Floor Tile Installation in Newington, CT

Particleboard is compressed sawdust and glue. It swells when wet, crushes under point loads and does not hold thin-set. Any tile floor set on it will crack or come loose. Removing it, usually a half-day in a Newington kitchen, and building up from the plywood is the difference between a floor that lasts and one that fails.

A through-body porcelain or glazed ceramic tile with a matte or textured finish rated for wet areas, in a mid-tone that hides salt and grit, with a darker grout. Porcelain does not absorb water, so freeze-thaw at the door is not a problem, and a sealer on the grout keeps winter slush from staining it.

Yes. An electric radiant mat goes over the membrane or cement board and is embedded in a self-leveling layer, then tiled. The mat is wired to a thermostat by your electrician under an electrical permit from the Town of Newington. It adds about a day and is one of the most appreciated upgrades in a cape bathroom.

Tile can normally be walked on lightly 24 hours after setting and grouted the next day; after grouting, allow another 24 hours before normal traffic and about 72 hours before heavy furniture or appliances go back. We schedule the dishwasher and refrigerator return with you.

We build the pan, then go over it with a bonded waterproofing membrane such as a Schluter-KERDI style sheet or a liquid-applied one where the geometry calls for it. The membrane runs over the pan, up the walls, around the curb, and over every seam, corner and valve penetration, and we hold a twenty-four-hour flood test before any tile goes down. If a drop moves, we find it while it is still inexpensive to fix.

Only sometimes, and only when the old tile passes the checks: solidly bonded everywhere when you tap it, flat, and structurally sound, with enough give at the outlets, counters and doors to absorb the added thickness. When it fails any of those, tiling over it locks the problem in. On a wet area we almost always take it down to the substrate instead.