🚽The UPDATE you've been waiting: FOR THE RECORD🔥

I’ll remember this day as the day I was “Going to make a You Tube video again” So, now it’s here.

Another contribution to the record books.

I’m a once in a while YouTuber, with these longer ones. 🙄

It’s a small floor and you’ll notice we did a flood test that day, as well. The floor is on concrete and had ceramic mosaic previously.

This large format, wood look, plank tile will definitely be an upgrade.

We’ve been loving this project, a real challenge as we are working outside, out of the van. 🚐🚐

How spoiled are we when we can set up in the garage!

This tile game isn’t just thata boys.😒

Sometimes you gotta clean the wet saw after using it for five jobs. Nothin fancy in that, just work.💩

Plank tile on a bathroom floor with a new fancy shower for an elder visiting parent. We’re HELPING OUT. Being useful, the inspiration built in! 💯

. . . So, how’d we do it and why?

What’s in these tile guys’ head??🤷

The QUESTIONS HAVE ANSWERS, the answers you have yearned for, today, on THE BIG PREMIERE of:

The update you’ve all been waiting FOR THE RECORD. July 2022 . . . .

This video creation is a riot to make because we’re dealing with a lot, even without the camera! TIMELAPSE, here we GO! 😂

Just know that we do this content as a service TO YOU, our homeowners, past, present and future!

So you know what we’re doing and who we are.

It’s all part of the service. . . . .

🖐Yes, we have a business called HAMILTON TILE in WOODSTOCK, GA.👍 . . . We’ll do a great job for you, move your project forward, make it easy.

We are TILE GUYS, if that’s what you need.

We have a good business going. 👀

Give us a try:✅

MANY THANKS, Ben (And Jason) 💪 #wayabovestandard #movingforward #tiler .

Epoxy Grout - The ULTIMATE upgrade.

The biggest criticism homeowners have about tile is THE GROUT.

It gets dirty. It loses that "brand new" feeling very quickly.

Well, a lot of the problem is that most of the grout that is being used is from the bottom of the product totem pole.

It's the cheapest stuff that you can get. It's the most available. It's the easiest to work with.

All the major grout brands have their low end grout and that is mostly what gets used.

The solution: EPOXY.

Epoxy is made with two parts and it's the BEST upgrade you can do to your tile project. It's hard as a ROCK, it's color consistent, it's a SERIOUS upgrade.

It's GROUT for the GROUT HATER. It's one and done, it's paying now rather than paying later.

Epoxy puts the grout cleaner/restoration dudes out of business!

Consider EPOXY on your next bathroom remodel for a lasting finish that will look the same 5 years down the road, as the day we left!

Watch the video below for 3 reasons why YOU should use EPOXY GROUT!

💖Your SHOWER CURB needs lovin too! #showercurb #itsthestep💖

When you work with Hamilton Tile of Woodstock, GA you can expect that WE will install all HARD SURFACES inside your shower.

We spend a lot of time and effort waterproofing and getting things perfect, we don't turn the stone installation over to someone else.

A hard surface stone company fabricates them, we cut them to size and install them.

This is a part of our quest for perfection when we are remodeling your home and you can learn more about our thought process and methods in the video below.

Do you even SILICONE, bro?!🤷‍♂️

SILICONE.

Most tile installers DON’T DO IT.

Look around.

I rarely see tile work in the wild that has silicone. I’ve never seen silicone used on the failed showers we inspect. I’ve never seen silicone used on a builder job, ever.

Silicone is not generally used by most tile installers.

But it is VERY important

Hard grouted corners everywhere, that’s why you see the UNSIGHTLY CRACKS.

Here’s the kicker:

IT’S INDUSTRY STANDARD TO USE SILICONE SEALANT IN ALL WET AREAS!

The TCNA Handbook (Tile Council of North America) Section EJ171:

“All changes of plane to be filled with silicone sealant to allow for movement in the assembly. “

So, if your tile installer doesn’t silicone, THEY ARE DOING IT WRONG!

And it’s not just something we follow because the book told us so. It’s actually the best way! It lasts a long time, it stays clean longer and it is also easier to clean. It’s good stuff!

My installer test question is, “Do you silicone your showers?” It’s the one of the two questions I need to tell immediately if someone is LEGIT.

EVERY WALL MOVES. Because of this we install soft joints to allow for that small amount of movement. When you use grout in corners, between the walls and floor or any change of plane, that leaves a potential for cracks because grout is HARD and doesn’t let the wall move. Two immovable objects. I’m sure you see where I’m going here.

Now, hate to be a stickler but not everything in a tube is SILICONE.

Caulking is not silicone. Caulking is for PAINTING.

A tube of silicone states “100% silicone” not siliconized and it certainly isn’t labeled “latex”.

The great thing, is the grout makers produce a COLOR MATCH silicone. Meaning: your silicone will match the grout.

Try siliconing yourself if you’re a homeowner!

I show anyone I can how to silicone because it’s something good to know.

It’s like tying a bowline knot, once you know, you use it all the time!

Just go to YouTube or Google and type in, “How to silicone your shower”.

Once you get it you won’t go back!

“DO YOU EVEN SILICONE BRO?!”

East Cobb, GA: A one of a kind bathroom remodel.

This post project video breaks down a remodel we recently completely in East Cobb, GA.

We go over the reasoning behind some of the finishing touches and talk about the in's and out's of this bathroom renovation.

Again, following a noticeable pattern, we completed this project for a very savvy homeowner who understands tile and it's proper installation. He was a regular on the John Bridge Forum which is a tile advice forum.

The homeowner did a lot of his own tile so he understood how it all worked and wanted it done correctly. It was pretty neat to be able to make him satisfied and to meet his standards.

We'd like to thank the DIY Tile Guy himself, Jim Upton, for recommending us for this job. Check out his site at www.diytileguy.com for a lot of great information on tile installation.

Thanks for watching!

Be sure to check out the beautiful project photos below:

Jason Hamilton- 20+ years in the tile business, 4 year trade school graduate, one of 1600 certified tile installers in the USA and also a nominee for 2019 NTCA tile crafts person of the year.

You can trust him to build you an awesome bathroom.

Jason is a pro. Jason understands that you have high standards and he is okay with that. In fact we are confident your standards are no where near as high as his personal standards.

Our soap niches are waterproof. Simple as that. You’d be surprised how rare that is in the shower business.

Thank you to Matt at Aab plumbing. Many tile guys who are not licensed plumbers and who are not insured to do plumbing will attempt to do plumbing for their clients. NOT US. We bring in our licensed plumber who is skilled and also insured for the task.

You don’t need the insurance when everything goes how it should, you need it for when things eventually go WRONG.

As always, we made the panel in front of the tub removable so the client can always have access to the plumbing under the tub, if, God forbid, something needs to be fixed. Watch the video above to find out how we do it.

I took this photo in the homeowner’s yard.

This herringbone accent adds spice to this bathroom without exploding the cost of the install. Watch the video to learn how this herringbone pattern can really add to the bottom line of your bathroom install.

The beautiful tile installation in East Cobb County, GA.

We call it a corner bench, but in reality it’s a leg shaving shelf. Custom made to the client’s specifications.

We installed the stone tops on this bathroom remodel, doing it ourselves—-the only way to ensure perfection.

Schluter corner shelf is a clean look, the finish matching the fixtures in this shower…It’s an excellent spot to put the over flow that doesn’t fit in your soap niche. Keep that corner bench free!

Their own PERSONAL spa: A Towne Lake, Woodstock, GA bathroom renovation.

This post project video is entitled "Their own PERSONAL spa" because of the homeowner's own words. She said her friend told her the bathroom was like a "spa". What a compliment!

This bathroom renovation located in Towne Lake, Woodstock, GA was completed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I think it really speaks to our ability to get things done even in the worst circumstances. Many other companies would have pumped the brakes, we powered right through and I thank our clients for allowing that to happen.

This project began for the homeowners with someone else starting the project. This person got to a point where the homeowners felt he should be stopped and they should find people who were more suited for the project. That’s where we came in.

They stopped him at a very good time, early in the remodel. A less savvy homeowner could have been really taken to the cleaners. Thank goodness there was no tile set.

Some of what was done had to come out so that we could start with a clean slate. Once we had that achieved, we went into our process and step by step we knocked it out.

These type of projects are all too common for us. Going in after an amateur or worse yet “professionals” who don’t cut the mustard. We are used to it.

What bugs me is that people have to have this done to them first before they decide to hire guys like us.

One of my questions on the phone is: “Have you ever had tile work done before?”

If they say “no” I’m certain that they won’t pay more for our services, simply because if you’re a first timer you think ALL tile work is the same!

It takes getting cheated for people to figure out that it’s not.

It takes people getting cheated to realize that my website, blog, YouTube channel; credentials, experience, portfolio; is all a great big security blanket.

It takes people getting ripped off to come to terms with the fact that it’s better to pay for peace of mind then hunt for a “deal” and have to do it all again or not get what you want.

It takes a bad experience with another company for people to see how special we are.

Just because your neighbor gives someone a strong recommendation or just because the “builder” did the neighbors house…THAT’S NOT ENOUGH!

My question is: “WHAT DOES YOUR NEIGHBOR KNOW ABOUT GREAT TILE WORK!?”

Probably not much. They know it “looks” good, which is quite subjective.

Looks are SECONDARY.

What’s behind the tile is what is important, because what’s behind the tile is what ensures that tile project is going to LAST and FUNCTION the way it should.

Your neighbor has no clue what’s behind the tile.

The difference between us and your neighbors recommendation, is that with us you can verify what you’re going to get before we show up. You can trust your own eyes and ears.

Here’s what I’m talking about…

Have a look at our video, verify for yourself that “We are who we say we are and we do what we say we’ll do.”

Another happy customer in the books. Another project we can be proud of. Another notch in our portfolio.

Consistency. A great quality to have during your next bathroom remodel.

Towne Lake, Woodstock, GA bathroom renovation.

You found us. We are your guys.

Woodstock, GA bathroom remodelers do it AGAIN!

Bathroom remodel in Woodstock, GA: Walk through and behind the scenes.

Hello and thanks for stopping by and checking out one of our bathroom remodels in our very own Woodstock, GA.

I’m happy to finally be able to put all this footage to use. It was a long haul collecting it over these last 6 months or so. Yes, sometimes that how long I have to hold on to footage before we finally have a chance to get final pictures and make the video. It’s quite a process, but really thrilling to see the final product on film.

This bathroom was quite a while in the making. We did a remodel in the neighborhood and the word got out so, we booked this early in March of 2019. The homeowners got on our schedule and booked us for October to do two separate bathrooms in their home.. Here we are in March completely done except for door handles on the barn doors. Ultimately, to do these to a high level, it’s quite a process and it can take a while. This is not a cookie cutter bathroom. Everything is custom.

This was a house that was untouched for a very long period of time as well. There was a lot of rot and damage that had to be rebuilt and brought up to standard. They put a lot of time and money into it getting it up to date. I’m so glad they chose us to bring their visions to life. We were the ideal candidates for them.

In the video I describe who we are perfect for and I’d like to reiterate it here:

If you care about how your project is built, and you want to ensure a lasting, functional finish. contact us.

If you’ve had a bad experience with a past contractor and you’re searching for a company that is running a completely DIFFERENT program, revolving around being the OPPOSITE of the “builder grade, blow and go business model, contact us.

Or maybe this is your first time getting a bathroom remodel, you’ve heard about the nightmares and you want to go with a proven company that consistently produces high end results and who take the risk out of remodeling,  contact Us.

If you have a highly technical custom project, that needs a scrupulous hand, vast experience, deep knowledge, patience and attention to detail, contact us.

If you are wanting to invest in skilled, competent, conscientious craftsmen, owner operators, who will build you the bathroom of your dreams, a bathroom that will bring you years of comfort, security and satisfaction: We are your guys.

Our recent bathroom renovation in Woodstock, GA

Beautiful cabinets from DRW Cabinets in White, GA.

Another angle of this incredible Woodstock, GA bathroom renovation.

Look at this bathroom remodel in Woodstock, GA. What a beauty.

Before and after of the Bostardi bathroom renovation in Woodstock, GA

Before and after of the Bostardi guest bathroom renovation in Woodstock, GA.

Look at those beautiful doors. This luxury bathroom remodel in Woodstock, GA is tremendous.

Hamilton Tile: Bathroom remodelers in Woodstock, GA. We are YOUR guys!

Alpharetta, GA quality bathroom remodel walk through.

Our powerful bathroom remodel in Alpharetta, GA that we are proud to have provided for our client.

This week I was excited to have a planned walk through of a bathroom remodel in Alpharetta, GA we finished after Christmas. We were called on to finish the bathrooms upstairs and while we were there, I wanted to be sure to get the final piece to a bunch of content I had accumulated over a couple of months.

We’ve been remodeling bathrooms for quite a few years now and I never cease to get excited for the final project blog post and walk through. We do still get a kick out of our work!

It’s pretty difficult making this content. I sit on a bunch of footage and pictures for a long period of time before I can put it all together. Patience, Ben, PATIENCE!

This project turned out incredible. It is one of our favorites. It was a very technical project requiring all of our skills and foresight. It took just about about one month to complete. Seemed a bit longer in hindsight because it was done between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Everything takes longer that time of year! We did quite a few incredible bathroom remodels last year and this one was a cherry on top of 2019.

Our client Jerry had called us and he wanted us specifically for his remodel. I started in with my presentation over the phone, laying it on heavy about what makes us so great, and he said,

“Hey, listen I don’t need you to be a salesman, I know what I want and I want to meet with you guys.”

I was taken aback for a moment and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind,

“You just called me a salesman. I’m honored because most days I feel like a crusty tile guy and I’m covered in thin set!”

A true statement!

We laughed and that broke the ice!

I’ve since changed my approach a little bit, but I can’t help but constantly be differentiating. It’s a crowded field out here and sometimes I admittedly over do it on the initial phone call. My goal is to impress. I’m sure it comes off as wind and bluster at times. Hey, at least I’m trying! I want the opportunity. That’s all it is!

I usually handle the first sales calls and set up the meeting and Jason will take it from there. Our system of me being the promotional guy or the “hype man” as the kids call it, works really well for us. I suppose an advantage of working with us, is that we know our strengths and weaknesses. We’ve been working together long enough to understand that Jason has a great disposition for long term relationships, and I’m more equipped for energy and promotion. Not that I can’t do what he does or vice versa, we just do what works. We work to each others strengths. It’s an advantage of being an established partnership with a long history.

Jerry really valued quality and competence. He seems like the type of man that finds experts and lets them do their thing. I admire him a lot. He’s an entrepreneur and a successful businessman and I walk by his office and he’d be working away, talking on the phone, doing what he does and I think to myself, “Wow, this guy is doing it.” I can’t say I regularly see someone that works as hard as he does. He’s an inspiration to Jason and I. We would take the opportunity to pick his brain whenever we could. I implemented a lot of things he recommended. He is a brilliant marketer so his advice was incredible. I’m glad to have met him. I’m even more honored that he entrusted us with his home.

Jerry and his wife Judy were so kind, they gave our kids gingerbread houses for Christmas. I still remember we had such a good time making them. My Rosie kept eating all the decorations.

Anna, who would sneak off to see us She was one of the sweetest dogs we’ve experienced over these years!

One of the first videos I made about this project was our demolition process video. It goes over how we do a demolition. This is the part most people are worried about. They wonder if their house is going to be damaged or revered. This is where the rubber meets the road and homeowners find out if they hired the right contractor. You can tell on demo day if you did a good job in recruiting.

There’s no mystery as to how we do things because I documented how this one went. This is how we do it every time:

This is what our showers look like before we water proof. This pan is ‘mud’. We let a load of weight off the structure by building that bench out of foam. Before there was about 600lbs of block concentrated on that spot!

We have great coverage in this photo. We try are hardest to get complete thin set coverage under every tile. That effort adds time to these projects, because we are VERY often pulling tiles off the wall and adding thin set, to more fully support the tile. We would get done much faster if we didn’t do this. “How can this project take so long?” This is one part of the reason why!

Then there was this pebble floor. Like always, the pebbles came on a sheet. The pebble were jammed together, not leaving room for grout. Grout has a purpose. It creates a buffer zone between the tiles. When the tiles are jammed together it is unsanitary and allows a place for gunk to hide.

Also, when you put the sheets together, you could see the sheet lines. The pebbles on the sheet were STIFF so they wouldn’t conform to a bowl.

So, we set them one by one. It took us a day and a half because the sheets had big, medium and small sizes.

Tile pebble shower floor in Alpharetta, GA.

This sheet of stone mosaics is so stiff, it leaves us wondering, how is that supposed to conform to the bowl shape in the shower pan. Another reason we take them off the sheet.

Jason, lead tile installer in Alpharetta, GA setting the pebbles one by one. This is a daunting task. We get them done by doing them "ONE PIECE AT TIME!”

Schluter systems drain with tile pebble shower floor in Alpharetta, GA.

These walls were extremely out of whack! Jason had to do a bunch of fixing in order to get them right. The original builders of these homes throw them together with record speed and very little precision. Why wouldn’t they, the material they are putting up doesn’t require an exacting touch. Small ceramic tiles, pretty basic stuff. Loose tolerances on things like framing are acceptable.

We are putting up large format tile, frame-less glass doors, very technical material.

Overall, this shower took a ton of planning in order to get it perfect. I was pretty impressed with Jason on this one. I don’t usually use my brain very much when I’m working with Jason. I’m second in command, taking phone calls, making content, being a helper. He does all the heavy thinking. This one took a lot in order to have it end up like it did. I really was amazed.

When I think of what the ideal project is for us, I think, the most technical project. A project that takes a ton of planning and a lot of brain power to complete. Those are the projects that we are a perfect fit for. Our portfolio is full of those.

A lot of planning went into nailing these angles!

I made a flood test video at this project as well. When we build a shower before we set any tile we fill our pan with water to make sure it operated like it should and holds water with out leaking. We water proofed this shower with a combination of Schluter Kerdi fabric put together with Ardex 8+9, which is how they do it in Europe. It makes the system actually water proof. We put a lifetime craftsmanship guarantee on our work.

This video explains why we do a flood test and was shot on location.

We used a wet saw tent to make sure the water was contained and didn’t impact any of the stuff in Jerry’s garage. It worked out great and it is now a permanent part of our arsenal. We are the guys you hire when you value your property and you don’t want your things destroyed.

I photo of the finished product. What a great improvement. We are really proud of how it turned out and I believe we saved our best remodel for the end of 2019.

I wanted to mention that this was all porcelain tile. The tile on the wall looks like a marble, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not! What a world we live in. You can get something that LOOKS exactly like marble without the maintenance and the hassle that goes along with marble. We always say that most of the good marble has been mined and unless you want to spend BIG BUCKS, steer clear of marble. The supply now has iron deposits that you can’t see, but come through as orange/brown defects after the material is installed. Can you imagine?

Who wants to mess with that HASSLE! Like I said, go with the porcelain, the look of marble, without the pain!

Alpharetta GA, master bathroom tile shower remodel.

The Hamilton Tile team: Ben and Jason. We don’t always get these final photos together, but when we do..it’s pretty neat thinking that these will live on for years to come. Not to mention, we built this! We take pride in what we do. If you can’t tell, I can’t help you! :P

Our recent bathroom remodel in Alpharetta, GA. Look at that before and after! That’s a zinger right there! :)

In the video walk through below, Jason and I go through everything we did on this project. The challenges and what makes what we did different than what every one else does. We even go into what this bathroom cost. Nothing beats a video walk through and you really can’t conceal lousy work when you do a walk through with a quality camera!

I ask you to look at the detail in this bathroom. We really nailed our marks on this one.

Thanks in advance for watching.

I hope this video inspires you to call us for your bathroom remodel. I think we are perfect for your project and I promise we bring this level of finish and care to everything we do.

Towne Lake, Woodstock, GA: custom master bathroom remodel...Behind the Scenes

“Don’t believe what we say, watch what we do".”

In today's video, the guys at Hamilton Tile take it step by step and show you behind the scenes of their latest master bathroom remodel in Towne Lake, Woodstock. GA.

"Video killed having no idea what you're buying"

People look at me funny when they see me with my camera equipment.

"Why would you do that?"

It’s crabs in a bucket. When crabs see another crab climbing out of the bucket, they attempt to drag the escaping crab back into the bucket.

I usually laugh it off, but let me tell you why my camera equipment is an important tool in my toolbox…

I film for our clients.

When you hire a “contractor” you have no idea what you’re going to get. You take the guy’s word for it. "Oh, he did a great job at my neighbor’s house.” But really, how do you know he’ll do a great job at yours?

What evidence do you have that you should blindly trust anyone in this world?

Our people can watch their bathrooms being built in real time. Any questions? Watch the videos. Watch our videos over a four year period. The consistency of character is your guarantee.

“I wonder if they did a flood test on my shower?”

Hire Hamilton Tile and the answer: WATCH YOUR PROJECT VIDEO!

Why don’t people bother us and babysit us when we're working on their projects?

BECAUSE THEY WATCH OUR VIDEOS AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET!

Our waterproof shower in Towne Lake, GA. Our customers will never wonder how their projects are built unlike 99% of the people who do not use us for their bathroom remodeling project.

When people do something messed up, do you think they'll film it and broadcast it to the world?!

That's why we're the REAL DEAL. TRANSPARENCY. COME WATCH US WORK! No QUESTIONS! NO WONDERING!

Listen to us TALK IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA. You think we're faking it or lying? Fine: watch us say the same kind of stuff for 4 years. How about now?

Some advice I once received:
"Never take advice from people running on last generations software."

The people who don’t understand “content marketing”,

They're running on LAST CENTURIES' SOFTWARE.

THIS IS A NEW WAY TO DO BUSINESS.

DEMAND YOUR RE-MODELER SHOW THEIR WORK!

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE BUYING.

You're not buying a bathroom...You are buying US. Hamilton Tile: Jason Hamilton and Ben Santos: at your service.

Always remember:

“What’s under the tile, the most important part!”

Enjoy the show.

Hamilton Tile bathroom remodels in Woodstock, GA: before and afters!

I’ve created this “before and after” gallery to really illustrate the extreme difference of when we show up, to when we leave. We do this with raw material, tools and our two hands. Your money and our skills, anything is possible.

Bathroom remodel in Johns Creek, GA.

Bathroom remodel: Milton, GA

Bathroom remodel: Woodstock, GA

Kennesaw, GA bathroom remodel.

Bathroom renovation: Marietta, GA

Bathroom remodel: Marietta, GA

Bathroom remodel: Acworth, GA

Bathroom remodel: Alpharetta, GA

Bathroom remodel: Kennesaw, GA

Bathroom remodel: Alpharetta, GA.

Professional Tile bathroom remodeling services: Cartersville, GA

Bathroom Tile remodel service in Cartersville, GA.

In today's video we are remodeling bathroom tile in Cartersville, GA.

Our target market has always been people who care about how their project is built.

What's behind the wall, the small intangibles that we consistently perform to make for an anxiety free project. It's not hard to do what we do, film and photography technology is ubiquitous and cheaper than ever. Every contractor has the opportunity to have their very own "This Old House" in order to build confidence in their customers.

Why don't they?

It’s simple: They can't.

With content marketing we put ourselves out there in order to show you the most important stuff, what's underneath the tile! Unless you have your t's crossed and your I's dotted this kind of transparency isn't possible. Our goal: To SHOW you what you're going to get with us, who we are, and why we are different.

Thanks for watching and visiting our blog!

Instagram: @HamiltonTileGA

The Hamilton Tile Pro Bathroom Demolition Difference: Woodstock, GA.

Professional, clean, bathroom demolition Woodstock, GA

Here at Hamilton Tile of Woodstock, GA we are always trying to differentiate ourselves from everyone else in the construction business. It's important for us to create separation from the rest and what that always means is a better service, a better product for our clients.

In this video I talk a bit about our bathroom demolition process. All this goes down on day one of the job and it's critical for us to start strong because it sets the tone for the rest of the job.

If you think a demolition is "just labor" and anyone with a strong body can do it, this video is for you and it will hopefully challenge your existing opinion. The YouTube video below shows you the professional bathroom demolition difference when it’s performed by Hamilton Tile of Woodstock, GA!

Hamilton Tile: Professional Finish, Tidy Service.

I hope everyone that contacts this video has an excellent day. Let's chase excellence!

Tiling a custom shower ceiling in Johns Creek, GA.

Here today the guys at Hamilton Tile are tiling a custom shower ceiling in Johns Creek, GA. We are at your service when the unexceptional won't make the grade. Our proven systems and processes ensure an anxiety free bathroom remodel that is guaranteed to impress!

Maybe you have a technical project that you can’t trust to a stranger, or a person who is difficult to communicate with; someone who doesn’t have the receipts or a proven history with the knowledge to secure success. We understand your needs and you are likely our customer. We possess exactly the skill set you need.

A bathroom remodel built to last in Marietta, GA

Bathroom shower remodel located in Marietta, GA.

This is video breakdown of our latest bathroom remodel in Marietta, GA.

In this video we break down everything you might want to know about this bathroom we recently completed. We go over the high quality materials we use as well as our techniques that went into building this lasting bathroom. We also go over the over all cost of this bathroom as well as its individual parts.

It was a very fun bathroom project to take part in and we really feel quite proud of our accomplishments here.

A local fireman in Woodstock, GA gets a magazine worthy master bathroom.

Master bathroom shower renovation in Woodstock, GA.

This January bathroom remodel in Woodstock, GA was for a local fire fighter and his family. It was a fun one from the start. I remember fielding this initial call while my wife was at the dermatologist and I was hanging out with my 15 month old daughter (at the time) in a Starbucks. It’s the perfect example of what we small business guys go through daily. Trying to keep the baby quiet, while attempting to help a potential customer and put off a good first impression, talking to them about how these bathrooms “are just not possible for $10k.” Sometimes the most uncomfortable sales calls are the ones we book. I’m not sure why, I like to lean towards the fact that it shows a certain vulnerability and authenticity. I remember sending David a copy of one of our bids that was similar to the bathroom he wanted and saying, “Start adding up the lines, all the stuff adds up quick!” Can’t really get more transparent than that! I was just trying to show the amount of resources that go into these things!

These people were great because they had been readers of my blog and found it really useful, so they had a basic knowledge of who we were and how we worked. In hindsight, they followed our process to a T. They shopped at Tile House, bought high end plumbing fixtures from Ferguson’s, and allowed us to run our tried and true system. That’s the way to do it, don’t reinvent the wheel, trust the experts and let’s collaborate. I put a lot of time into building trust through this site and portraying the reality of Jason’s authority in this field. It helps us to relieve the inevitable anxiety of a bathroom remodel. Who would you rather hire? A company with the content to back up everything they are saying or some anonymous mystery man in a white van?

Below we have our before and after display. The before had a very small shower that was not operating as it should. It was an old ‘mud job’ and they are extremely good at hiding water damage. Lucky for us, David wanted to save some money, so he did the tear out himself. I’m sure it was a brutal one! I gained a bunch of admiration for his fortitude when I walked in and saw it complete! The trick here was increasing the size of the shower and being able to fit the new free standing tub at the same time. Jason’s expertise was on full display here. Those free standing tubs can be very pricey but if you’re looking for a good return on investment when you sell your house, you almost need one!

Woodstock, GA master bathroom remodel / renovation.

We installed a 4”x12” white subway tile with white Kerdi profiles. If you’ve ever read my blog before, you know I’m in love with Kerdi profiles, look at these picture, you can tell why! This was a very high quality Interceramic subway tile with very little ‘cupping’ so the brick set pattern turned out impeccably. We installed a very high quality Prizm grout by Custom which dries hard and dense, with built in sealer, which is key if you want to keep it clean. If you’re having a bathroom done, make sure the tile installer pulls the trigger on a better grout, nothing worse than a cheap grout that under performs!

The floor tile was excellent as well. It was an 8”x36” Panaria wood plank tile. The variation in color shades is incredible and the glaze was very thick! An extremely high quality tile. What do I always say, “We are only as good as the tile we are provided with.” We were provided with a high end tile so they received a very high end floor.

I wanted to mention that this large cabinet and top was bought at Costco at a considerable savings when compared to buying a custom one. They are pretty good quality too!

I like to point out that when you are hiring a tile guy, you’re not just hiring someone to stick tile to a wall. In the photos above and below you can clearly see the level of destruction this leaking shower had brought upon this house. Jason’s greatest talent isn’t layout or his overall knowledge of tile, it’s the fact that he gets these spaces back to structural integrity. When you have a gaping hole in your floor, or walls without studs, the ‘tile guy’ hat needs to come off, and the framer/engineering hat needs to go on. Jason’s 20 year training and trade school knowledge ensures our customers get put back together solid. Now, if you hire simply a ‘tile installer’ to do this work, how well do you think all this will go back together?

During this job I had a musing on my Twitter account (@atileguysjourney) about how you know you did a good job when you spent more time prepping an area than you do on the actual tile install. Man, that couldn’t have been more true on this one! As you can see from the 5 star Google review from Jennifer, the planning and prepping at this job was immense! In fact, very few jobs we do involve just showing up and tiling. We traditionally inform our potential clients that the only mystery about these jobs is how much prep needs to go into the floor to get it flat enough to allow large format tile, and how much time and material has to go into rebuilding the floors and walls. Ask your installer if he’s willing to go backwards in order to produce a lasting finish product.

Here we have our “flood test'“ in progress and Jason is working in tight quarters installing tile. Those green clips are the Lev-Tech leveling system that help us get a lip free floor. Using clips doesn’t mean we’re amateur tile installers, they are just tools like our wet saw is a tool. On this particular application it allowed us to actually bend some of the warp out of the tile. Try doing that without clips!

On this one we used Schluter Systems moisture management system that comes with an extensive factory warranty, not that it will ever be needed. The real advantage of this system is the weight relief on the home’s structure, because it is foam. Think about the weight involved in using cement. If you use a modern building system your house automatically gets stronger because you are lightening the load.

When we use tile with the amount of shade variation this tile had, we open all the boxes and pick from all of them as we are setting, to ensure a proper blending of the tile. We had limited space at this house, so it was a trick! We really appreciated the Millers’ patience while we were here. We do our best to limit the inconvenience, but I’m not going to lie, a bathroom remodel is quite a sacrifice for a while.

This floor had a considerable amount of variation in the substrate, meaning we would never be able to install huge tile like this. The biggest factor when installing big tile is having a nice, flat floor. So, we self leveled this floor with about 8 bags of Ardex Liquid Backerboard. Liquid Backerboard is a great product because you don’t have to use metal lathe. Check out my YouTube channel to see how we self level!

The reason we self level is so we can get thin set coverage like you see in the picture above. That’s what it’s supposed to look like. Collapsed thin set ridges, tile fully supported. You’d be surprised how few installers get coverage like this. We know because we tear out a bunch of mediocre work, but the point is, setting tile is a lot more than just spreading thin set and plopping it down. You have to WORK to get this kind of coverage and really know what you’re doing.

We all know about cracked grout in the corners of a shower. We’ve all seen it. There’s a simple fix and EVERY tile installer should know about it because it’s clearly written in the TCNA handbook (Tile Council of North America) and using silicone sealant in all plane changes is ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard. All houses move and if you use grout in your corners they will inevitably crack because grout is hard, it doesn’t allow for movement. When you use 100% silicone, it acts as a soft joint and allows for small amounts of movement, so 10 years from now that corner will look the same as it did when we left.

This silicone sealant is also color matched to the grout. I feel as if most guys skip this step because the silicone is hard to get, most places carry some “siliconized” latex junk, it also takes an extra degree of patience, as well as an extra trip. We don’t do it the day we grout because everything has to be dry for the silicone to stick properly. Yeah, doing things right costs more time, which is money. “Right” is not subjective. Right means, by the book.

We bought white curbs and made hard surface shelves for inside the extra large inset box. We locked these shelves into the tile for added strength. We were able to get the box nice and centered as well. Jason does really well with lay outs. Go ahead and zoom in!

“Is that corner bench strong?” We get that question all the time! Yes, it’s not just for looks…feel free to get on it and jump around! We build it out of 2” structural Kerdi foam and add a metal bar to add support. Penny rounds are very popular right now and they’re great for footing in a wet area.

Ultimately, the reason we do this is for happy clients. Would you say this is a magazine worthy bathroom? I particularly like the “built to last part”. She knows this because throughout the whole process they were involved in everything we did and we were sure to explain every aspect of this remodel. Once you see how we do things, live in person, you’ll really understand the difference between ‘value’ and ‘cost’.

Another master bathroom remodel blending looks, longevity and functionality in the books.

I love this photo because of the pink flowers and the lawn that is spot on! David had a great lawn, apparently maintained by his cousin, who deserves our praise!

A master bathroom remodel in Kennesaw, GA. The before and after!

Kennesaw, GA master bathroom shower.

This is one of our latest bathroom remodels in Kennesaw, GA. I really enjoyed this one and I’m really proud of how it turned out. This homeowner was really our ideal customer. We have a bit of an unorthodox process when it comes to the initial phone call. We usually try to get the majority of the ‘discovery’ and ‘qualification’ (if you will) done over the phone and e-mail. We do this because we’re a two man crew and we’re extremely busy with the act of building showers and doing tile work. If we ran out and saw everything we received a call about we’d have no time for anything. I always say “You can just as easily tell me no over the phone!” Most people understand where we’re coming from and this homeowner was one of them. I usually start out by asking for some pictures of the space they want remodeled and for them to also choose out what kind of tile their interested in by visiting a couple tile stores we work with. The sales people at the stores help with design. When I show up for an in home consultation, I want people to have an idea of what they want, because pricing can vary so much based on what tile someone chooses. It works out great for everyone when our system is utilized. These folks were more than happy to collaborate with us and trust our expertise and we were able to produce a really great finished product for them. That’s what I love about this business, when you do things right, you know it, because you get happy customers and beautiful tile work.

The glass is attached to a membrane and that allows you to build it out to be flush with the outside field tile.

My favorite part of this job was putting all the parts together and saving the glass decorative band for last. It was the most technical part of the install and I saved it for last! I cut about 100 glass arabesque variations in half, and the trick with glass is to cut it so the colored paper on the back doesn’t blow out and cause a jagged edge when everything is grout up. So, I cut each piece of the glass, one by one, being sure not to mess up, and then I sanded the sharp edge on each and every one of the glass pieces. I then put all the sheets together with the halves and measured the height of it all and cut the length to fit. because the glass was thinner than the outside field tile, I had to install it on a membrane so I could build out the band to be flush with the field. I let that all dry over night, cut the length in half and then, the moment of truth…will it fit?! I put it all up, and guess what…DIDN’T FIT! So I had to cut the top 6 inches off and trim a quarter inch off, no biggie, right? Just for that one glass decorative band down the center of the shower, Two Days labor! Gosh.

The best part, though, was when it was all grouted up. I get why people want glass tile. It looks SMOKING when it’s done. Boy, it is hard to work with, but when it’s put together to a high level it is amazing.

Another neat part of the job was that we were able to use Schluter’s new foam pan that has the waterproofing already attached to it. It worked out really great. Schluter’s engineers really aced it! They pretty much solved all the issues with the old foams pans with this new one. It’s a lot more stiff/sturdy, it’s a bit bigger than the old pan and the slope is right on the money. Makes for a very nice shower floor because the slope is very consistent. Far less build up putting it all together as well. We ended up self leveling inside the shower pan, and when it was time to set tile, it was dead nuts level all the way around. Can’t ask for much more that that!

Good times.

BEFORE:

We took the wall out and the framed door. The homeowner had to duck his head to fit under the door frame. This thing was built before the sale of this house and looked and performed just well enough to sell the house.

I’ll never understand natural stone. I am not a fan, generally.

That drain was packed tight! The pan wasn’t draining correctly so the natural stone shower floor looked (and was) permanently wet.

This corner bench was a wood box built on top of the shower pan with tile set directly to wood. This shower had a permanent stink to it, and it was coming from the swamp that was inside and all around this corner bench.

AFTER:

The shower leaked and this persons insurance company paid for the bathroom floor. Not bad, all things considered. Straight set 12x24’s is always the way to go! Not only do you get a flatter floor, and the ability to get larger pieces everywhere in your layout, it’s also a more contemporary, modern look.

The corner bench was designed for leg shaving only. Generally, people don’t even sit on the big corner benches and simply use them for “stuff”…this one was made smaller for a singular purpose. We’ve been doing that a lot. so it may be a trend. We used color matched Schluter profiles to edge this tile. This is another trend, moving away from antiquated bull nose.

This is a glass band falling into a penny round floor. We used a hard surface curb for easy cleaning.

Originally, this floor had 12x12 porcelain tile…rounded edges. They upgraded to this large format, rectified edge tile. The difference in daily use is going to be astronomical. This is why we remodel, and why you want a new bathroom.