A tiling contractor installs ceramic, stone, marble and other types of tiles in a wide variety of buildings for commercial contractors and individual customers.
Are you ready to tackle a home tiling project? Although it is one of the easiest and most affordable home remodeling projects, even the tiniest error in your wall and floor can be an eyesore. Poorly placed tiles can throw off the pattern and grout line, and make the error to glare. Otherwise, when done well, they breathe life into a dull kitchen, bathroom, living room or even a hallway.
To get the best out of your project, it is important that you work with a professional tile contractor. Fixing tiles is more than cutting and placing tiles on the floor or wall. It is an art that requires years of practice and a good eye for design to lay out and merge tiles of different thickness and textures to create an appealing end product. Hiring a professional tiler ensures the job gets done right the first time.
That said, there are a few factors that you should take into consideration when choosing a professional tiler:
Pro tips for choosing the best contractors for your project
Choose the tile first before hiring a tiling contractor
Today, tiling is not only just for traditional use for kitchen or bathroom. More and more homes are putting tiles throughout their entire home. Before choosing the right tiler, you need to choose the best type of tile for your particular project.
This is an important factor to take into consideration as the type of tile you choose will determine the scope of work and level of skill and expertise required. For instance, a project that involves different sizes or large format might be harder to install, and thus, more expensive.
Common types
Ceramic
This is classic tile is made out of clay. These tiles can come in their natural color, in different colors or highly designed glaze with a matte or high gloss finish or they can be left unglazed like terra cotta.
One of the biggest advantages of ceramic is its natural stain resistance, affordability, and availability. This tile can be used as either a wall or floor tile.
Porcelain
This is a newer type of ceramic that is extremely popular among home and business owners. It is made out of fine porcelain clay and is usually fired at extremely higher temperatures compared to ceramic. This method makes the porcelain tile denser, much harder, less porous and less prone to stain and moisture absorption. Hence, they can be used as both indoor or outdoor floor tiles.
Natural stone
This is another popular type of tile that comes in a wide range of options, depending on the type of stone surface you want. These natural stone types include:
- Granite, a type of natural stone tile is very hard, tough and almost impervious. It is recommended for high traffic areas like the kitchen.
- Marble tile is known for its veining and rich coloring. Since it’s more porous than granite, it is highly recommended for bathroom or kitchen wall.
- Slate tile is quickly becoming a favorite amongst homeowners. It is especially loved for its dark tones and natural texture. Slate is highly durable, making it ideal for high traffic areas.
- Limestone tile features a nice, earthy appearance in various shades. However, it is more prone to scratching and staining, meaning that it’s not suitable for high traffic areas.
- Travertine is a type of limestone that comes with an interesting crystallized look. Although it is more porous than other tiles, it is loved for its luxurious style and natural.
Go where the pros go
Once you choose your tiles, the next step should be getting a supply store that supplies directly to contractors. These dealers work with pros on a daily basis and will provide you information on some of the best installers in your area.
Also, keep in mind that installers who buy directly from the supplier stores buy often, meaning that they are most probably experienced in the industry.
Meet with two or three prospective installers
When choosing an installer, do not limit yourself to just one candidate. Whether you are looking to have domestic or commercial project, you want to meet at least three of them to ensure you are getting the highest quality services for the best possible value.
Check their portfolio
A portfolio provides a great way to gauge the quality of services offered. When looking at the tiler’s past work, look for consistent spacing between joints and tile layout to see if it is balanced. Just remember that photos can be deceiving. So to get the best idea of their past work, consider viewing at least one prior installation project on site.
Check references
Always check the references before hiring them. This provides a great way to gauge an installer’s level of service. When checking out their references, make sure to ask about the installation and the entire process.
Find out their level of professionalism, whether or not they finished the project in time and if they stayed within budget.
Ask for a quote in writing
It is important to get a signed quote detailing all the pricing from your preferred tiler.
The quote should take into account the exact services offered by the tilers, including removing old tires, leveling the floor, repairing broken tiles, sealing the grout, priming the surface and disposing of old tiles. It will also contain the materials (tiles, adhesives, additives, grout, sealant, and primers) that will be supplied by the tilers.
The quote should clearly state the quantities that will be required, the time frame from start to finishing the project.
When choosing commercial or domestic tiling contractors, the cheapest isn’t necessarily the best. This is especially true considering that the cost of amending a poorly done tiling installation is quite high. Therefore, it is important that you find the right tilers to ensure the work is done right the first time.
Take your time to do thorough research on the available tilers in your area to choose the best one or just call us to receive a FREE QUOTE!