Tile Comparison for your Florida tile selection:
(Granite Tile - Marble Tile - Slate Tile - Pebble Tile – Glass Tile – Porcelain Tile)
Tile is the often choice for the surface of high-end applications.
They are averagely priced but they provide incomparable beauty
and elegance to your home.
If you are considering tile you should be aware of the general characteristics of all the tiles types out there and the options available to you including installation before making your final decision. Especially, when more and more applications are using tiles, you might need to consider a tile specific to your application.
The following table is a summary for the feature of a few types of tile.
Granite Tile:
Slippery Surface - High
Resistant to Breakage & Scratch- Average
Color - Good
Installation - Good
Resistant to Chemicals& Acids – Bad
Price - Fine
Marble Tile:
Slippery Surface - High
Resistant to Breakage & Scratch - Bad
Color - Good
Installation - Good
Resistant to Chemicals & Acids - Bad
Price - Fine
Slate Tile:
Slippery Surface - Average
Resistant to Breakage & Scratch - Bad
Color - Low
Installation - Good
Resistant to Chemicals & Acids - Bad
Price - Fine
Pebble Tile:
Slippery Surface - Good
Resistant to Breakage & Scratch - Good
Color - Good
Installation - Easy
Resistant to Chemicals & Acids - Good
Price – Average
Glass Tile:
Slippery Surface - High
Resistant to Breakage & Scratch - High
Color - Excellent
Installation - Hard
Resistant to Chemicals & Acids - Good
Price – High
Porcelain Tile:
Slippery Surface - Average
Resistant to Breakage & Scratch - Excellent
Color - Excellent
Installation - Easy
Resistant to Chemicals & Acids - Excellent
Price - Average
Also all tile feels hard, but some types of tile are actually harder than others.
Tile is rated by a series of standardized tests. The tests evaluate a tile's relative hardness (the Moh scale), its ability to stand up to wear and the percentage of water absorbed.
The Porcelain Enamel Institute hardness ratings are:
* Group I - Light Traffic: residential bathroom floors.
* Group II - Medium Traffic: home interiors where little abrasion occurs.
* Group III - Medium-Heavy Traffic: any home interior.
* Group IV - Heavy Traffic: homes or light to medium commercial areas.
* Group V- Extra Heavy Traffic: use it anywhere.
These ratings are important, but don't get too bogged down in analysis.
they serve to help you find the right tile for your application.
Based on the table shown above, the Porcelain tile is a very good choice for many applications like a Bathroom Shower, Garden Tub, Kitchen, Backsplash, Foyer, Lanai, Patio, Porch, Fireplace, Swimming Pool, Pool Deck, Fountain, etc.
Here in Florida, especially the area’s of Tampa, St. Pete, Sarasota, Lakeland, Orlando, Daytona & Jacksonville the porcelain tile is a very big seller and Ceramictec has installed it in a wide variety of applications.
Hope this will be helpful for your selection of a tile.
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Showing posts with label Jacksonville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jacksonville. Show all posts
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Florida Condo Owner's Tile Nightmare. . . .
About 9 months ago I got a call from a Custom Builder I do work for.
He asked me to take a look at a friends job a handyman/painter/tile guy
did in a condo in Clearwater Beach, Florida. I like this builder so I agreed to look at it.
Once the appointment was set up I met with the lady. She was a very nice,
a hard working single woman that relocated from up North to Florida.
Looking at the floor it was horrible with about 15 visual things I could see
wrong with it not counting other installation errors.
She was so upset at how the tile was installed and turned out and how the guy treated her at the end she had no clue what to do. Since she bought the tile/material, she didn't pay him for the labor since the job was disgusting.
The "handyman" then threatened to take her to court and put a lien on her condo if she didn't pay in cash. At that point I was furious and disgusted that someone could do this type of work to a nice woman like her, so I agreed to help her out.
I talked to a friend of mine in the area that sits on the County Construction
Codes Board and he told me to have her take him to small claims court.
From there I compiled a list of problems with pictures and gave to her.
The court date came, she went in with her list compiled from me and
pictures backing up the bad work.
Needless to say she won the case in about 5 minutes after the judge looked
at the tile pictures and list Ceramictec compiled for her. He (the handyman) needed to pay for removal of the tile and replacement of material & tile lost.
He didn't need to pay for the labor since she didn't pay him.
The handyman also didn't have his Insurance that he told the condo management he had.
Below you will see pictures with list of problems I gave her.
to whom it may concern,
After my Inspection of your tile job you had done by a Handyman
it is in my Professional experience I see the following mistakes that make
the job look less then professional and not acceptable.
1) Floor was laid out incorrectly and not square to the walls in your house.
he did not know how to square a floor or layout tile work.
2) This therefore made all cuts throughout your place cut at angles gaining in size and incorrect.
3) The main room of your place walls are square. he should have laid out off this area.
4) Cuts "in the U shape" at doors and corners are pieced together are not professionally cut.
5) Cuts at door jambs are too wide and not cut correctly.
6) Floor is not flat and has many dips and high tiles
7) Tile is set crooked /not straight with various size joints from 3/16" to a 1/2"
(unacceptable joint variances)
8) Grout was not properly grouted and joints have a lot of divots and low spots.
9) Grout residual not cleaned off of the tile. haze throughout job
10) Thinset sticking up through grout in some area's
11) Your wood baseboard will not cover several short cut tile along the wall.
12) Cuts along wall and other places vary in sizes. they should be all the same. this is due to (his) the crooked floor.
13) Tile in bathroom set on gloss tile did not bond and it is a 1/2" higher then main floor.
14) Bathroom floor tile should have been removed prior to tiling.
this created an elevated tile area.
15) Improper thinset was used to set porcelain tile. no bond to the porcelain tile.
16) I have taken (18) pictures to prove these statements.
17) the whole job is unacceptable and should be removed and done correctly
by a Qualified Florida Tile Contractor
here is the finished job after "Ceramictec" did it the correct way.
.
A letter from the homeowner:
Brian,
I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you have done for me and the beauty you created in my home. My floors were a nightmare and I cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work, dependability and professionalism. Your pictures before and after speak for themselves.
Thank you always,
Kim
.
He asked me to take a look at a friends job a handyman/painter/tile guy
did in a condo in Clearwater Beach, Florida. I like this builder so I agreed to look at it.
Once the appointment was set up I met with the lady. She was a very nice,
a hard working single woman that relocated from up North to Florida.
Looking at the floor it was horrible with about 15 visual things I could see
wrong with it not counting other installation errors.
She was so upset at how the tile was installed and turned out and how the guy treated her at the end she had no clue what to do. Since she bought the tile/material, she didn't pay him for the labor since the job was disgusting.
The "handyman" then threatened to take her to court and put a lien on her condo if she didn't pay in cash. At that point I was furious and disgusted that someone could do this type of work to a nice woman like her, so I agreed to help her out.
I talked to a friend of mine in the area that sits on the County Construction
Codes Board and he told me to have her take him to small claims court.
From there I compiled a list of problems with pictures and gave to her.
The court date came, she went in with her list compiled from me and
pictures backing up the bad work.
Needless to say she won the case in about 5 minutes after the judge looked
at the tile pictures and list Ceramictec compiled for her. He (the handyman) needed to pay for removal of the tile and replacement of material & tile lost.
He didn't need to pay for the labor since she didn't pay him.
The handyman also didn't have his Insurance that he told the condo management he had.
Below you will see pictures with list of problems I gave her.
to whom it may concern,
After my Inspection of your tile job you had done by a Handyman
it is in my Professional experience I see the following mistakes that make
the job look less then professional and not acceptable.
1) Floor was laid out incorrectly and not square to the walls in your house.
he did not know how to square a floor or layout tile work.
2) This therefore made all cuts throughout your place cut at angles gaining in size and incorrect.
3) The main room of your place walls are square. he should have laid out off this area.
4) Cuts "in the U shape" at doors and corners are pieced together are not professionally cut.
5) Cuts at door jambs are too wide and not cut correctly.
6) Floor is not flat and has many dips and high tiles
7) Tile is set crooked /not straight with various size joints from 3/16" to a 1/2"
(unacceptable joint variances)
8) Grout was not properly grouted and joints have a lot of divots and low spots.
9) Grout residual not cleaned off of the tile. haze throughout job
10) Thinset sticking up through grout in some area's
11) Your wood baseboard will not cover several short cut tile along the wall.
12) Cuts along wall and other places vary in sizes. they should be all the same. this is due to (his) the crooked floor.
13) Tile in bathroom set on gloss tile did not bond and it is a 1/2" higher then main floor.
14) Bathroom floor tile should have been removed prior to tiling.
this created an elevated tile area.
15) Improper thinset was used to set porcelain tile. no bond to the porcelain tile.
16) I have taken (18) pictures to prove these statements.
17) the whole job is unacceptable and should be removed and done correctly
by a Qualified Florida Tile Contractor
here is the finished job after "Ceramictec" did it the correct way.
.
A letter from the homeowner:
Brian,
I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you have done for me and the beauty you created in my home. My floors were a nightmare and I cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work, dependability and professionalism. Your pictures before and after speak for themselves.
Thank you always,
Kim
.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Accessible Handicap Shower.....
I just wanted to post this video documentary that the homeowners
emailed me of them and their child.
An Unexpected Gift
after seeing the documentary I am very happy to have done this
special tile job and shower waterproofing for them and Caleb.
I worked my hardest to give them what they wanted
and tried my best to make it perfect.
this was the accessible shower I just built for them.............
there was mold and a rotted sub floor under old laminate floor.
the one piece tub was cut and removed. mold was cleaned up.
joists were cut to make new area lower.
joists were also sistered on both sides
Kerdi drain was set to proper height.
new shower sub floor was installed, glued and nailed.
tar paper and metal lath were install prior to mudbed.
Schluter Kerdi was done on the shower walls.
the shower mud bed was packed along with the Ditra.
Kerdi was installed on the shower floor.
wall tile was laid out and started to install.
1x1 shower floor tile laid out to the Kerdi drain.
shower floor tile set with unmodified thinset.
12x12 main floor tile set flush with shower floor.
Grouted & Complete
A letter from the homeowners:
Dear Brian,
Thank you so much for a job well done!
We were impressed with your work from the time we found your website,
during the process, and upon completion.
Your attention to detail and craftsmanship were evident throughout.
You are a true professional.
You ensured quality and integrity, and we believe you delivered.
It was truly a pleasure to meet you and work with you!
Sincerely,
Scott & Tammy Hutchison & the little cookie monsters :)
.
emailed me of them and their child.
An Unexpected Gift
after seeing the documentary I am very happy to have done this
special tile job and shower waterproofing for them and Caleb.
I worked my hardest to give them what they wanted
and tried my best to make it perfect.
this was the accessible shower I just built for them.............
there was mold and a rotted sub floor under old laminate floor.
the one piece tub was cut and removed. mold was cleaned up.
joists were cut to make new area lower.
joists were also sistered on both sides
Kerdi drain was set to proper height.
new shower sub floor was installed, glued and nailed.
tar paper and metal lath were install prior to mudbed.
Schluter Kerdi was done on the shower walls.
the shower mud bed was packed along with the Ditra.
Kerdi was installed on the shower floor.
wall tile was laid out and started to install.
1x1 shower floor tile laid out to the Kerdi drain.
shower floor tile set with unmodified thinset.
12x12 main floor tile set flush with shower floor.
Grouted & Complete
A letter from the homeowners:
Dear Brian,
Thank you so much for a job well done!
We were impressed with your work from the time we found your website,
during the process, and upon completion.
Your attention to detail and craftsmanship were evident throughout.
You are a true professional.
You ensured quality and integrity, and we believe you delivered.
It was truly a pleasure to meet you and work with you!
Sincerely,
Scott & Tammy Hutchison & the little cookie monsters :)
.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Barrier Free, Accessible, Curbless, Roll In Shower.....
These showers are becoming increasingly popular with older people who
don't feel like or cant step over a curb. Some homeowners even want it for the smooth style flowing look. Or the most important reason for building one is a child, elderly or loved one who is handicapped. In any of these cases someone can benefit by having a low curb or barrier free accessible shower.
I have built curbless, roll in, barrier free accessible showers for over 15 years.
more so in Hotels where required by ADA code they need to have available some showers for the Handicap on the first floor.
the waterproofing is tricky with these types of showers and I have come
to like working with Schluter Kerdi & Ditra. the Kerdi Drain is amazing.
and also Laticrete's Hydroban and Custom's RedGard both a great
liquid membrane to work with.
I could guarantee my showers using
one of these product for years.
Like this Custom Roll-In Shower:
Or this 3" Low Curb shower:
.
.
don't feel like or cant step over a curb. Some homeowners even want it for the smooth style flowing look. Or the most important reason for building one is a child, elderly or loved one who is handicapped. In any of these cases someone can benefit by having a low curb or barrier free accessible shower.
I have built curbless, roll in, barrier free accessible showers for over 15 years.
more so in Hotels where required by ADA code they need to have available some showers for the Handicap on the first floor.
the waterproofing is tricky with these types of showers and I have come
to like working with Schluter Kerdi & Ditra. the Kerdi Drain is amazing.
and also Laticrete's Hydroban and Custom's RedGard both a great
liquid membrane to work with.
I could guarantee my showers using
one of these product for years.
Like this Custom Roll-In Shower:
Or this 3" Low Curb shower:
.
.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Using Proper Tile Setting Materials.......
I'm sure this has been written a thousand ways.............
But choosing the right setting material for your job is very important.
there are certain types of adhesives used to set various types of tile.
The most common used material is thinset. thinset mortar is a blend of
portland cement, finely graded sand and a water retention compound
that allows the cement to hydrate.
There are many different types of thinset out there in grey and white color, multi purpose, polymer modified, un-modified, sanded, un-sanded, fast setting or high quality latex modified thinset mortars like flex and super flex.
With advancements in thinset there are also types of thinset coming out
now to deal with various situations like cracks and soundproofing.
Laticrete's 125 is a lightweight, superior crack prevention and sound
abatement mortar for ceramic tile and stone.
There is even Ditra-set by Bostik/Durabond/Hydroment.
which is a excellent non modified thinset for setting ceramic, porcelain,
and stone tile over Schluter-DITRA and Schluter-KERDI.
Each one has a special place when doing a certain type of tile work.
so be sure to either use a Qualified, Educated Tile Contractor,
or do a good amount of research prior to tackling a tile project.
.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Ameris Bank Tile Project in Jacksonville, Florida
The Tile was Ergon Engineered Porcelain Tile Alabastro Evo spec'd by
the Ameris Bank & Architect and purchased through Virginia Tile Co.
The Builder was Auld-White Constructors.
Laticrete thinset was used on this project.
255 Multimax on the walls and 252 Silver on the floors.
TEC AccuColor XT #933 Standard Grey was spec'd and used on walls & floors.
**Click on Picture to Enlarge**
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the Ameris Bank & Architect and purchased through Virginia Tile Co.
The Builder was Auld-White Constructors.
Laticrete thinset was used on this project.
255 Multimax on the walls and 252 Silver on the floors.
TEC AccuColor XT #933 Standard Grey was spec'd and used on walls & floors.
**Click on Picture to Enlarge**
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