When people picture a tile project, they picture the finished floor or wall. The step that decides how long that tile lasts happens before the first piece is set: preparing the surface underneath.
Tile does not hide problems
Tile is rigid. If the wall or floor under it is uneven, soft or moving, the tile will show it as lippage (edges that do not line up), cracked grout or cracked tile. Fixing the surface first is much easier than fixing tile later.
Showers need the right backing
A shower wall gets wet every day. In a shower, tile goes over a backer board made for wet areas, not ordinary drywall. When an old shower is opened up, it is also the moment to check the framing and deal with anything that is not right before the walls are closed again.
On a recent DR Gates bathroom job, the old shower came out down to the framing. New backer board went up before the tile, and the finished shower got diagonal tile with black accents, a corner bench and a glass panel.
Floors need to be flat and solid
For floor tile, the floor should feel solid underfoot and be flat. Soft spots, bounce or dips are worth fixing before tile goes down.
Layout is part of the prep
Prep is not only about the surface. Planning the layout before setting decides where cut pieces land, how a pattern lines up with the room and where accents and trim go. A diagonal pattern or an accent row looks right because it was worked out first.
Questions to ask before your tile project
- What is going under the tile, and why?
- Will the old surface be removed or covered?
- How will the pattern and the cut pieces be laid out?
- Who handles any drywall, plumbing or electrical work that comes up?
Planning a tile project?
DR Gates Remodeling sets tile for floors, walls and showers in Scottsdale and McDowell Mountain Ranch, either on its own or as part of a remodel. Send a quote request or call (480) 231-6401.