank tile installer in Tampa, Florida and then again she noticed me on the Angie’s list for Ceramic Tile Contractor. That’s when she decided she would contact me to look at her project. It wasn’t a big job but they wanted it done correctly and have it come out perfect so she was going to be selective with the installer she used. I met her at the house and showed her some of the planks I have and install. She was already out at some tile stores in the Tampa area and found a few she was considering. We talked about what she was going to do to her kitchen so we could narrow down a color and style of the plank tile. She decided she wanted to go with a dark walnut looking porcelain plank tile since her cabinets were going to be white and her granite is tan with dark brown in it. We both thought having a dark floor would bring a rich look to the room.
She also selected a tile that had the “hand scraped” look rather then a smooth one to add more warmth and character to the floor. After getting the go ahead I ordered the tile from my tile supplier. They had the cabinets removed and also removed the tile floor in the kitchen and hall. Then the granite counters were installed and we soon followed. The day we showed up we cleaned the slab, undercut the door casings and did some minor prep. There was a small hairline crack in the slab and I mentioned to her that the slab crack could actually transfer into the tile if the slab moved again during expansion from the season change. She wanted it done right and to last so she approved the use of the crack membrane as insurance. We addressed it with a liquid crack membrane from Laticrete called HydroBarrier which we also use to waterproof showers. We then did the layout of the plank tile while the membrane dried so the installation would go smooth. We also shuffled the tile so the color mix from box to box would look good and flow.
The beauty of a real wood floor is to have slightly different colors, shades and textures and this wood look replica tile did just that. The slab was flat so it made the setting of the plank tile pretty easy. The thinset we used was Laticrete 253 Gold. It’s a multi purpose thinset mortar and perfect to use with porcelain tile. I set the tile using an 1/8″ grout joint to give the look of a real wood floor once grouted with a matching colored grout. We were able to get the kitchen and hallway all set that first day because the planks went down smooth and the layout was spot on. The next morning we came in and sponged the tile down and grouted the plank tile. The grout the owner selected was Laticrete PermaColor #25 Espresso. It’s a maximum performance stain resistant sanded grout that can be used in grout joints tight as 1/16″. After we did the first wash we started to install the wood base, door threshold and we also made a matching walnut back door threshold that we installed. We did a final clean wash to remove any dust or haze and moved the appliances back in for the customer.
The homeowners loves their new porcelain plank floor and gave me an A rating on the Angie’s List. I like making sure that my customers are happy with the final product I give them. I just talked to the owner and she told me she had a bunch of people over for a Holiday party and they didn’t even notice her new granite counters, they were all raving over her beautiful wood looking plank floor……. That made me smile
Contact Us if you would like an estimate for a plank tile installation
We were contacted by a customer near us in New Tampa, Florida to look at redoing their master bathroom shower, garden tub and master bathroom floor. I set up a same day appointment for an estimate because they were really close to me. The house was in the Hunters Green development and was built in the early 90′s. The bathroom was clean and the floor tile was in nice shape, however the shower had some area’s of rotting showing through and there was possibly mold in the walls and rotting the bench out. Another thing was that the style of the tile itself and bathroom were dated and that’s the reason they contact us. I did my measuring of the area’s to be tiled and we went over some idea’s they had for a look they wanted. They wanted a medium brown looking tile to go with the dark cherry cabinets and a brown granite or quartz stone counter. The walls were going to be painted a Sage Green so all the colors had to flow and work with each other. They also wanted some type of small glass tile accent band or deco rope band.
After talking to them for a while I could tell they wanted to do this bathroom tile project the right way. They told me they wanted me to build a niche on the back wall and also wanted me to build a solid seat in the same corner. They also wanted me to do a quality waterproofing membrane on the walls and floors prior to the tile installation. So I could tell they were doing their research and wanted a quality job. I gave them a few names of tile distributors I use in the Tampa area and sent them there to look at some tile and get samples. They went to a couple and ended up at Alpha Tile and my sales lady showed them a bunch of tile. They selected a tile from Ege Seramik America in a brown color called Alabastrino Noce. A 10×13 for the shower and garden tub deck, a 2×2 for the shower floor and a 18×18 for the main bath floor area. They also selected a small antique rope molding liner and a 5/8″ sheet mosaic as an accent band of dark marble and glass tile in caramel & brown. They would like 3 rows of the small mosaic bordered on each side by the rope liner as an eye high accent band on the shower wall.
When we started the project we did the demo of the shower and floor tile first. The studs in the shower were pretty rotted out and the seat was almost totally gone from water rot. There was absolutely no waterproofing on the shower walls on seat. The builder had already removed the tub, vanity and counter top prior to us starting. The builder then framed out a new tub deck since the old one was really low and the owners wanted a higher tub. We then framed in the new niche area and started to install the cement board in the shower and on the tub deck. We removed the curb and decided to make this shower semi curbless, there is only a small drop into the shower no. We also installed a Schluter Kerdi drain and did the dry pack mud shower floor that day. The next day we finished doing the niche and built the bench from 3 cinder blocks and cement board. Next we started to do the liquid waterproofing and the shower waterproofing we decided on was Laticrete HydroBarrier. I applied a couple coats of the liquid membrane on all of the walls in the shower and also a few coats on the shower floor. Used a fabric mesh in all of the corners and painted the niche real good to make sure the full shower was totally waterproofed. After the waterproofing was completed the next day we started to install the wall tile.
I laid out where the accent border would go and how it went across the niche, tub and shower bench. I started to set the porcelain tile on the back wall of the shower with modified thinset mortar. The customer wanted the tile set in a brick joint and that’s how we set them. After I got done setting the lower section of the shower I then installed the 1/2″ x 6″ antique rope pencil liner eye level and stacked the 5/8″ mixed marble & glass mosaic above it with another row of rope pencil liner on top. I also installed the mosaic tile in the back part of the niche. We finished the shower wall tile and bench and then worked on the garden tub deck and face. After that was completed we set the shower floor tile and called it a day. The next morning we started on the main bathroom floor tile. The slab was flat but with the 18×18 porcelain tile we decided to use the Tuscan Leveling System to ensure a flat lippage free floor install. The floor tile installation went real easy with the assist from the TLS. We also used a 3×13 bullnose for the base around the perimeter of the bathroom. After everything was set and dried the next day we grouted all of the tile. The grout selected was Laticrete “Sand Beige” in sanded and unsanded.
After everything was done the Contractor did the final painting, installed cabinets, toilet & tub, installed the shower controls and glass shower enclosure. The homeowner was very happy with the final product and loves the tile installation.
I was called by a customer in Sun City Center, Florida which is near Tampa to give an estimate on a master bathroom tile remodel and waterproofing. They had a shower done at their old home 5 years ago up North with Schluter Kerdi and wanted the same good waterproofing in the new home down here. I set up an appointment to go measure the shower and see what they had in mind for a custom design. The owner mentioned they had an interior designer give them some ideas. At the meeting I was able to see the tile they wanted and design in the shower. The first thing I told them was that Schluter now has something called Kerdi-board. It was pretty much the Kerdi membrane already on a board. They were impressed with it and I talked about it more. We also talked about what the designer came up with. It was a Daltile 13×13 called CN90 Boulevard Beige with a vertical 16″ row of a mixed mosaic of travertine, glass & mother of pearl. This would be bordered on both sides by a honed brown “Noce” travertine pencil/dome liner. I suggested a 2×2 Almond D335 porcelain mosaic for the shower floor which they liked.
I later gave them a proposal price for the installation and materials and they eagerly approved it due to my experience with the Schluter Kerdi waterproofing, jobs we completed with it and my scheduling availability. I ordered all of the tile from my tile supplier and it was all in within a week. I scheduled the job start 2 weeks out so everything was good to start on the scheduled date. The Monday we started the first thing we do is demo with everything in the shower being ripped out. We started to remove the old metal/glass enclosure, marble threshold, shower control, shower head and ceramic fixtures. Then carefully started to remove the tile and old drywall. We were glad the tile was set on drywall since it makes the removal very easy. Drywall isn’t an acceptable tiling surface in showers any longer but there are still the builders and contractors that are not up to current codes still using it in a wet area. There was also no waterproofing on the walls let alone a vapor barrier and also no waterproofing on the shower floor pan. Miraculously there was no damage to the studs in the wall, just efflorescence on the grout, some rotted drywall and rusted corner bead on the corners.
Once everything was gutted we did some minor prep and started installing the Kerdi-board. The installation of the Kerdi-board went well and after it was all up we installed the Kerdi-band over the joints and cut small pieces for over the washer and screws. After the walls were completed I then installed the Schluter Kerdi drain and started on packing the new pitched mud shower floor. Right after the mud was done I installed the Kerdi on the shower floor and the Kerdi-band on the 4 sides carefully on the fresh mud. The next morning I did the tile pattern layout and then mixed up some Laticrete 317 white un-modified thinset to set the 13×13 tile with which was the same thinset I used for the Kerdi. After the 13×13 field tile was installed I used Laticrete 4XLT to set the travertine dome liner and mixed mosaic tile. I used 4XLT since it was a non-sag thinset and it was easy to install the mosaic sheets without having them slide. I wasn’t worried about using the 4XLT being modified over the Kerdi with the mosaic since the small tile joints would allow air to dry the thinset.
I enjoyed doing this install and the setting of the tile took the rest of the day. We were able to install the 13×13 field tile, 5/8″ x 12″ travertine liner, 1/2″x 1″ mixed mosaic and bullnose edge tile in 2 days. The next day I set the 2×2 mosaic shower floor and custom cut a 6″ travertine sill along the shower curb. The following day I washed down the wall prepping for grout. The homeowner selected Laticrete #17 Marble Beige sanded grout for the walls & floors since it was a perfect match for all of the tile installed. After we grouted the tile we let the grout set up and final washed it 2 more times to make sure it was haze free and ready to turn over to the homeowner.
Contact Us if your looking for a Kerdi-board waterproofed Custom tile shower.
Enjoy the pictures from the jobs installation.
I decided to write this blog about a customer who came to me from reading one of my blogs on how to waterproof a shower correctly. She had the misfortune of having an unskilled tile contractor install a subway tile shower with a liner on her second floor that leaked within the first year. She then contracted a local tub pro to redo it and that also leaked within a year. So she started to read up and do research on correct ways to do waterproofing in her shower and during the time she also asked them to repair the shower pan and do it correctly. She was met with resistance and pretty much told she could go elsewhere is she didn’t like the way they did things. You can see her story & complaint to the Better Business Bureau here. I talked to the customer on the phone and she was comfortable with my experience, professionalism & know how on what needs to be done in a shower.
I set up an appointment to look at her shower talk to her about what type of waterproofing installation she will be comfortable with. Upon showing up at the house for the estimate she took me up and showed me the bathroom. I was surprised to see the shower pan and tile already removed from the prior 3rd attempt to fix it correctly. I also noticed that there was no pre slope under the liner and the clamping drain was slightly elevated from the flat part of the pan. Also there was a bucket in the shower full of tile that was removed that was previously installed. The bucket was mastic which should not be used in a shower or wet area and that is what the other installer used to set the tile. Besides having the pan leak I doubt the walls would have lasted 2-3 years with tile being installed with mastic over drywall. Neither are acceptable installation methods. I worked up a price which she eagerly accepted for a shower redo using a Schluter drain, pitched mud bed, cement board and HydroBan liquid waterproofing.
The first day we started we did rip out of the old wall tile and drywall. The wall came out in sections which was an easy removal for us. I also noticed while removing the wall that there was no vapor barrier behind the tiled wall and then noticed that the previous installed nailed the cementboard on the curb and the nails went through the rubber pan liner. Once the shower was gutted I installed the PermaBase cementboard and cut out where the niche was going. I then installed the Schluter Kerdi drain and did the new pitched mud pan. I let the mud bed sit over the weekend and on Monday morning I started applying the Laticrete HydroBan waterproofing on the shower walls and floor and also used a fabric reinforcing mesh in the corners of the shower. The fabric isn’t required with HydroBan and is made for Laticrete’s other liquid membrane HydroBarrier, but I still like using the fabric for corner reinforcement and at the Kerdi drain to mud connection. I also use the Schluter Kerdi-seal pipe & mixing valve seal in conjunction with the liquid membrane to seal each of those area’s.
The next day I did the layout of the 3×6 subway tile and started to install the wall tile with Laticrete 4XLT thinset and the tile installed was 3×6 Daltile #0790 Matte Arctic White. At the end of the day after setting all of the wall tile I did a flood test on the HydroBan waterproofed pan and let it sit overnight. The next morning when I got there everything was good, no leaks and the membrane was still looking good. I then set the octagon tile with a dot that was being used on the floor and also set it on the back of the niche. I then fabricated 2 shelves for the niche with a piece of marble the customer supplied. The customer loved how I made small returns ears that went onto the face of the wall tile. I then set the shower floor tile and installed the shower curb marble sill. After the thinset had dried over night the next day I grouted the wall tile with Laticrete #44 – Bright White unsanded grout and the floor and back of the niche with #24 – Natural Grey. Did a final wash of the wall & floor tile to remove and grout dust/haze and then installed the Kerdi drain grate top and also a shower head, slide bar with a removable sprayer and control face plate with a handle.
The job came out great and the customer is really pleased to have a shower that is waterproofed correctly and wont leak.
