STRAIGHT EDGE TILE

River Rock/Slate Shower

2011-06-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is a slate shower where one wall is tiled with river rocks coming out into the main bathroom. Slate is always an amazing challenge because it varies in shape, size and color. I like to seal all the slate once before installing. This makes it easier to remove thinset or grout that touches the surface. It also protects against water stains that may occur while using a wet-saw or grouting. Slate is very soft and porous and soap scum can easily be absorbed into the tile. I recommend using a penetrating sealer before installation and a sealer that stays on the surface after grouting. I did a total of three sealer coats on this job. Slate is a great natural stone that comes in so many colors and textures. Sometime you can find fossils in it too.

This is the view when you first walk into the shower.

It was kind of hard capturing this room with my camera. This is the wall that will have the sink & mirror on the outside of the shower. The insert boxes are opposite of this wall. The faucet and shower head are opposite of the rock wall.

Here I got to blend the rock wall into the base tile that frames the main bathroom floor.

Bathroom w/ Porcelain Floor Tile

2011-06-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

This is a simple diamond or 45 degree pattern based off the position of the shower. I started at the front door of the shower and centered the grout joint with the center of the door. I used a 1/8 inch grout joint throughout. The tile is made of porcelain with a high gloss finish. Simple but came out really dramatic.

The first picture is grouted and caulked around the tub. The next couple of pics are before I grouted.

Glass Mosaic Kitchen Backsplash

2011-06-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Below is a super clean and dramatic glass backsplash. Looks really striking against the dark cabinets. I had a lot of fun doing this one.

Photos by Amado Avecilla

Custom Shower w/ Natural Rock Floor

2011-03-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

This was a great job for many reasons. Since the "client" is a good friend, I (we) got to get really creative with the design. This is actually a complete renovation. New toilet, vanity, light, mirror and of course tile!

I did this feature band and feature "diamond" with 3/4 inch glass & travertine squares and framed it with travertine pencils the stick out to create sort-of ledge. Adds a lot of dimension to the overall design.

Here you can catch a glimpse of my custom soap dish. I make these out of field tile and face it off with a bullnose. If you've ever had problems finding one of those pre-made soap dishes because they never quite match the rest of your tile, you'll appreciate this technique.

Custom insert box or niche. This whole job started here. I wanted to get this lined up perfect. This took a lot of planning because you have to frame these boxes out with 2x4s in between the studs, then cover the framing with cement board, then water proof that and hope your measurements were accurate. If not, it takes a lot to take all that apart to re-frame it. I got lucky here. Or maybe I'm just good!

Custom Shower with natural rock floor 2

2011-03-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Below are more pics from the previous post.
This is a close up of the natural rock floor on the shower. There is a very slight slope for drainage. Looks and feels like your are walking in a shallow rocky creek in the woods. Great grout color to simulate sand.
Here is a shot of the main bathroom floor. I decided to do a diamond pattern to contrast the rectangles on the walls. Took more time, but was well worth it.

Hard to capture everything in these tight rooms. I tried to show the layout from inside the shower.

This a tile foyer that I installed months before the shower. It is actually the same tile that is in the shower, just different sizes and colors.

Wasn't sure how to address the diamond pattern with the closet, so I decided to just do the "brick" pattern in the closet to allow the diamond pattern to appear to be framed by a single darker tile. When the door is closed, it just looks like a dark brown frame. When you look inside, you see a charming brick layout.

Porcelain Tile Foyer

2010-10-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

Below is a simple, yet tasteful tile design for a relatively small foyer. Not too busy but still catches your attention. Every piece, except for the feature "dots" were custom cut for this installation. The tile colors and grout match the wooden stairs perfectly.

Travertine Outdoor Decks & Stairs

2010-10-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

Below are some pictures of a huge tile job I worked on with another company. I specifically worked on the stairs, which have lights embedded under each lip, the rails that hug the sides of the stairs, the edging on the balconies, and the block walkway through the gravel. Most of the field tile was done by co-workers.

In this shot, you can see the miter cuts that were needed allow the rail tile to meet the floor. Also, here you can see the tedious triangle shaped tiles that were custom cut to fit each space after the stairs were installed.

In this shot, I hope you can see more of the miter cuts for the rail tiles to reach the floor. These rail tile were odd shaped. They were square on one corner and about a 30 degree slant on the opposite corner. So trying to marry these pieces together was a great lesson for me in tile installation!

There were large pieces of travertine that were set on cement beds. I framed in each bed and packed in Portland cement and sand mix just like I would do in a custom shower floor. After the bed is cured, I remove the wood frames, waterproof the mud bed, and set the travertine tile on top.

Travertine Shower & Back Splash with Glass Feature Band

2010-10-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

This is a custom shower tiled in Travertine, a natural soap stone. This shower is in the same house as the Travertine kitchen back splash posted below. This is a masterpiece as far as design goes, in my opinion. And I'm not bragging, because I didn't design it. But, like the kitchen back splash below, the feature tile works perfectly with the field tile. The feature band includes natural stone and glass. As you can see, the feature band works as a back splash for the sink area and bleeds seamlessly into the shower. As you follow the band around to the front of the shower, it opens up to cover a wide open area on the wall. I also used the "pencil" tiles to outline the feature band and border the field tile. Below you can see how the insert box, or niche, is strategically places on the inside of the half wall. Not that it looks bad, it actually looks amazing, but in this spot is doesn't interrupt the flow of the feature band and it also doesn't clutter up the overall design of the shower.

Travertine Kitchen Back Splash

2010-10-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

This is a great example of a natural stone kitchen back splash. The design is tasteful. All the tile selections work great together. And the Travertine "pencil" bullnose is a great way to finish it off.

In this shot you can see the detail of how I had to address the angle of the cabinet coming out from the wall. So that top bullnose piece had to be mitered on both sides.

Luckily for me, the feature band fit perfectly below the window so no gnarly cuts had to be made.

Stone Shower with Glass Blocks & Insert Boxes

2010-09-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite bathrooms that I've done so far. Design wise it is about perfect. Everything is balanced. All the tiles are all made of the same material and are the same size. I just adjusted the shapes and angles to create texture and pattern variances. And I also got to use a lot of features that have practical applications and work great in the design.

This is the first time I've worked with glass blocks. Because I didn't have to stack them, I can't say that I got the real experience using them. But these came out great for what we needed them for. They provide light and a sense of openness.

Here you can see two corner shelves made out of the 12" floor tile. I cut a 6" triangle, slightly smaller than a half of a 12" tile from corner to corner. Then I use the bullnose to cap the front of the shelf. Because these are easy to make and they are made from the actual field tile, they are guaranteed to match better than any factory made shelf you can buy.

Glass Tile Back Splash

2010-09-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

Below is a 1"x 2" glass tile back splash. The home owner just had new counter tops installed and wanted something simple and modern for the kitchen. I used mastic to install the tile and a bright white grout & caulk to finish it off. Check out the detailed cuts around the window frame. This job was started in May or June but not enough tile was ordered. And what the home owner bought was the last of the supply! So about 80% through the job, it had to be put on hold for the rest of the tile to be ordered. Now, when using tile from two different dye lots, there are always variations in color. This time I think the new tile blended pretty well with the old. The glass has so many reflective properties because it is clear and slightly rounded. So each piece has a different look to it depending on how the light is hitting it. Try to figure out the new from the old. I bet you can't!

Stainless Steel Back Splash & 2 Slate Foyers Part 1

2010-03-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

The following two posts were a lot of fun to do and are great features to enhance an already beautiful home in NE Washington DC.

Front door entrance: Black slate tiles with Sterling Silver grout and an L-shaped Schluter strip to cap it off. Because I tiled directly on the hardwood, I painted two layers of RedGard waterproofing/anti-fracture membrane on the wood before tiling. So as the wood expands and contracts with the seasons, the RedGard will isolate the tile from the wood.

Here we have the same slate and grout, but this time I used a T-molding Schluter strip because the tile is level with the hardwood. Whereas the front door tile is higher than the hardwood.

Stainless Steel Back Splash & 2 Slate Foyers Part 2

2010-03-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

Below are five pictures of the stainless steel tile that was used on the back splash to match the appliances yet avoiding any clashes with the counter top. I used a Delorean Gray grout and capped off the ends with an L-shaped Schluter transition piece for a finished look.

Limestone Tile Part 1 of 5

2010-02-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to my tile blog. It's been a while, but I'm been a little busy. This job started on January 10th 2010. I started out having to remove the 900 sq. ft. of existing tile. The demo took about a week. I had three helpers with me and three jack-hammers to chip the old tile off of the concrete floor. Lots of dust, sweat and tears. That was hell week. After the tile was removed, I went through and fine tuned the floor. This is where I cleaned and smoothed out the high and low points. Filling holes and repairing cracks. Then I had to mix up some floor mud to repair some of the steps. After the mud dried and the floor was level and clean, I could paint on the RedGard anti-fracture membrane. I should get sponsored by these guys for publishing their name. This stuff works great in showers for waterproofing too. After a day of putting two coats of the RedGard on, I could start the layout plans. As you can see this is a pretty complex design. The good thing is that the way the pieces fit together, it won't allow you to drift too much. If you do start to drift the pieces won't fit properly anymore. So that kind of helps you stay straight. The though provoking work was going around corners and into other rooms. That always hard but even more confusing trying to follow a crazy pattern like this. Well don't worry to much about me, I did it all by my self and survived. So enjoy the pics.

Front of house from driveway. Refer to this pic from time to time as you brows these posts. The layout can get confusing. The brown door is the "front door" and there is a walkway that connects the house to the garage.

This pic was taken from the ledge of the fish pond looking into the dining room and kitchen. Walkway to garage is right of dining room.

This pic was taken from the entry to the garage walkway.

Limestone Tile Part 2

2010-02-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

The following are picture of the kitchen and a back bar that runs between the back of the kitchen and the living room.
This pic shows how the back bar runs behind the double refrigerators.

This is the back bar. You can see wine holders on the left and a wine cooler in the back.

Limestone Tile Part 3

2010-02-23T10:25:00.001-08:00

To the left you can see the "front door". As you go down the hall you can reach the library and bedrooms. There are also two bathroom about midway down the hall to the left. Fish pond is on the right.

This is looking into one of the two bathrooms from the hall way. These stone walls are solid from the outside in. It took 18 month for two masons to complete.

This is another hallway that leads to a living room (where this pic is taken from), the kitchen (on the left) and the basement (first door on right). Home owner sampling reclaimed wormy maple to replace the carpet.

This was the original tile. They used granite for the steps. You can see where the tile was starting to crack and break apart on the bottom step. This was remedied by reshaping the concrete with floor mud, then using fiberglass drywall tape for extra security and painting two coats of RedGard on top.
This is an example of the RedGard waterproofing/anti-fracture membrane.

Limestone Tile Part 4

2010-02-23T10:14:00.001-08:00

The following pictures are of a walkway that goes from the main house to the garage.

This shot was taken from the driveway looking into the walkway.

Here you can see the landing going down into the walkway.

Steps again going down into the walkway.

The concrete here was cracked from settling of the house. After removing the original tile (pictured below), I repaired the crack and covered it with a waterproofing/anti-fracture membrane called RedGard.

Limestone Tile Part 5

2010-02-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

Fossils: The great thing about working with natural stone is the variations in the color, texture and every now and then finding pieces of history. Throughout this job I located tons of fossilized sea shells. The following are three pics of the biggest fossils I found.

This final pic is to show how I butted up against the natural stone walls. In this case, I was able to tile underneath the stones a bit. Otherwise I would just try to cut the tile to fit as close as possible to the stone walls and fill the gap with grout.

Tile Fiasco.

2009-12-21T14:36:00.000-08:00

Recently I had a strange experience with a potential customer. Attached is a blog from that customer with the experience in her own words. It was a great exercise for diplomacy and understanding. Thanks Rebecca for the opportunity!

Custom Shower, Garden Tub & Floor

2009-12-08T08:35:00.001-08:00

Below is a bathroom that I've been working on "on&off" for about three weeks. Work was broken up by Thanksgiving. I used 12x12 tri-color tiles on the floor and tub deck. I also cut in stone dots randomly throughout the floor. There is a close up of these dots below where I used it above the shower door. Then I used 8x10 wall tile in the shower, on the tub surround and the WC privacy wall. There is also a cool feature band that runs throughout.
This is an example of the dots that are used in the floor tile. This one was bigger than the field tile used here so I allowed the top stone to grow "out of bounds" like a little peak.

Can't go wrong with a Better Bench.

Two custom insert niches and a custom soap dish made out of field tile and some bullnose.

Custom Shower, Garden Tub & Floor

2009-12-08T08:24:00.001-08:00

These next two pictures are an inside view looking out of the shower posted above.

Wall for privacy while your pooing.

This is the crazy floor plan that I had to work with. Came out nice though. Worked real hard on keeping the lines straight throughout. You can see the door to the bedroom in the mirror. It's hard to capture these tight bathrooms on camera.

Granite Shower, Floor & Backsplash Part 1

2009-11-15T17:24:00.001-08:00

The following three posts are in the same bathroom. All the tiles here are granite except for the blue glass dots. The wall tile in the shower is the same as the granite slab used on the counter top. After about 10 or so layout ideas we decided to go with the clean and simple plan of using the shower accent tile as the field tile for the back splash. I then used the polished Absolute Black granite bullnose to match the accent band in the shower. So basically the shower's accent band was used to tile the back splash.
Here are two matching soap dishes with the accent band running through them.

Here is a clean termination of the accent band on the edge of the outside wall.

Here the shower tile continues beyond the shower and onto the exterior wall and wraps around the front door frame.

Granite Shower, Floor & Backsplash Part 2

2009-11-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

Below is a close-up of the shower bench. I've shown step-by-step how this is done in previous posts if you're interested.

I love pebbled shower floors. It's not slick and feels great on your feet. They say they're therapeutic!

Here you can see the sharp contrast between the shower tile and the black/gray main floor tile.

Granite Shower, Floor & Backsplash Part 3

2009-11-15T16:52:00.001-08:00

Below is a granite tile floor with a super complicated pattern and to top it off I installed radiant heating underneath. It's kind of hard capturing these small rooms on film so I'll explain the vantage point for each shot. This first shot is from the entrance to the bathroom.

Here you can see the pattern is the same in each quad. The shower and toilet are to the left.

This shot is from the window looking at the entrance. The shower and toilet are on the right. Notice how the thin row of field tile's pattern between the black accent tile keeps it's consistency.

This shot is from the inside of the shower. Entrance is on the right.

This shot is looking into the WC. I created an alternate design in the walkway between rooms.

Marble Shower Part 2

2009-09-23T14:43:00.001-07:00

Here is a marble tile job I just finished up around Sept. 20th 2009. It is a classic marble design similar to the one a few blogs ago that one me the Gold Ribbon in the Wilmington, NC Parade of Homes. I used a combination of glass and marble and I think travertine for the accent tile. More detailed pics are featured in the previous post.

The missing tile is explained in the previous post.

On the floor each piece has its tips clipped to accommodate for the feature tile. The 45 degree layout on the floor contrast the straight lay on the walls.

The two shampoo niches were made from preformed plastic boxes whereas the smaller soap niche was custom made from 2x4s. Notice the tiles on the upper, inside faces of the large boxes. They are very thin L shaped cuts. Knowing that marble is very fragile, I'd like a little recognition for these detailed cuts. Your silence is praise enough. Thank you!

Marble Shower

2009-09-23T14:31:00.001-07:00

Below are some detailed pics of the marble tile job above. Here is a shot of the custom miter cuts for the right hand corner of the garden tub.

In the far left you can see how I has to cut into the curb to go around the door frame slightly.

I decided to use a full piece of field tile for the corner of the surface of the garden tub. This way it looks cleaner and the small cuts ended up in the corners and not as noticeable. The reason for the missing rail tile is that after the glass door is installed, I'll cut the rail tile to fit on both sides of the glass.

Travertine Shower and Floor Part 3

2009-09-20T18:55:00.001-07:00

This is a Travertine shower and floor. Travertine is a natural soap stone. It is porous so needs to be sealed if being used in a shower. See previous two blog entries for more pics and details.

Travertine Shower and Floor Part 2

2009-09-20T18:48:00.001-07:00

Here is the floor completed. Below are some pics of the job in progress.

Niche complete.

I tiled the back of the niche first and went from there.

Closet: using wedges to keep the tight grout joints straight.

Travertine Shower and Floor

2009-09-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

This is a Travertine tiled bathroom that I recently installed. Below are the before pics and some pics of the prepping. Originally there was linoleum on the floors. I removed it and laid 1/4 inch cement board.

Here I used 1/2 inch cement board on the walls and created the niche using 2x4s and plywood as the back ground. Then I covered all the wood with pieces of cement board. Then I taped and waterproofed all the seams.

Powder Room Floor

2009-09-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

Next up is a small powder room that need a simple, clean upgrade from the linoleum that was originally installed. You can see an example of the old linoleum in my next post above at a later date. I first removed the toilet, then the linoleum and scraped the glue off the sub-floor. That took some work. I still have the scar of a blister that was created and later ripped open by this job two weeks ago. I remembered to use gloves on the next job. I then installed 1/4" Hardi-back to the sub-floor for a level and sturdy foundation. The blue and white tiles with the bright white grout really popped with this traditional blue and white wallpaper and art on the walls.

Slate Patio

2009-08-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

On this job, I start by painting the concrete with a waterproofing/antifracture membrane because this is the roof of a garage. I also painted the waterproofing in the corners and up the brick walls as high as the base tiles were going to be placed. This way, the roof is completely waterproofed before the 1st tile is installed. As the 1st coat of waterproofing was drying, I sealed each piece of slate. This gives it a finished look plus protects the slate from thinset/grout sticking to it. Highly recommended. After all the slate was sealed, I painted a second coat of waterproofing on the patio. You should paint a second coat within 5 to 6 hours of the 1st. The 2 coats bond better that way. The next day I started tiling the field tiles. On the third day, I installed all the cuts along the edges and the base tiles. Finally, I grouted. When grouting slate take your time cleaning the surface. Expect to spend more time grouting slate than other tiles. After grout is cured, reseal all the tiles and grout together. I used a sponge. After sealer dries, buff the tiles using a clean dry towel to remove any haze. Enjoy the pics.

Slate Landing and Steps

2009-08-21T10:54:00.001-07:00

Below are two pics of a landing and some steps that lead to the back door of the house with the slate patio above. The grout was fresh when the pictures were taken. It will lighten and blend better when cured.

Metal Tile Back Splash

2009-07-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Below is a small back splash that I did in the same condo that has the black and white glass tile from a few posts back. This tile pretty much works the same as ceramic tile but it is metal surrounding a piece of actual ceramic tile. Looks amazing after it is grouted. Note: use non-sanded grout. One because the grout joints are tight but also because the sanded grout can scratch the surface of the metal.

Kitchen / Dining Room Floor Plan

2009-06-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

The following is a job that I did with two other tile setters. Together we tackled this project with the home owners' layout advice. I think it came together great.

This is where the kitchen will be. Cabinets on both sides and the fridge will start right where the path juts to the right. The path leads to the dining area on the other side of the island. Can't wait to see it complete!

This was basically a "straight" layout broken up with a "diamond" or a "45 degree" pattern within the pathway. The pathway is bordered with two different accent tiles fused together to allow the path to "pop" out from the field tile.

Custom Shower with Niche Insert and Better Bench Part 1

2009-05-22T07:19:00.001-07:00

The following three blog entries are from the same house. I did the marble floor first then a few weeks later started on the shower. Below are some detailed pics of the shampoo niche insert: after and before. Just so you can see how these can be installed. There are also two more shelves on the other wall that can be seen in the post below.

After taping and filling the seams with thinset, I used an anti-fracture/waterproofing membrane for stability and ... waterproofing!

Below are some pics of the "floating" Better Bench. It's a great way to install a bench that is functional but doesn't take up a lot of room. Sleek and sturdy. It hold up to 400 lbs. Also allow for more floor space if you have 50 or so bottles of hair products that don't all fit on your soap dishes and shelves.

The Better Bench is installed by screwing the bench to the studs or using anchors where there are no studs. Then filling with floor mud on a slope so water can run off. Then I taped the corners and waterproofed them before tiling, just like how I did the floor below.

Custom Shower with Niche Insert and Better Bench Part 2

2009-05-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

Marble Powder Room Floor on a 45

2009-05-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Simple, clean 45 degree angle layout of beautiful brown marble tile.

Glass mosaic wall tile in DC condo.

2009-04-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

Sleek, modern and clean, this glass mosaic tile pops right off the walls amazingly in this Washington, DC condo. I attached the tile using pre-mixed mastic instead of thinset. The mastic's peanut butter consistency holds the tile in place much better. It is more expensive but worth using with small formate tile, especially on walls. The first 3 pic are of a wall in the foyer and the last 2 are in a guest bathroom (before and after) the toilet was installed. Enjoy my friends, enjoy!

Ceramic Basement Floor 1

2009-03-26T08:16:00.001-07:00

This was a pretty big job for me. I'm used to doing smaller kitchens and bathrooms. I've done a few "entire condos" and "entire basement" jobs before, but it's been a while. This one was about 500 sq. ft. It took 5 days to set all the tile and about one to grout everything. The tile was set on concrete. I used an anti-fracture/waterproofing material between the tile and the concrete. This will help prevent any cracks in the concrete from transferring to the tile. To understand the pics better, the layout was a big room with a small hallway leading to some stairs. That hallway had a small room off to the left and a small closet off to the right. The first pic is from inside the smaller room looking into the closet. The big room is off to the right. The second pic is the inside of the closet. And the third pic is of a support pole in the middle of the floor. Since the pole ended up landing in the middle of a tile, I split to tile and added an extra grout line to sort of follow the pattern. More detailed pics are in the previous two entries.

Ceramic Basement Floor 2

2009-03-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Below are a few pics of close-ups of my tricky door jam cuts. There were two doors facing each other from a side room to a closet via a small hallway. The reason for the two-toned grout is because some was wet and some was dry from being applied the day before. Grout lightens after drying.

Ceramic Basement Floor 3

2009-03-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

The next two pics are close-ups of the base tile around the brick fireplace. And below are pics of the field tile. For some reason my camera wouldn't take good pics from far away so they are not that great. But you can see the size. It ended up being 500 sq. ft. in all.

Country Kitchen Floor

2009-03-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Below are pics of a floor I tiled. Pics of the same kitchen's back splash, which I did, are in the "Country Kitchen" entry below. For this one, I just thinset-ed and screwed Durock over the existing laminate floor. This raises the floor a little bit, so I used the gold ramped transition piece at the entry for a smoother transition. I also used the bull-nosed base tiles to give the floor a finished look. I chose the staggered brick pattern to allow the smallness of the kitchen to appear a little busier. I also think it looks classier than just the "corner to corner" pattern.

Not sure if I'm showing off my smooth transition from carpet to tile here or my new vegan Macbeth shoes.

Country Kitchen Back Splash

2009-02-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

Below is a small kitchen back splash featuring 6' porcelain tiles with 5 3/4" accent tiles picked up at Kohl's. They were actually meant to be hung. They have hangers on the back, but they were thin enough to be floated out to be level with the porcelain. Notice the electrical switch plates how well they matched the tile.

Parade of Homes Gold Winner

2008-11-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

See detailed pictures below!

Parade of Homes Gold Winner

2008-11-26T09:09:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics of a shower and garden tub that I did earlier this year. This bathroom won the 2008 Gold Award for best design in the Wilmington Parade of Homes.

Washington DC Shower Renovations Part 1

2008-11-10T05:04:00.000-08:00

This is the master bathroom in a nice renovated brown stone in Capitol Hill. I used marbleized ceramic tile to create this dramatic, open shower.

The soap dish was made out of the field tile with back beveled edges to allow them to butt up against each other nicely.

This base was preformed and set in thinset mortar. This process is a bit pricier but a lot faster installation. The curb was built with the floor tile as apposed to the wall tile because the floor tile is thicker and sturdier. Again the edges are back beveled to allow the tile to butt up close to one another.

In these last two images, you can see how I brought the bullnose to the floor and allowed the curb to just but up against the wall. I usually like the wall tile to fall on top of the floor tile to hide cuts, i.e. what you do with baseboards. But in this case, I thought it would look more solid and cleaner to allow the bullnose to go straight to the floor first instead of potentially having a weird cut to go around the curb.

Washington DC Shower Renovations Part 2

2008-11-10T04:39:00.000-08:00

This is the basement shower in the Capitol Hill brownstone from above. Not nearly as exciting, but clean and practical. Here I used 6x6 almond colored ceramic tile. The ceiling is the same tile, but laid out on a 45 degree angle to offset it from the walls.

Here is where an air duct was lower than the ceiling. So I boxed it in and continued the pattern from the other walls and ceiling.

This is the lower ceiling from below the air duct box.

Garden Tub/Shower Conversion Part 1

2008-11-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

This one was tricky. This was originally a garden tub; not meant to be a full on shower. There used to be a big gap between the top of the tub and the walls. If you tried to use is as a shower, water would collect in this gap and you couldn't get it out. So eventually this was would get really nasty. My solution was to bring the walls to the tub. The back wall has 2 layers of Durock. So the tile is about 3/4 of an inch away from the back wall. It looks cool. You can't see it in the pictures too well, but it adds dimension. That extra Durock wasn't enough so I decided to lay the bottom row of tiles on the tub and lean them against the walls. This way, the water can run down the walls and onto the surface of the tub and eventually find it's way to the drain.

On the front end of the shower, I butted the tile into the door trim.

On the back of the shower, I used bullnose to finnish the edge. I also used bullnose to cap off the edges of the leaning tiles. This was unorthodox but effective for what I was trying to achieve.

The soap dishes were made out of the field tile and capped off with bullnose.

Garden Tub/Shower Conversion

2008-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

Two more pics of the shower renovation from before.

Below are a few pics of another bathroom I tiled the previous year. I never took pictures of it till now. Simple but nice.

Baltimore Shower/Bathroom Floor Renovation Part 1

2008-11-08T13:45:00.001-08:00

This bathroom used to have small 4x4 white tile all over. I removed everything including the shower base. I started over from the sub-floor. I reattached the drain. Built the curb out of 2x4s. Repaired water damaged plywood. Installed the bladder and waterproofed the whole shower including the inside and outside of the curb. I waterproof after installing the floor mud in the shower floor. This way, no water can get past the floor mud. When your floor tile mold easily, it can be because the floor mud is saturated. Water gets between the bladder and floor mud and just sits there, never able to dry out. So, what I do is, install the bladder, then the Durock, then mud the floor. The next day, the mud will be dry and hard. Then I start from the top, taping the seams in the Durock and waterproofing everything from top to bottom. Enjoy the pics!

Baltimore Shower/Bathroom Floor Renovation Part 2

2008-11-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

Notice how I used the accent band tile to create the threshold and the top trim of the base tile along the walls.

Kitchen Back Splash and Floor Combination

2008-08-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here I installed a "subway" tile design for this kitchen back splash. I also inserted a dark blue 1" feature band to make it a little more dynamic. It goes well with the floor tile that I installed earlier. You can see more of those pics in the blog below.

2008-08-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here we have a "brick" or "staggered" pattern on the floor. The tile was laid first, then the island to the right was installed over the tile. I think this kitchen has a great color combination too. The darker floor tile created a grounded feel and the stark white back splash with its bold inlay is clean and sharp. Great carpentry too!!!

Here's a better image of the island covering the tile.

The carpet just buts right up to the tile. Very simple, no thresholds.

As opposed to the staggered pattern, I decided to go with the "straight" lay for this narrow bathroom.

Porcelain Front Porch Stories

2008-08-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

This is the front porch of the house that I installed the 6x6 white tile in the shower below. Here I used porcelain tile because of the varying temperature changes here in Wilmington, NC. Porcelain tile is fired at extreme temperatures, making it much stronger than ordinary ceramic tile, even harder than granite. The tiles also have a rough texture for traction. This design has a very clean, modern and simple look to it. Yet interesting enough to grab your attention from the street. Enjoy.

For the perimeter, I tried to keep a 7 1/2" border. I used 16x16" tiles and cut them in half to save on money and resources. So the grey border pieces are approximately 7.5x16".

Here I had to cut two pieces to wrap around the post. I used the 45 degree angle to make the cut cleaner and less noticeable. Of course the posts will be wrapped later with a finnish trim concealing the cuts even more. But regardless, the I thought this was the best way to deal with the situation.

White 6x6 Tile Shower

2008-07-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

The client didn't want the another wooden window frame because being in a shower, the wood just rots out. I framed out the window with cement board, taped and waterproofed the seams and used bullnose to frame out the window.

Notice the small cuts I had to make on the bottom left to fill in the space between the tub an the bullnose.

To break up the straight layout, I added a feature band by tilting the tile on a 45 degree angle.

This was a fairly simple job. The design was simple and classic but being a renovation, there were some challenges. 1st of all, this is in an old center block house. The exterior is center blocks. So to attach the cement board to the wall with the window, I needed to attach a few nailer boards to the center blocks. So concrete nails were needed. After patching humpty-dumpty back together, I taped and waterproofed all the seams in the cement board and left it overnight to dry before tiling.

Classy Kitchen

2008-06-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

This is a basic straight lay of nice classic beige tile. Very clean and simple. For this one, I had to remove existing vinyl, 1/4" cement board, and set tile on top of that. Some people will just tile over the vinyl tile or directly on the wood sub-floor. I don't like doing that because the wood can swell and potentially crack the grout or even the tile. And I'm not 100% confident that thinset mortar sticks well enough to vinyl flooring. So to prevent potential repairs, its better to stick the tile to cement or fiber board.

HARD AT WORK

2008-06-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hopefully living up to the company name, I am cutting a STRAIGHT EDGE.

Subway Kitchen Back Splash Contd.

2008-06-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

Some more pics so you can get the layout of the kitchen.

Separate counter top section.

Subway Kitchen Back Splash

2008-06-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

I liked this simple, small back splash. Very tasteful and charming. The window frames should me done by now. My friend Dave was supposed to do them.

Aunt Sue's Sun Room

2008-06-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

Cool back patio turned sun room. Tasteful design. I like doing the staggered/45 angles because they make small rooms look bigger and more interesting.

Marble Foyer & Kitchen Back Splash

2008-06-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

I think this may have been one of my first tile jobs, if not the first. So I only assisted, made cuts, and helped with layout and design.

The scraps from this marble ended up on my fireplace.

Great design. I wish I has a photo after completion.

Preliminary drawings.

Back splash in the same house.

Beach House Decks

2008-06-04T14:07:00.001-07:00

This house had literally nine bathrooms and a six bedrooms. My company installed all the tile, but for some reason I only got these few exterior pics. I think there were taken with my cell phone.

Custom Shower & Garden Tub 4

2008-06-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

Original shower floor.

Starting from scratch. Had to replace subfloor because original was rotted out.

New floor.

Soap dish.

In case you like what you see, pick up a business card!

Custom Shower & Garden Tub 3

2008-06-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Ceiling before. Notice it was never tiled.

Ceiling after back.

Ceiling after front.

Custom Shower & Garden Tub 2

2008-06-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

Some before, during and after pics.

The original bench was not floating, so the original floor didn't go all the way to the wall.

Custom Shower & Garden Tub 1

2008-06-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

This job was bigger than I originally expected. But after long hard days of work, it came out great. If you're interested, I've got a lot of before and after pics for ya.

This is the shot that attempts to cover the whole job in one.

Going inside the shower.

Garden tub 1.

Garden tub 2.

Garden tub 3.

Tile Table Tops

2008-06-04T13:24:00.001-07:00

Nice little table I made for my wife's parents.

Couldn't forget my own family. This was is for them!

Custom Showers Misc.

2008-06-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some misc. custom shower features.

This pic was taken in progress. Sorry for the mess. This was a very expensive shower considering that these glass tiles can run $30 to $60 a square foot! But I just wanted to show the floating corner bench.

This is a cool insert shampoo box. Basic design for these.

Another insert box an floating corner bench.

Not the best pic, but this is a variation of the floating bench. It goes from one wall to the other.

Fireplaces 2

2008-06-04T13:00:00.001-07:00

This is a simple but clean fireplace layout.

Sorry, I know, this is showing off. But I only assisted in this one. But I'd love to do one of my own!

Full view of the fireplace pictured above. Travertine soapstone was used to create the fireplace and wall.

Fireplaces 1

2008-06-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is a cute fireplace tiled with those 1"x1" glass tiles.

This is my home fireplace. I used left over marble from a previous job.

Close up of my home fireplace.

Colorful Bathroom Renovation Part 2

2008-06-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Another attempt to capture the three shower walls. Notice the two hand-painted tiles. Sorry I forgot to get close ups.

The black and white honeycomb tile will never go out of style!

One of two ceramic doll heads the client wanted me to install.

Basic toothbrush holder. Notice the mismatched tiles in the corner. I figured this bathroom is artistic and fun, why not add a little irony.

Another great opportunity to bring tile into the third dimension.

Colorful Bathroom Renovation Part 1

2008-06-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

This was a really fun project. The mirror was just hanging by a nail before. The client wanted it framed and permanently attached to the wall. I came up with the basic layout but after realizing we were out of corner bullnose, the client decided to use four pieces from the blue back splash in another bathroom. Because the mirror was too heavy to just thinset to the wall, I had to tile the frame up first, using finishing nails and tape to hold it in place. The next day after the thinset was hard, I was able to simply Liquid Nail the mirror inside the frame. I'm very proud of this piece!

This is the blue back splash that we got the mirror corner tiles from. Very basic but super sharp layout.

This is the best shot I could get of the whole shower. The room was small. This was a fun job because the colors were fun. The black border allows the bright colors to "pop" and also blends into the black and white base tile and floor.

This was a very nice opportunity to use the bullnose border to frame the heater. I also use the checker tile that was used to frame the mirror on opposite wall. The heater had a short and was shocking me. It had to be reinstalled later.

Welcome

2008-06-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new tile blog. Since I've already done a lot of jobs before starting, I'll just post a few previous jobs and explain what I did. I've been tiling on my own for about 6 months and for other companies for about 2 years. I do everything from basic to extravagant floor designs, custom showers, kitchen back splashes, fire places, outdoor decks and what ever else the client and I can come up with. I also worked on the 2007 Parade of Homes GOLD award winner at 801 N. 4th Street Unit 201. Email me with questions and comments. I offer free estimates and have been know to travel great distances.