LevTec leveling system.

This week we've been experimenting with the LevTec leveling system on a large format flooring job. We've decided to give it an A+ rating for a couple of reasons. For starters they are much more cost effective then the Tuscan or MLT system. Most other systems are just far to expensive for what you get.  The straps are also a lot stronger so you can tighten them down more. They also act as an 1/8" spacer so it takes away the need for spacers.

The only downfalls I can think of is they wouldn't be good for natural stone because they may scratch the stone. As you tighten the wedge, if you have any thin set under the wedge it would hurt the finish of the stone. Also, you need two different guns to tighten the wedge, one for walls and one for floors. Overall a great system though..! Low cost and highly effective. This is a great example of how we are constantly refining our process in order to provide you with a better tile installation. I hope everyone is doing well!

One of the best tile related websites...

When doing research for future tile work it's always helpful to have a point of reference. I would hope it would be my blog, obviously, but what site does the blogger himself reference constantly? http://www.johnbridge.com/ 

This site has installation tips, countless pictures and forums, product reviews, anything you would need if you are interested in learning more about tile. I can't recommend this site enough if you want  to be up to speed on current tile trends! Hope every one had a great Christmas and I'm wishing you all a Happy and healthy new year!

Deb's back splash in Woodstock, GA.

Our latest backsplash is a gem. Here we have ceramic tile with a metal and glass band through the middle. Another 'concept to completion' project. This was an extremely difficult demolition in step one! A lot of smashing and tearing and we had to add some 2x4's for support. We also had to shim out the walls in order to install Kerdi board. We use Kerdi board on our installs because it is an upgrade to traditional sheet rock or cement board. It's water proof and dust free! We used Quadec profiles by Schluter as our edging. Really looks sharp! In our last step, as always, we used Custom's Prizm grout and 100% silicone caulking which lasts longer and is far superior to latex caulking. We would like to thank Deb for being such a great customer!

Our latest bathroom remodel in East Cobb County, GA.

On he day of my birth I'm happy to write about our latest bathroom remodel for Mr. Patrick and family in Cobb County, GA. This one was a nightmare when we arrived. The shower was your typical builder grade shower that was leaking for some time, destroying this house. It had tile installed on sheet rock with absolutely no water proofing. It's amazing what builders are allowed to get away with. We tore out this bathroom finding a moldy nightmare and we proceeded to assess and repair the damage.

The most amazing part of this shower was that we were able to save the newly installed glass doors that were on the old shower and reuse them on the new shower. This speaks to Jason's skill in planning and layout. With the utilization of our hard earned skills we were able to save the customer $2,000. Well done, Jason!

This is a full Schluter Systems shower with a ten year warranty. We used Paneria porcelain tile from TIlehouse in Marietta (thankyou Charlie and Cindy) We handled the installation of a new tub and plumbing fixtures with our plumber Matt. No painting was required in this space. Full silicone caulking was used as well as Custom's Prism grout. I made a video about the removable MagnaPanel tub front we installed for access to plumbing in the future if needed.

This remodel went very smoothly because we were able to manage this job and use our well developed system which has us consistently  producing high end finish products. This customer was able to experience our "full service" tile job.  I thank you Patrick for having us and I hope you enjoy your new bathroom.

Our first book review.

Our first book review is based on the work of Adam Toporek, "Be your Customer's Hero." There was a lot of good information in this book about the relationship between service professionals and customers. I can cite the main takeaway from this book in the authors own words...

"To be your customer's hero means to make his day a little easier and put a smile on his face. To be your customers hero means to solve her problem and lessen her stress. To be your customer's hero means to decrease his anxiety and make him feel appreciated. Put simply, To be your customer's hero means you've had a positive noticeable impact on your customer's day."

Often times, we as tradespeople focus all of our energy on the task of becoming the best tile installers we can be so a lot of the technical aspects of customer service get put by the wayside. This book reminded me that our number one priority is the happiness and loyalty of our customers. It also helped me see what part of our business we are really good at because of our business system.

In chapter 20 the author spoke about what he called service triggers. The one that stuck out to me was the service trigger of being "shuffled". With abigger company often times you have to speak to three people to get what you want. We've all been victims of this situation: You're on the phone with one person...you tell that person your complaint...and in response you get "I'm sorry, let me transfer you to x,y,z department. That is being shuffled. Being a smaller operation like we are our strength is that you will never be shuffled. You talk to the person doing your work and therefore the person with the power to make decisions. A positive for our customers.

Another important part for me that magnified my weakness was when he spoke about not taking complaints personally. I'm guilty of that because of my passionate state. Sometimes I just need to back up and realize that complaints or comments are a learning experience and often times have nothing to do with me.

I also took a lot from Chapter 13 called "Everyone's been burned". We run into these customers all the time that have been shafted by construction companies in the past. We actually love these customers because we get to repair their wounds with our excellent service and trade competence.

The last point I took from this book was to LISTEN and ask a ton of GOOD QUESTIONS. Those are items I can improve on as well. My goal is to make my customers feel a certain way and help them attain a desired outcome. How can I do that without hearing them out completely?

I'm putting effort into being better , so what can I say. I'm definitely not perfect in any way and it is a lot to juggle wearing multiple hats...worker, artist, installer, manager, leader, sales, accountant, etc...but I wouldn't have it any other way.  The only limits I have are the ones in my mind. This book put a mirror in front of my face letting me see my weaknesses and my strengths as well as giving some very handy real world tips on customer service. I want to be your hero! Let me be your hero! 

A great tile guy thinks 10 steps ahead.

A great tile guy thinks 10 steps ahead and twenty years down the road. While installing a bath tub in one of our latest bathroom remodels we installed a MagnaPanel which makes it possible to access the plumbing underneath the tub in case there are any plumbing issues down the road. This is a great example of a preventative measure we take in order to alleviate any issues in the future.  This is also why we love Kerdi board. Schluter systems has come up with products that have so many uses during a tile project. After we have the panel in place, we set tile directly to the Kerdi board, grout the vertical joints, then caulk around it. Keep an eye out for the finish product which will be posted to our website soon!

Below is a video of the installation...

New TCNA members!

Excited to announce that we are now Tile Council of North America members. TCNA is the governing body for the tile industry. They offer many perks including product vouchers, training courses and technical support. I'm personally excited for the sales training course so I can brush up on the old technique! We've always cited the 400+ page installation manual with questions and industry guidelines, but now its official.

The video below is just one example of many videos they offer. Not only is a TCNA membership good for installers but it's also soothing for consumers who can now be confident in the legitimacy of the tile installers they employ.

"IT LOOKS GREAT!" Why this one phrase can be the kiss of death in the tile industry.

In my mind, there are three reasons why people use tile as a building product in their homes.

Looks

Longevity

Functionality

I'll start with looks. There is a certain beauty to a tile bathroom or kitchen. People have been building with tile for centuries to put off the impression of wealth. When I see a beautiful shower or back splash it almost takes my breath away. Most homeowners buy tile for the looks. You imagine in your mind what the new tile project will look like and with so many different types of Mosaics, finishes, sizes....deciding what look your going for can be the most difficult part. I recommend scouring the internet, looking in magazines or speaking with skilled professionals to narrow down your search.

The second reason (and the most important) is the longevity. This is where your skilled installers come into play. Tile has been used for over a thousand years in some of the greatest architecture through out the world. Go to the Vatican, for example, to gain a complete understanding of the longevity of tile. When you have a tile floor put down it should last the lifetime of the house. The old cliché "set in stone" was created in reference to tile work. Longevity often gets downplayed and the importance of 'looks' gets inflated.

I want to speak about longevity because it is completely dependent upon what tile guy you chose. If any corners are cut, there is a chance your tile project will not last. If your tile guy is low skill, there is a chance your tile will not last. So on this website I try to give you information so you know what to look for when hiring installers. Not all installers are created equal...Does your installer back butter his tile? Does he get complete coverage while installing tile? Is he using high quality thin set and grout and the most modern water proofing techniques? Tile is a one time endeavor (and an expensive one) so it's important to verify what building techniques will be used in your home.  In Atlanta, Hamilton Tile makes a living off bad tile installers. All we do is tear out horrible tile work and do it right. Something to think about.

The last strength of tile is its functionality. Tile is tough as nails. If you have a splash installed we think about splattering spaghetti sauce. On a floor install we think about years of walking on it...and in a shower we think about building a custom plumbing fixture that directs the water from the shower head to the drain. Tile is by far the most functional building product and that is why there is an added expense to using it. Again, if you focus on the looks you're thinking of tile in the wrong way (although looks are still very important). We are the most desired and highest paid trades people in the industry because a great deal of trust is put in our hands. The amount of liability that is involved in some of the jobs we do is mind boggling.  You won't know if you hired a good tile guy or a bad one until the job is done, so that's why we focus on putting large amounts of content out onto the cloud in order to build our credibility. So if you truly worry about cost, consider tile for your next project because history has shown, if installed correctly, tile is the most cost effective building product in existence. Thanks for reading and I hope to hear from you soon.
 

Why we use tables for work platforms (& why you should too!)

I'm one of those guys that loves to watch how other builders do things. Something I constantly see out in the field is guys working off the ground. I see them set up their saws on the ground, their hole drills on the ground and I wonder...isn't that uncomfortable for them? I had to drag Jason along kicking and screaming...but I'm one of those guys who enjoys comfort when I work and now we always set up tables to put our tools on and work from. Not only is it better on our tools (from which our living is made) but it also better on our bodies. A lot of things we do is to lengthen our career longevity and using work platforms will do that, for sure.

Now use your imagination and think of a day filled with using your saw or a score and snap. Hundreds of cuts a day. Now imagine that every time you have to use your cutting utensil you have to get up and down off of your knees to do so. That line of thought just doesn't make sense to me. We already beat ourselves up everyday, why add more unnecessary pain to the process. Now the counter argument is that you have to carry a work platform with you and carry it to the jobsite. To me, this a small price to pay to work like a king instead of working like a caveman.

Every time I arrive on a job, I set up my saw and a work platform right next to it. I mean the thing is designed for space efficiency and it makes a great spot to set your towels to dry your tile after a cut, a great spot to cut holes in the tile, and a spot to perform any other task necessary for the job....STANDING! I'm always thinking of convenience because we have all heard the saying "time is money" and even more so any discomfort is going to take away from the quality of the finished product.

Keep your eyes open for the this on the job site....It's always something I giggle at when I see the poor worker up and down off of his knees when that transition doesn't have to be done. Heck, if you want exercise do some burpees, because that's what they're doing working from the ground! Notice the comfort in which we work below:

Setting tile on top of painted floors, A common mistake that you should avoid.

A quick post about removing paint or any other finish from concrete or wood before installing tile. About half of the time when we show up to a concrete floor to install tile we find that the floor has been painted. In a basement homeowners will do it to make the surface a bit more 'finished'. This paint becomes a problem because our tile will only stick to the floor as well as that paint is stuck to the concrete. We always grind off this paint. If you're spending good money on tile, you obviously expect longevity (as you should) It's imperative to have a clean concrete surface to apply the thin set to. In the past we've torn up tile applied over painted floors and that's a dream situation for us because the tile comes right up. That to me is evidence that a floor has to be clean of ALL past coverings. Don't be fooled by a dismissive builder who states that you don't have to do the grinding because your tile will only be stuck to the floor as well as the paint.

What is a dye lot and why do they matter?

Here's another reason we call ourselves "detail oriented"...A "dye lot" is the number printed on the box of tile that specifies when that tile was made...It's a batch number. We picked up tile today that was a different dye lot. We put a stop to the project because we will not install tiles that are made at different times and have different dye lot numbers. Although the difference in the tile may be very small between dye lots, there IS a difference. We make it a rule of thumb to CHECK the dye lot number upon pick up and if they are not all the same, we don't install the tile. We're not going to take the chance in your $20,000+ master bath. Another noted benefit of using Hamilton Tile.

Latest master bath prep stage 3

At this point in the process we're getting ready to water proof our shower. We have a custom pan packed and all our Kerdi board up. An important step here is re-securing our subfloor and I want to draw attention to this detail. Now most of your homes are built to minimum standards. This one is no different. To secure the floor the original "builder" used regular old 8Dcommon nails, not ring shank nails or screws, just the cheapest building material they could find. All those squeaks and lifted tile, cracked grout, etc in your home....that's because hundreds of small details were skipped in the building process. When we do a floor we're going to secure your floor with hundreds of high quality screws before any prep is done or tile is set. This seems like common sense, but it is uncommon in the industry. We're also going to GRIND your floor to have the cleanest substrate possible! We spend a ton of time on prep and I assure you, it is not wasted time.

Thin brick walls

We're better then anyone at putting up these thin brick walls. We bring the utmost efficiency and this process is a mess so our conscientious nature comes in handy! Extremely labor intensive, the worst part being 'piping' the grout in each and every joint. Takes a solid set of arms! Thanks to our third, Cain, for the help!

For a job like this, it's best to hire an expert!

We took this flower floor from an idea to what you see in the pictures below. This is a laundry room and our client wanted something custom. We went to Tile House of Marietta and started throwing ideas against the wall. We came out with flowers and plank tile. At this point we started devising a plan to get the floor done. The floor had joists 24" on center which would not have supported the added weight of tile so we added another layer of plywood. We couldn't use Ditra mat for underlayment because it is not rated for mosaics under 2". The only other option was Permat by Blanke and that's the blue you see in the prep photos. Next we set the plank tile...6"x36"....Let all that dry and we came back to get our mosaic area up to the same level as the plank. That required us creating a depth stick and filling the area with thin set so the flower mosaics would be at the same level as the planks. We let that dry and then set our flowers which involved cutting a hundred little pieces and putting them in like a puzzle. We let that dry and grouted with Prizm grout by Custom. Now looking at this 42sqft floor you would not think it would be this much work (over 20 hours) but when you're dealing with a custom floor the details all add up. These type of high end projects are perfect for us and I love them because they are functional works of art.

Ardex Thinset. We care about our stick-um. You should too!

We've been using Ardex products for a while now. Been able to form a really nice relationship with Fishman's in Marietta and it's a great store. Ardex X4 is our main thin set. It's really a very consistent, quality product. The best feature with Ardex X4 is no slake time. What is 'slake' you ask? Well, when mixing thin set you're going to give it one initial mix...however much you need, with whatever amount of water the thin set (or grout) calls for. After this first mix you let the thin set 'slake' for 15 minutes. This slake time allows for a chemical reaction within the thin set or grout to occur. All the different parts of the thin set or grout need time to blend with the water and fire off. After 15 minutes is up you hit it with your mixer and it's ready. With Ardex thin set slaking isn't necessary so over a day if you're mixing four bags you can save an hour of waiting on thinset. We also love the working consistency and I think a lot of that has to do with the sand they use. The video below shows what I mean.  Best part, above all else, is that this thin set dries HARD. All that being said, know that a lot of thought goes into the material we use and we're thankful to have Ardex products in our bullpen!

Backsplash Johns Creek

This is  a backsplash we did in Johns Creek. This one included the tear out and we went back with Kerdi board which is waterproof and most importantly dust free. It is also easier for us to use. The most important thing though, is using Kerdi Board compared to sheetrock is an UPGRADE. This stone had some problems in quality and I added some photos of the quality issues too. Different thicknesses, different lengths and sizes. Makes it much harder for the installer...but you know what, we regularly overcome this stuff. I just caution you, If you're buying tile, check the quality because it makes a difference. We also upgraded by using FULL SILICONE caulking for the junction of the Back splash and the counter, and Custom's Prism grout  with Ardex X4 thinset. The above details are not industry standard. The people we did this for were super nice and obviously value the right things in life... So kudos to them and we are off to do some more tile!

Just a wee floor.

One of our recent projects is this floor. Floor and Décor porcelain 12x24" tile ...Made in the USA...(thumbs up)  We used Ardex Fl Grout. Ardex X5 thinset is our new main squeeze, dries HARD with no slake time...."slake time" you ask? a talk for another blog. We ground glue off this floor. STICKY glue. (another service we provide) We applied crack suppressant. Every one of these tiles was back buttered and we installed four expansion joints. Our competition said the previous two steps were not necessary. (We investigate these things when allowed) Schluter A-125 thresholds in a couple of the doors. The A-125 is a ramp that transitions to linoleum. (or any lower service) Really is a nice little detail. Another great example of a "full service" tile job you can expect from Hamilton Tile. Located in Kennesaw, GA and hopefully we can get the homeowner to write a review for our website...(my new mission...."review section" should help) A few pictures of a lifetime floor.

Schluter Drain and Assembly

Here's a little video displaying the Schluter drain and assembly we use for our new showers.  We set the assembly in a wet bed of dry pack and we then begin sloping our pan. A 1/4" of slope per foot is standard. Now to clarify, we do not use foam pans. We custom pack all of our shower pans because when you have the knowledge and the ability, why wouldn't you? It's really been a great couple of weeks.

Schluter profiles

Schluter profiles can be used for many different applications. They function as a protective barrier for the edge of a tile. I also personally love the unique look they add to a shower or backsplash. We use them to edge curbs, inset boxes, in doorways as thresholds, and they also have a whole line of expansion joints. They come in plastic or metal with a range of different finishes, shapes and sizes. Check out the short video from the manufacturer and hopefully you'll allow us to use some profiles on your next project!

How your shower drain can make or break the final look of your new shower.

Compare and contrast the visual appeal of the top drain and the bottom drain and be sure to ask your potential installer, "What does the drain you'll be providing me with look like?"

Very often the smallest detail will make or break the over all esthetics of a shower. Factors like, what kind of grout did the installer use? Did they use 100% silicone sealant or bottom of the barrel latex caulk? And the granddaddy of pet peeves for me, did they use a high end drain or a drain that should have been left on the shelf at the tile store and not in your timeless, one of a kind, custom shower.

All of our showers come standard with a Schluter Systems Drain. Not only does Schluter produce a superior design in terms of engineering but the looks are second to none as well. The Schluter drain's engineering takes out multiple steps in the drain installation process, so again Schluter coming through with a simpler more efficient process for their installers.

Click here to read Schluter's full break down of their drain.

We install this drain on a 2" pipe and embed our pan around the drain body. There are no weep holes to mess with or pre slopes, This is a contained system and our water proofing membrane sits on top of the drain body itself.

As you can see the fabric sits on top of the drain and the slope directs the water into the plumbing and out of the shower.

Now below, for you to compare and contrast....we have the drain you've seen in every basic, builder grade, blow out special shower install. This ruins what would other wise be a beautiful shower install because the installer went cheap on one part! Yes, you can get alternative drain covers, but that will be an extra cost...the advantage of Schluter Systems is in their drain package you get a beautiful, heavy duty drain cover STANDARD at a cost of around $100. Start adding all the parts together on a traditional drain (for an updated, custom cover) you'll be close to that amount and you'll still have an antiquated, old school part in terms of engineering.

Here we have the design....same one that has been used since the 1980's even though there is better. This is the key functionary in a "water in, water out system" keep your weep holes free and be sure to install a pre-slope...or you'll have a swamp in your shower pan in no time!

A standard drain. Drab, melancholy...Just screaming to be freshened up! We will not install this monstrosity in your home!

Ultimately, your shower is something you will use everyday. After a hard days work, every morning, whatever your routine is. You'll spend upwards of $15k on this one of a kind investment. Why make it average and use a system, a drain, that is antiquated and dated. At the end of the day you should have the best, most modern and visually pleasing drain you can possibly get. Ask your installer, what kind of drain will you be using? What is the difference between a "contained system" and a "water in, water out" system. What are the advantages and disadvantages? ONE detail, like what drain is used can make all the difference! 

Schluter has many drain options. Brushed nickel, oil rubbed bronze, chrome, a tile-able option so you tile the top of the drain with whatever tile is in your shower pan, and linear drains.

A great finished product is essentially TEN SMALL DETAILS added up! We think 10 steps ahead and 20 years in the future to provide you with a stunning, one of a kind, functional masterpiece.

A one of a kind shower, not skipping the details.