Shower Repair in Woodstock, GA: Is it worth it?

To get right to the point, No. Shower repair is not worth the money or the hassle. If you have the resources I whole heartedly recommend doing a full replacement of your leaky, toxic shower.

This week I fielded a call from a man that has a shower that is leaking into his house. The corner bench was allowing water to escape and penetrate the sub structure, the pan was also holding water making it into a veritable swamp inside his house. Corner benches are notorious for doing this, simply put, because of improper installation and unscrupulous installers. As always, I told him we only do full replacement because he would be throwing "good money after bad" or my favorite, putting "lipstick on a pig".

There isn't one homeowner out there that wants to hear this diagnosis! A person purchases a home expecting their shower to be functional for the life of the home, It looks good, why wouldn't it? Unfortunately, a shower isn't like a furnace where it has a defined life span. When purchasing a house, the shower can be a mystery, a ticking time bomb, a wallet drainer.

Here in Atlanta, If I see a shower built with a "water in, water out" system (I can tell generally,  by the drain used) I assume it's a potential swamp, ripe for bacteria growth and filth. (Be sure to watch the video at the link above for a full description of a "water in, water out" system.) I make this assumption because of a pattern I've recognized among builders here, especially new home builders, whatever is cheapest, fastest...they will do. Including hiring unskilled, corner cutting tile guys. Ultimately, what does a builder care about the shower? Ten years is all it needs to last! That check will be cashed and there will be nothing the homeowner can do except buy a whole new shower on their own dime, some homeowners aren't prepared for this so they turn to a "shower repair".

Now if I see a Schluter Sytems drain, or a comparable drain, I assume the shower will be functional for life. With a "water in, water out" system, if the tile guy skips or ignores one step it will fail over time. With a Schluter Systems shower, the moisture management technology has a standardized installation process that makes it a fool proof, lasting install. A "water in, water out" shower construction system has proven to have a problem with longevity due to human error, which has been solved by the German engineers at Schluter Systems.

This leads me to the reasons I do not recommend "Repairing" a shower.

1. When repairing a shower you will be taking off the glass structure, the first two rows of the wall tile, the shower base including the curb and in the case of the man that called me this week, the bench. So, that is about two-thirds of the shower or about two-thirds of the cost of a BRAND NEW, MODERN SHOWER with a technologically superior water management system that will last forever. Does it make sense to go back with the same old school, "water in, water out system" and the same old tile and drain you had before? Who's to say the tile guy you hired that still uses the old building methods is going to build the shower correctly, so you don't have the same problem in 10 years again?

2. Tying in the moisture management system with the old tile is always a problem. When you tear out the two bottom rows of wall tile, How do you tie in the water proofing from the "new" tile to the old tile? Ask the tile shower "repair" guy this question, That'll be an interesting answer, I'm sure.

3. Matching the old tile you have currently to the new tile is next to impossible. Yes, you will get the new tile close, but it will never be the same. Even if you do find the same tile, the dye lots will be different. A dye lot number indicates when tile was made, and tile with different dye lots, although they are the same model tile, will be different because they were made at different times. It will only be the SLIGHTEST difference, but they will be different. So, with an investment of time and money of this magnitude, Why not go all the way?

The number one reason Hamilton Tile does not do tile "repairs" is, where do we stop?  Say we agree to tear out your shower and "repair" it. We start the demolition and notice that the rot goes deeper and is more extensive than was originally thought, guess who now owns that shower and is responsible for putting it all back together. We are. So that brings up the question again, where do we stop?  You have a leaky, swamp in your house, we start tearing things out, there is evidence of rot above where we expected, do we keep going? Where do we stop?

It's illogical to build good work on top of bad. It's just a band aid. There are plenty of people who will gladly take your money for a "repair" but you mine as well set your money on fire because your house is not truly being fixed. You still have an antiquated shower but now it's with tile that doesn't exactly match, with water proofing that is incomplete, you've had a crew run rough shod through your life for a week, and your bank account is thousands lighter.

A lot of the issue is that people buy houses with features that they do not expect to fail, so a shower leak is a hugely unexpected bill for people on say, a fixed income. I realize people are inclined to fix a problem just well enough to get them through, but as I always say, If you think we are expensive...Try paying for it twice.

In this photo, the top couple feet have been removed...as well as the pan and the glass doors. This person can expect a hefty bill and the same old shower.

A tub to shower transfer for Dave in Woodstock, GA.

I was able to get some finished photos of a shower I completed in Woodstock, GA today. This was the second bathroom I did in this house and Dave and Mary were great customers! They did a lot of research before the project and invested a lot of time looking through my content, so the job sold itself. I love when people take advantage of my site to learn about me and our company because I put a lot of time into this platform and the whole idea of this site is to show and explain the difference between us and the next guy.

I often times get discouraged because I've been finding it hard lately to get people to CARE about any of...THIS (our online content) I suppose this business is a lot about social capital, who you know, if they "like" you, your charisma....We're a lot like Mike Holmes on HGTV, we come in assess the situation and tell people up front what they have to do. Not too much sugar coating. We're getting better at the sales side but it's not our strongest skill, so whenever someone calls me and says..."I've looked at your site/content and I like what I see", I feel like I have a better chance at booking the job and the introductory stuff is put on the back burner. But getting people to care and be interested in something other than price and who's going to come out and tell them what they want to hear and tap dance the best....It's tough!

With that being said, I will never give up trying to change the game here in the Atlanta area to better provide for my customers. People may not investigate online to find their tile guys at this point in time, but I'm going to stay persistent in hopes of changing the recruiting process for the better. I'm sick of seeing people being shafted by the smooth talker, the low price, the band aid, the minimum standard.

But as I said, Dave and Mary were very savvy and knew what they wanted and we got along great. They were awesome to work for. They cared about all the right things and as their reward they received an awesome finished bathroom that will last forever and looks great. Dave said to me today, "I'm going to live in this house for the rest of my life and I wanted something that would last. I never knew how much went into this until I watched you work and now I'm noticing shoddy tile work all over the place."

Tile house in Marietta provided all the tile and I thank them as well for taking care of my client so well. (Again and again and again and again)

Thanks for having me!

A full Schluter Systems shower with a standardized installation process and a 10 year warranty. The other guys are cheaper because they do not offer this level of moisture management. I'm Ben and I take immense pride in my work.

Had to use blue tape to cover these mosaic pieces because when grout gets into the crevices, it won't come out! I used Mapei's Flex color single component grout and it will look the same in 10 years as when I left. The other bid is cheaper because they are not using high end grout.

I used full silicone caulking (sealent) around all the plane changes (corners,etc) The other bid is cheaper because they are not using full silicone sealant according to ANSI standards.

An over size inset box and corner bench. Schluter Quadec brush nickle profile edging.

To top it all off, the best dog (and my favorite breed) DEUCE!!! Well behaved, friendly, great listener, loyal.

A great explanation of Traditional vs. Schluter.

This video best explains the difference between a traditional shower system and a Schluter System, officially known as a "water in- water out" system or a "sealed system."

This five minute video is a great educational opportunity before you make the large investment in a new shower.

Discover how to use Silicone caulking (sealant) like a true professional

Silicone caulking (sealant) is an excellent product and is required inside showers. Let us give you a lesson on how to silicone caulk (sealant) like a pro! Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy!

Discover an unfortunate and common mistake performed by cement board users...

Although we’ve retired the use of cement board underlayment (or CBU's - cementitious backer unit) long ago, while working in the field we see many tile guys still using this antiquated method to provide a bondable surface for their tile installation.

It still works. After all these years and many better products that do the same thing much better, guys still punish themselves using cement board. The dust, the grit, the weight…Forget about it! Ok, they use it, whatever…but do it correctly!

As a home owner or do it yourselfer…BE SURE YOUR CEMENT BOARD IS EMBEDDED IN A LAYER OF THIN SET WHEN USING IT ON A FLOORING APPLICATION!

It is shocking how many installers skip this step because it’s basic, beginner level competence. Let me tell you why it’s so important.

We put thin set under the cement board to support, or bed, the installation. It helps the installation to float on the structure and the thin set makes it so the CBU isn't bonded to the plywood. You need to make sure there is enough thin set to fill the voids in the sub floor. The thin set will allow the CBU to conform to the plywood and negates weak unsupported areas.

If you skip this step you will have air space underneath the tile installation. The air space will allow for vertical and lateral movement in the tile and the one thing you never want with tile is MOVEMENT! I can see the basic, builder grade tile installer saying “Just throw some more nails in it, It’ll be fine!” Wrong. This tile installer is breaking a cardinal rule of tile installation. The tile floor with cement board that was not bedded in thin set will creek and crack leaving cracked tile, missing grout, etc. A costly, failed floor.

People will skip this step to save a dollar and  save some time. You don’t have to mix up thin set or spread it, so this cut corner makes the installation ‘easier’. This cut corner is common on builder grade jobs because it’s very rare for the installer to be held accountable. This cut corner causes the future homeowner a ton of problems, and gives us job security.

Remember, if you’re going to use cement board….embed it in thin set and if you’re smart and want to improve…Switch to Ditra by Schluter Systems or a comparable product!

The video below shows an installer with a taste for cement board properly installing it.

An example of a white Schluter profile edging with white subway tile.

I've looked all over the internet for an example of a white Schluter Profile edging white subway tile to no avail. So, being the content creator that I am, I decided to make my own explanation/example video for any one wondering what the two put together will look like!

My weekly vlog entry:

How to water proof a barrel ceiling (or any curve) using Schluter Systems Kerdi Fabric

A quick vlog entry about how to water proof a barrel ceiling (or any curve) using Schluter Systems Kerdi Fabric.

A bit of a technical walk through.

This is a steam shower in Canton, GA. Particularly, with a steam shower,  having it water and vapor proof is of the utmost importance. This is how we do it! 

The top mistakes homeowners make when hiring a tile installer: How to not be a victim of construction malpractice.

This week I received two, count them TWO, stories of tile malpractice. Both stories pertaining to how they thought they were hiring the right person, only to find the work low quality, esthetically and mechanically, when it was completed. I hate to say that both callers were victims because they did not perform due diligence in the recruiting process, but it’s the truth.

I have so much sympathy for these people because we’ve all felt the pain involved in being ripped off. The worst part is that the person doing the ripping is usually protected and the consumers will never see their money again. Small claims, crying, hitting the wall…It’s over once the money hits the contractor’s bank account.

When you are searching for a tile contractor, all the hassle, the pain of losing and not being happy is avoidable if you follow these simple steps.  Be aware of these few key components while hiring a contractor:

1.       Never make the decision based on price alone.

This is a hard one because prices in the tile industry vary, but a good rule of thumb is, if one bid is double the other bids, wouldn’t it be smart to ask, why? Tile is ultimately a luxury and not everyone can afford to have it. Many companies will cut corners to get their pricing to a point where people who shouldn’t have tile can afford it.  That is the company you do not want to hire. With tile there are MANY corners that can be cut to reduce the overall cost… but cutting those corners will also decrease the overall QUALITY. Continue to save your money and pay to have it done correctly. There’s no honor in buying a tile floor or shower that will fail in 5 years because it wasn’t installed correctly. My favorite saying is, ‘if you think we’re expensive, try paying twice.’ You are sitting there reading this and thinking, “Gosh, this guy is just trying to scare me, that never happens.” In Atlanta, GA I get multiple calls a month from people seeking to fix shoddy work. There is no repairing horrible tile work, I always tell them, it must be completely redone. Again, high-end tile work is expensive, there is no way around it. Another favorite line of mine, by John Ruskin the prominent English social thinker and philanthropist:

"There's hardly anything in this world that a man can't make a little worse and sell a little cheaper & the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey"

 2.       Not performing due diligence in researching the potential hire.

This is the number one reason people get had. It is very common for people to hire a contractor based on recommendations alone. This has been a traditional method and often it’s a great way to find someone to do work in your home. But people, IT’S 2017! If the contractor you’re hiring doesn’t have an extensive UP TO DATE portfolio of his work, multiple great reviews, if he doesn’t provide references…you’re taking a risk going from anecdotal evidence from one friend. Look at my site…I have videos, blog posts, pictures, descriptions, I offer do it yourself content and reviews. If the person you’re hiring doesn’t have that, keep it moving! Not to mention, is the person a certified tile installer? Are they a member of the NTCA? Their local chamber of commerce? We are, and that is all to instill confidence in our customers. How many jobs have  I booked where the homeowner never asks for my Insurance or workman’s comp information? My licensing? If you don’t cover those bases, you’re in trouble!

            3.       Hiring a “handyman” a general contractor or a non-specialist.

Oh, this is a great one! Jason recently went to see a steam shower that was hacked so badly and of course it was beyond repair. When asking where the man found his tile guy, he told Jason that it was his plumber who did the tile work! O yeah, the plumber said he could handle tiling a steam shower, maybe the most technical application in the tile business. This is where the old saying, “Jack of all trades-Master of none” comes into play. I have never met a person who was GREAT at everything, especially a highly specialized trade like tile. We do this trade day in and day out and we’re STILL learning! If you’re hiring a non- specialist to install a shower or a technical tile project…you are in for a rude awakening. 

4.       Putting your trust in a general contractor.

Ok, time to beat up on the “builder guy” who can handle every aspect of building a house and knows someone who can competently perform every trade…YEAH, RIGHT! Those people are out there, I’d say one out of every 25 builders are great. That’s low. The guy you’re talking to right now probably talks a big talk, but once he books your job he’ll be calling around asking me, without meeting me, if I’ll come to your house and tile your bathroom on a weeks’ notice. You think I’m messing with you? No, not at all. Builders regularly call me to complete tile work on short notice. You think they’ve had time to vet me? On top of that, builders are always trying to increase their profit, so they’ll charge you $10 dollars a square foot for the tile work, and give the tile guy $2 and make him provide the thin set. What kind of quality do you think said tile guy is going to produce? He doesn’t know you, He doesn’t care…He’s pushing for volume. How many jobs can I pound out in a week to feed my family? You can have volume or quality, you can’t have both! So you potentially found a good general contractor…. ask to meet his crews (the guys who will be doing the work) and see their credentials… …don’t just take his word for it. How long has he been working with his crews? Ask the contractor how much time he will spend on your job site making sure things turn out the way they should…the “brief case builder” type is RAMPANT in this business. BEWARE!

5.       Hiring based on “cult of personality” instead of credentials and certifications.

Another no-no. You call up your list of tile guys and you meet with 4 of them and end up hiring the one with the quarter back good looks, the bright smile, the lifted truck. He says all the right things and gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling inside. He hunts, he loves the same football team as you, he goes to your church…and you trust him based on emotions. I get it, it’s easy to work with someone you like personally…but the big question is, does this person know ANYTHING about tile!? I call this mistake hiring based on ‘cult of personality’ I think I originated the term…I see it all the time and it’s a mistake. You should hire based on credentials, certifications, portfolios and if you like the guy, all the better. With that being said, some of the best builders I’ve known are curmudgeons, yeah they’re a bit salty at times, but that is because they spent their time mastering their trade instead of developing a ‘golden tongue’ with no substance to back it up.

6.       The assumption that all trades are the same and tile installation is simply ‘labor’.

The tile guy is king. Tile is an extremely specialized trade and the amount of knowledge and experience involved is palpable. It’s not a trade that anyone with shoulders and feet can perform. You must be an artist and a worker combined to produce high end work. It’s not like digging a ditch or cleaning a stall, you must know what you are doing. The more credentials you can see from your potential tile installer, the better. If you can go on his Instagram account or Twitter and see that he is constantly training and learning, even better. If the person takes pictures of his work, that means he takes pride in what he does. Limit your assumptions. Great, your dad was an electrician…you have a basic knowledge of construction, awesome. That doesn’t mean you know the first thing about setting tile. Your house will be bought or sold based upon the tile work…So look at the person you’re thinking of hiring and ask yourself, “Will this person go the extra mile for me?”

Lot of tough love in this post, but it pays to be cautious about who you hire to come into your home and perform the work that amounts to a major investment. These six items are a warning seen through the eyes of this tile installer…I’m sure there’s more, but these are the common ones that run through my head when I field the call from a frustrated homeowner. I hope they’re helpful and don’t forget…Tile is permanent! 

“You think tile is expensive? Try paying for it TWICE!”

Add another positive review of our tile work from Alpharetta, GA!

Here's another 5 star REVIEW! Thank you Paul in Alpharetta, GA!

Everything you read on this website is an accurate representation of who we are and what we do...

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Beautiful, High End!

A good tile installer is KING...& other revelations you've never thought about.

“I had no idea tile work was so technical and such a process” my recent client said to me.

“It’s fine everyone says that!” I said, shaking my head.

It’s true, most people have no idea about the thought, the labor, the planning, that goes into high end tile work. Often times, I feel people will compare the tile guy to the framer, the sheet rocker, the electrician, the plumber… It’s all the same, right?

WRONG.

Tile installation is leaps and bounds different than any of the other trades that are involved in building houses for MANY reasons, and in today’s blog post I’m going to attempt to differentiate my trade from all the rest and explain why the tile guy, at one time, (and maybe this is even making a comeback) was the KING of the jobsite.

1.       There are so many different applications for tile it is nauseating. Most of the time I tell people that I’m a tile guy, they automatically come back with, “Oh, I have a floor at home that’s awful” or some other flooring related tile comment. Flooring is one small portion of what you can put tile on. Walls, showers, fire places, outside, inside, back splashes, kitchens, bathrooms and they all have different installation practices that we must be knowledgeable about. Look through this site...No two jobs are the same!  A 400-page TCNA manual is our bible for installation and a frame of reference for you on the amount of knowledge necessary to get a lifetime install. Now compare this to a sheet rocker…Not downplaying what they do, but hey, put this sheet rock up and finish it. Pretty straight forward in comparison. When you have a customer, who wants a custom shower, not only do we have to build a custom plumbing fixture that takes 1100 inches of water per person, per year, from the shower head and directs it to the drain…without a leak inside the finished home…but we also must be experts at adapting different material to the space. Which leads me into my next point…

2.       The plethora of different materials, all with different expectations. Ok, framer, take this WOOD and frame this WOODEN house. Again, not downplaying the other trades but wood basically costs what it costs. Whereas every tile is different. They have Porcelain, Natural stone, glass…all different sizes and prices which take different levels of preparation and oh, you want that glass in your shower, you’ll have to buy an extremely expensive thin set! Oh, you bought a cheap porcelain, well now your tile installer gets to wrestle with getting it to set flat. The WORLD of different patterns as well that all take a different amount of effort and time. A 1” hexagon set to a pattern inside a shower pan is a whole different ball game than a 12”x12” porcelain straight set on a floor. It’s ALL DIFFERENT so pricing varies from one job to the next and justifying the added cost to your customer can be a nightmare. Whereas a sheet rocker, painter or framer can make up a square foot price and go from there. Any tile guy who works by the square foot is crazy because of the variety of different tile and what it takes to put it in. One quote can vary so much from the other because of things like, is the other guy using the hand book method or is he a fly by night type, a basic, builder grade, ‘looks good from my house’, type…Yes, your friends project cost X to tile with Y tile, which is completely different from the tile you chose and where you want to put it! Not to mention the possibility that your friend’s installer was of the unscrupulous brand mentioned earlier…

3.       The number of different tools and set up time it takes to build with tile. Setting a floor with 12”x12” tile is the baseline, easiest thing for a tile guy…takes basic tools and you can do high volume in a day, BUT NO ONE CHOSES SMALL TILE! We recently installed a 3’x2’ tile…enormous tile. Let’s bust out the $3000 dollar saw! Not to mention you can’t efficiently go to two different jobs in a day like say, the electrician can. The electrician grabs his tool belt and different tools and can move from job to job without any issue in one day. Every job the tile guy goes to there is at least a one hour of set up time. Four buckets of water to fill up, saw set up, lay out…It’s not even worth it because by the time you move from one job to the next, you chew up half the day. So generally, when you set up a job…. you stay till that job is done! We bill mostly by the day even if we only work 5 hours, because we are generally stuck at that job. You’re not going to pick up and move to another job because the actual act of setting up again is daunting and you don’t get anything done. Not to mention separating your brain from one technical project, to a totally different complicated project.

All this for a small one day job!

4.       We depend on the conscientiousness and competence of the other trades. All the guys at the beginning of a project have it easy! Anything that doesn’t turn out right, ah, let the next guy fix it. Hopefully, a good builder/general contractor will catch them slipping and require them to make it right…but more times than not they don’t catch it and keep the project moving to meet a deadline!  The tile guy is always the last guy in when not only most of the money has been spent on other things, but also, we must fix all the work other less fastidious/aware/critical/discriminating trades have done. The framer leaves a stud that’s proud or not plumb, the tile guy will fix it. The sheet rocker doesn’t finish the walls correctly or leaves a bump or finishes the corners leaving a bunch of buildup…. The tile guy fixes it. The plumber puts the drain in the wrong place, can’t the tile guy fix it? The painter gets paint all over the floor where tile is going…. Don’t worry the tile guy will use a day, rent a machine, and grind it all off! The tile supplier cheapens out their process and makes a warped tile, guess what, the tile guy will make it right! The concrete crew leaves a wavy floor with dips and dives and the customer wants tile on the surface, well the tile guy will have to spend time flattening the floor and break the news of the unexpected expense to the homeowner! Every trade that kicks the can down the road or doesn't do their work to a high level...the tile guy takes care of it. It’s a harsh existence so with our system we use our plumber who we know is competent, we do our own framing because tile guy flat/plumb/square is different than framer flat/plumb/square. It really speaks to the degradation of the trades in the USA that “every man for himself” attitude. Of course, homeowners have no conceptualization of how each trade working together is so vital to a beautiful, high end finished product. So, ultimately having a tile guy that is well rounded in ALL trades is what differentiates us from the electrician who only must worry about one aspect of the building process.

Just a bit thinner than the other one! Don't worry we'll make it right!!!

Just a little bit different sizing! Don't worry we'll make it look right!

"We want this deck tiled and my builder told me it was ready!" Sorry, but basic codes (if they were read) would say that 2"x8" aren't rated for this span and we need to re-enforce them...just an extra $5k. Thanks framer!

Every. Single. Time. What, the other trades don't clean up after themselves? Don't worry, we'll get it!

We'll just shim these walls for a day and make it right! Don't worry about crowning your studs boys or making the walls plumb, We'll spend the day fixing it!

In closing I hope you can think of your local tile guy as the special entity that he really is. (if you have a good one) Not only is he a finish guy, who must have that eye for the details, but he also has to be a rock hard, strong minded worker who produces. Not every trade has to combine those traits…

I’m so hard on builders, general contractors and the like because they are ultimately the end all be all. The buck stops with them. If they don’t pay attention to the framer and hold them to a high standard, it trickles down to us. If they don’t hire competent sheet rockers and painters, it trickles down to us. Oops, the trim guy dropped his hammer on your tile floor, we must replace it, for example.

This post leaves me feeling vented and feeling good because I know my own importance on a job site. Everyone else can kick the can down the road, but the buck always stops with the tile guy. Our work sells houses and draws the eye. We really are the king of the job site. As I mentioned earlier, we’re part builder, part artist.

So, when you’re hiring your next tile guy… understand he or she is not like all the rest of the trades. We are the ultimate producers and you aren’t paying for the persons’ labor, but you are paying for their eye, their painstaking, scrupulous finishing touch. Tile is permanent, it’s not fixable, replaceable, paintable…It’s meant to last forever…You don’t like a paint color, change it…you don’t like a fixture…take it out put a new one in…. you don’t like a light switch, change it! You don’t like your shower…. have fun living with it or paying an exorbitant cost to take it out and replace it. So, spend the extra money, spend time planning and plotting…and make sure you buy something you can see yourself living with for an extended period. Also, make sure you hire someone you trust, with credentials an extensive portfolio, and someone who stays on top of current trends and installation practices. You’ll be glad you did.

At Hamilton Tile, we are

CTI CERTIFIED TILE INSTALLERS

WE USE THE HAND BOOK METHOD

WE HAVE 20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

JASON IS A TRADE SCHOOL GRADUATE

WE HAVE AN EXTENSIVE PORTFOLIO

WE GIVE DETAILED PROPOSALS EXPLANING THE SCOPE OF THE WORK

WE GIVE SECOND TO NONE CONSULATION SESSIONS

WE THINK 10 STEPS AHEAD AND 20 YEARS IN THE FUTURE.

A great PH NEUTRAL cleaner recommended by a tile guy.

You just bought yourself a new tile shower, don't ruin it by cleaning it with an acidic cleaner!

Acidic cleaner will eat your grout and etch your tile. Using a regular cleaning product (Clorox, bleach, vinegar, etc.) will ultimately DESTROY your shower!

This PH neutral product will keep your shower from getting damaged by acidic cleaners.

This is a Laticrete product and this tile guy highly recommends it. M

Can't go wrong. Give it a try and be sure to give it to the cleaning lady too, if you have one!

 Click the photo below to be re-directed to the supllier.

How an installer can extend his life and have more longevity (& why consumers should care)

On September 23, 2017 the United States Government levied a new set of rules on the construction industry. The rules state that individuals cannot be exposed to silica dust in the air over 250 micrograms per cubic meters per eight hour day. That is reduced from 50 micrograms issued in 1971.

What is silica dust? Silica dust is in most of the products we use in the tile business. Thin set, cement board, cement (in general) natural stone…It all emits silica dust during the cutting or grinding process. If a person breathes in silica dust it can lead to lung cancer, kidney disease and pulmonary disease. ‘Black lung’ is a condition that coal miners get and is similar to silicosis.

So this is some pretty serious stuff. Have you ever thought Tile work could kill a person? We at Hamilton Tile have been aware that this is coming down the pike for some time and we’ve been preparing. No one here wants to get sick from doing our trade but that is the deathly reality of working in construction today.

Not too long ago we were working in a showroom doing tile work with a few other crews and it really was a microcosm of what makes us different from them. While we were cutting dust free on our ‘score and snap’ cutters, another crew of guys (with complete contempt for themselves and everyone else’s health) were cutting tile inside with dry hand grinders throwing dust into the air. I was so frustrated I had to tell them to stop and they looked at me with a blank stare. A fine example of conscientious professional tile installers and the basic builder grade laborers.

Now today if they were to do that, and an inspector or OSHA rep were to walk on the site that company would be looking at a $12,675 fine for the first offense as a punishment for endangering everyone’s health. Repeated violations would be $127,000!

To me this is also a sign that cement board will be leaving the market very soon. There is no possible way you can cut cement board without some amount of dust coming off of it and 250 micrograms of dust is NOTHING! Most companies will be in violation if they are cement board users.

A tile guy who cares about his health and hopes to live a long life and be in the business for an extended period will be like us and move to foam boards and membranes. We have also taken other steps:

This vacuum is $300 on Amazon and it is an OSHA compliant Hepa vacuum. That Rigid vacuum that we once utilized and that EVERYONE seems to be using, is NOT compliant with the new rules and does not collect small micro particles of dangerous, deadly dust. This vacuum has dual, self cleaning filters and is EPA certified. Yes, it is more of an investment but our customers deserve to have people who care working for them and this Is a start. It's not only our health, it's your health TOO! 

That blue piece that is on the edge of our mixing bucket is what they call a "whales tail" It sucks the dust plume out of the bucket and into the vac when you're mixing mortar. I watch many mix mortar and when they put the thin set in the bucket they get an immediate blast of deadly silica dust to the face. Using the 'whales tail' in combination with the HEPA vacuum collects most of the dust.

This is a dust deputy which adds another layer to the dust collection process. Before the dust goes into the vacuum it is collected by the dust deputy and helps the filters see less dust which in turns lengthens the life of the filter.

Here I am, clean shaven, with an OSHA compliant respirator that I wear regularly. It makes a TIGHT bond around my face and cartridges are changed regularly. I see a lot of paper masks in the field, you know the ones, they sit loosely on the face and do not make a tight bond. THESE DO NOT WORK! They add very little protection and are one SMALL step above the old bandanna technique!

Then we add DUST SHROUDS for our grinders as another layer of protection.

Now, the federal government has really added another cost to doing business but ultimately it will drive people to protect themselves. When you get a bid for a job be sure you're comparing apples to apples. We are not perfect but we attempt to comply with federal law and protect ourselves at the same time. We're in this for the long haul.

When our bid is much higher then the other outfit, our company being in compliance with OSHA's silica dust standards is one reason why.

Imagine the added cost of all the extra tools, whenever someone is working with dust having someone else collect the dust in a vacuum, the discomfort of masks, and the skill involved in dust remediation.

I'll dare to say if the company you chose over us is throwing dust into the air and OSHA or an inspector comes to the site and levies a fine, it will be unlikely they will finish the job. Not to mention it is not only unhealthy for them, It is unhealthy for you and your family, neighbors and pets.

I will continue to state that our mission statement is to put a new face on the construction industry through conscientious attitudes, long term, lasting quality projects and direct communication with highly skilled, intelligent workers. Following basic federal guidelines is part of the mission statement because it proves we are in it for more than the now and that we really are striving to separate ourselves from the pack!

Another excellent tile bathroom in Kennesaw, GA

Our latest bathroom remodel in Kennesaw, GA was a real doozy. A dual bathroom remodel in the same house. Incredible clients. High end work and we are very proud of it. The downstairs shower had a tileable linear drain, and we custom made the shower pan tile. VERY large tile inside the shower and Jason was able to make these walls nice and flat for a small grout line and a lip free tile installation. Our plumber really did a great job putting in this large fixture! I love the sleek, cleaning looking soap niche, which really puts a great touch on this shower. Not to mention the natural light from the window, edged with Schluter Quadec profiles. The floor is a 12"x24" tile from Tile House in Marietta. Cindy, again providing excellent design service and consultation for the outstanding owners of this home.

A small improvement! I love the before and after!

A sleek inset box edged with Schluter Quadec profiles.

The upstairs bathroom was also a design gem. The bathroom floor was a flat finish 12"x24 porcelain tile that looks like natural stone. To contrast the floor the two inside walls were a gloss 12"x24" porcelain of the same line. What a great detail! The back tub surround wall was a handmade mosaic as an accent! Again, a sleek, large inset box for all their soap needs.

Our plumber also installed this luxury bathtub and we edged the floor with a tile trim topped off with Quadec profiles. Very sharp!

These were a couple of nice jobs for a couple of people that we really enjoy working for. There are more projects in this home that we will be completing and we completed the tile in Bob's daughters house as well. 

During the time of this remodel I added a new member to my family. Baby Rosalie Maria Santos was born on September 10th, 2017 and Bob, the owner of this home, made her a great welcome gift that I was so excited and happy to receive. He is an excellent wood worker and quite capable. He is a true artist and the fact that we pleased him with our work really means a lot to us.

Now let me be a proud papa here a little bit....

Baby Rosie.

Look at that cutie!

Look at this incredible train set Bob made me! Homemade gifts are the best. Especially from a talented person!

He even made a gift for Jaiden's birthday! His wooden art is incredible as well!

Call us today for a superior bathroom remodeling experience. You will be happy you did!

An East Cobb bathroom remodel coming together for the finish.

This is a wonderful job filled with natural stone tile work in East Cobb, GA. My client Anne was certainly a design centered client who wanted a high end finished product. Again, a homeowner who was cautious about who she hired due to a history of backwards, basic, minimum standard workers who would leave her high and dry with a finished product she didn't love. So, Hamilton Tile came in and gave her what she deserved and left her feeling like she made the right decision.

We start with the guest bath floor which was a real gem. There was an extreme amount of prep to get this floor flat enough for a large format tile. It dropped two feet in front of the tub by as much as a 1/2". What a caddy wampus setup! Again, workers during new construction casting aside all the rules and putting something together that workers in the future would curse them for! (under my breath of course)

We went in with a 12x24 natural stone tile, 1/3rd offset with a small grout joint. With tile trim around the perimeter. We used silicone to caulk all of the plane changes, (wall to floor, tub to floor) and a high grade Prizm grout. (oyster grey.) We went ahead and sealed it for good measure! Of course there is carpet in the other room, so an important factor with a tile install is, will your tile installer unite the carpet with the new tile? It's an important question to ask because not all tile installers will. It requires that we put on our carpet guy hat, bust out the carpet kicker, carpet trimmer and tack strip and go to town. It's all about the details and putting the carpet back together is what we mean when we say "full service."

After I had completed the floor, Anne alerted me that I did a great job by offering me another job in the same bathroom. She wanted some artisan tile work done around the mirror. This job was a bit more complex because it required extensive consultation and planning. This part of a tile job is what we pride ourselves on. The fact that you can sit down with us,  tell us what you want and we can verbalize the pros and cons and what to watch out for is invaluable. We decided how the artisan tile would install around the mirror, discussed the positioning of the mirror, managed expectations, laid everything out and after the mirror was installed we put the tile up. It really turned out great making this area really stand out.

As you can see, our portfolio is constantly growing, which signals the fact that we are a business that is consistent, conscientious and customer service focused. Be sure to check out the Five Star review of this project on our Google review profile and I wish you calm seas on your next remodeling project.

Our latest tile tub surround in Woodstock, GA.

Here we are again, going above industry standards to create a product that combines Looks, Longevity, and Functionality.  With all our projects we make it a point never to cut a corner. NOT ONE. Why you ask? We're not in this business for short term gain.

"There's hardly anything in this world that a man can't make a little worse and sell a little cheaper & the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey" - John Ruskin

With every job we are lucky enough to perform, we use methods that have been tested to ensure a lifetime installation and a product our clients will be happy with forever. That's what tile is...A forever product. That is, if it is installed correctly. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can make tile LOOK decent, but to have something that will last the lifetime of your home (the whole POINT of tile) you need a conscientious, meticulous, intelligent installer that cares about the rule book.

On this bathroom remodel, we water proofed the inside of the tub surround, which isn't actually required and most tile guys don't, but we go the extra mile. Will your contractor? We back buttered every tile to ensure complete coverage and support and to also ensure there will be no cracked or moving tile five years down the road. We used high end thin set and high end grout. Our inset decorative band is flush with the outside tile. We used updated Kerdi Profiles for edging so this bathroom will look current 20 years from now instead of dated bull nose. We honored expansion joints in the concrete accord to standards in the ANSI manual. We used full silicone caulk inside the shower at all plane changes (corners, tub to tile) which is highly uncommon in the trade. Silicone, because latex caulk is NOT RATED for a wet area. Is your contractor doing that? Finally, we brought the tile all the way to the ceiling instead of doing what most do and ending the tile a foot below the ceiling to save $25 dollars. 

This is a group of about ten details which make this a superior tile job. Details in general is what differentiates a great job from a so/so job. Ten details ignored makes for a project that will give you as a homeowner a problem.

Look at your contractor and ask yourself, Is this a man (or woman) who will perform the extra step for me?

Jason, the fearless leader, displaying a beautiful back splash in the same basement wearing our HamiltonTileGA.com shirts. Fresh from the press!

Separating our company from the pack.

In recent days the opportunity to advance into certified tile installer status came upon us when Tile Shop, in Kennasaw , GA allowed local tile guys to use their warehouse to become certified Tile installers. The CTEF (Ceramic Tile Education Foundation) puts on an extensive hands on test, physically verifying installers using skills and validates that they are performing industry standards. You are given directions and materials and told to build a timed test project...each installer's work is individually graded by the CTEF's evaluator. This is the most difficult 25sqft any installer will ever set. They also have a 155 question written test based upon NTCA and ANSI standards. Jason Hamilton was able to pass and become one of 1300 Certified Tile installers in the country. A very big accomplishment and a proud moment for any legitimate tile guy.

After 20 years in the industry Jason says having his certification is one of the most gratifying accomplishments of his long career.

Another achievement that separates Hamilton Tile from the pack & speaks to Jason's overall proficiency in his field.

Be sure to ask your potential tile guy, are you a Certified Tile Installer??? I am proud to display this badge!

Our latest finished tile bathrooms around the Atlanta area.

We have been very busy lately!. There is no doubt we are finishers, taking these projects from ideas to reality.

This tub surround is an interesting piece in Sandy Springs, GA. I like this one because it takes a traditional subway tile, but instead of white, they decided to go with gray. The floor in this area are 12"x24" porcelain tile. Looks a lot like natural stone though, doesn't it? That's the beauty...the look of natural stone...without the maintenance!

This full tile shower in Sandy Springs, GA was a very interesting project. It has traditional slate tile on the floor, which isn't my favorite to work with...actually I despise it because of the different thickness, sizes and variation in the tile, but let's face it....I'm not paid for my opinion. Let me say this...When you're a person like me who goes for flat, and smooth to the touch when installing tile....a slate project makes for a frustrating day.

Inside the shower was a 4"x4" white subway brick set with kerdi bar edging. They added a corner bench and Fusion pro single component grout for a maintenance free install. Only an interior designer could come up with a combination like this! Visit her website at www.heatherfulkersoninteriors.com.

This tile tub surround is in Johns Creek, GA and these folks were going all out renovating the inside and outside of their home. Simple subway tile tub surround.  All the way to the ceiling with the tile to show we are serious.

Milton, GA bathroom tile shower remodel.

This tile tub surround was located in Milton, GA. I really enjoyed installing this Arabesque floor and I was very happy with how it turned out. This tile was purchased from Floor and Décor which can be hit or miss, but the arabesque tile was packaged so meticulously, it was a breeze to install. A word about mosaics, the storage and shipping of this type of tile is of the utmost importance. Having it stored flat, and packaged securely (temperature controlled) makes it so the tile (which is glued to a mesh) does not get distorted which makes the sheets impossible to fit together with consistent grout lines. This stuff was packed on cardboard and wrapped in plastic and it even had directions and manufacturer information on the package. This is outside the character of floor and décor, but I like it!

Simple 3"x6" tile on the walls...again up to the ceiling to signal saving $20 isn't more important than producing a high end finished product.

Finally this natural stone center piece in Roswell, GA. This one was a designer piece with Hexagon tiles on the floor. I went off a drawing on this one and brought it in for the win. We have a natural stone on the walls brick set as well. A little bit more money put into this install but a stone product really screams wealth, prosperity and most importantly longevity.

Does your installer use 'The Handbook method'?

Over the last couple weeks we at Hamilton Tile have been studying for our Certified Tile Installer test. It's really tough! All this studying has left me motivated to write a little bit about different mind sets in the tile game.

Many tile installers that I see out there fly by the seat of their pants. You ask them why they do things a certain way and they'll say "Well, this is how we've always done it." Or we'll watch them work and shake our heads knowing that they are doing things incorrectly. Often times the most ignorant are the most confident in their position. (look up Dunning-Kruger effect) Ultimately it's no use even correcting them.

So what separates Hamilton Tile from the tiling drones?

We use the 'Handbook Method'

The 'Handbook Method' is an installation method that goes through an application and approval process by engineers and installers far smarter than we are. This approval process makes sure that the installation methods are tried and true. There are rigorous requirements for an installation technique to get into the 400+ page TCNA handbook. Following the handbook ensures a lasting tile installation, which is the most important part of tile and why you chose tile in the first place! We follow this book and do not deviate from it no matter how much a prospective client wants us to...and often times we pass on jobs because of this principled mindset...where the next guy would say "just doing what I'm told for the sake of working" NOT how you have a long term business and happy customers.

TCNA Handbook method requirements include:

1. Method is generic and products are available from more than one manufacturer.

2. All materials have been available nationally for more than 3 years.

3. The system is warranted by the manufacturers of the materials for recommended uses.

4. Meets applicable testing requirements

5. Handbook committee approves the methods.

Following the Handbook method is extremely important because you can be assured you're project is not being installed according to a whim. "Oh, this is how I feel like doing this today." or "This is how we've ALWAYS done it" (The kiss of death!)

 I encourage you to ask your installer if he uses the 'Handbook method'...It's not an end all be all, but its a great way to tell if an installer respects industry norms and standards. If the installer doesn't know what you're talking about, I would recommend moving on.

If you are looking for a skilled installer visit: WWW.tile-assn.com or CeramicTileFoundation.org type in your zip code and they will direct you to someone who is a member and you'll be guaranteed someone who has achieved expert status in the tiling trade.

The best bathroom remodel in Marietta, GA

Back again with another tile update from Hamilton Tile! This bathroom for the Mayhew's in Marietta, GA was a tile emergency. Their previous shower was built so incorrectly it leaked to the point of rotting out their house. The old shower was your basic, builder grade, minimum standard, blowout special that we see so often:

So, looking at the photos can you understand why I'm so hard on builders? This is why when you find a good builder you should keep him around. It's not as if they don't know that a shower has to be water proof, a shower sees more water per year than your roof...A LOT MORE. Shoddy building all over Atlanta creates a living for us, but this degree of obsolescence is unethical. Many builders are just plain shady. There I said it!  This is why I put this information out there, because ultimately when hiring a contractor you have to watch out for yourself! If the price seems to low, it probably is. If your contractor can't tell you why he does things, he probably doesn't know. If he doesn't cite ANSI or TCNA standards...He probably doesn't care and he's making it up as he goes..

This shower leaked enough to rot out this engineered beam. It could have been much much worse than this. We ended up doing some creative framing and plating the beam with 2x10's. You can see the mold and the damage this improperly built shower perpetrated. It had no pre-slope and the tile was set directly to sheet rock. It was a real GEM!

Nothing we couldn't handle:

In this video we get to putting things back together....Not below standard, or minimum standards...but LIFETIME standards. Schluter Systems, Trade school graduate, 20+ years experience.

We ended up eliminating the tub and building a wall for the fixtures. Notice the cleanliness, getting a high end finished product starts with the basics that we learned in shop class. Keep your space clean and organized, that way your customer is happy and you get to keep all your fingers and toes because you're going to have an accident free job.

I see many of the 'pros' using ledger boards for their first row...Here's a note, If you're pan is level all the way around from the start...you don't have to cut your bottom row of tile. They all go up the same size all the way around.

Using a leveling system for large format helps get a lip free install! The leveling system is the green wedges you see in the photo. You embed a clip in the thin set under the tile and insert a wedge to pull everything flat.

A big difference from start to finish. This was a rewarding job for us not only because we're pursuing a passion but because we got to work with people that were invested more than monetarily in their project. We had done work in this house previously and from the start of this job the Mayhew's were involved and excited. Just the fact that they visited this website makes all the work I do on it worth it. Some guys dread working around intrigued clients, mostly because their work is not above board. We love the engineer types because they care as much as we do which adds a whole other level of satisfaction. Like we always say: "If you care about how your project is built, WE WANT TO WORK FOR YOU!" Thanks to the Mayhew's for having us.

Be sure to check out the positive review:

Hamilton Tile Google Review

Hamilton Tile Houzz Review

 

Be sure to check out my process video!

New to video making, but it adds a new wrinkle so you can really get a taste of what we do. I'm sure the hundredth one will be ready for Sundance. As Scott Adams says, it pays to have a good talent stack and videos are now just another piece to the puzzle. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Our latest Houzz review.

Our newest 5 star Houzz review. Click the link to learn more.

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