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Showing posts with label backsplash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label backsplash. Show all posts

Monday, December 28, 2015

Installing Natural Slate Tile | Here's How to do it

Natural Slate is One of the Most Challenging Materials to Install 

because of the variation in the natural materials. Some pieces of slate can be as thick as 3/4th of a inch while other pieces are only 1/8th of a inch. So when installing this beautiful material  it is required to start installing  the thickest pieces first  then build up with thinset the thinner pieces to make your installation flat and flush. As well as being different thicknesses, the slate is also different sizes in square dimension. It is very imperative that you use care and patience to space and keep your lines  as straight as possible. Natural slate tile is one of the most color variant material I install. I often refer to it as rainbow slate because of the wonderful color variation in the material. 

Installing natural slate is most certainly not to be done by the inexperienced tile setter and a slate specialist is a true artist. I love the challenge myself and the slate material is without a doubt my favorite natural material. I hope you enjoy the  pictures below and appreciate the care and patience it took to install the tile in the photos  See previous blog on slate installation on Tile Excellence's Google+ page. THANKS  Chris

Slate Tile Thickness Variation

Side View of Slate Showing Variation in Thickness of Material

Ungrouted Wall Slate Size Variation

Wall Slate Ungrouted Showing Variation in Size of Tile

Grouted Wall Slate with Design

Grouted Wall Slate with Design Strip

Ungrouted Slate

Ungrouted Wall  Slate

Grouted Wall Slate With Design Strip

Grouted Wall Slate with Design Strip

Show Wall and Ceiling Slate

Shower Wall | Ceiling Slate

Shower Wall Slate

Shower Wall Slate

Slate Tile in Wall Soap Box

Slate Tile in Wall Soap Box

Wall Slate and Sink Backsplash

Wall Slate | Slate Backsplash

Slate in Wall Soap Box

Slate in Wall Soap Box

Wall Slate and Floor Slate

Wall Slate and Floor Slate

Floor Slate and Wall Slate

Floor Slate | Wall Slate

Design Strip Slate Meets Shower Wall Slate

Design Strip Slate Meets Shower Wall Slate

Wonderful Color in this Slate Floor

Wonderful Color in this Slate Floor

 Slate Shower Curb Shower Floor | Outside Bathroom Floor

Slate Shower Curb Shower Floor | Outside Bathroom Floor








Wednesday, March 11, 2015

How to Install Kitchen Tile Backsplash

How to Install a Kitchen Tile Backsplash : Rooms : Home & Garden Television - http://pinterest.com/pin/573364596285652899/?s=3&m=blogger

Monday, October 27, 2014

Backsplash Installation | Getting Ready to Grout Part 7


Project Backsplash Installation LIVE

Marblehead, MA -October 27, 2014 -10:57 am

Part Seven

As you can see, the tiles are mostly installed.I lack about 6 cuts around the top, then then I will go out and come back and grout. You will hear from a lot of installers and manufacturers that will tell you you have to wait 24 hours before you can grout.  I will touch on this tonight when I get home. Obviously I disagree. I will explain the grouting situation. It depends on the type of thinset concrete that that you use, Here's  a couple of pictures of the progress of this tile backsplash installation project, 






































ent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

Corner Cuts Part 6 Backsplash Installation

Project Backsplash Installation LIVE

Marblehead, MA -October 27, 2014 -10:27 am

Part Six


Here are some pictures of some transitional corner cuts most of the receptacles are cut around now and in the short time I'll be grouting this backsplash. Again I want to say how much I appreciate the diligent efforts of my amazing webmaster, SEO and marketing genius with great ideas, Diana Smith of SEO Marketing for Business who makes all this possible.  Please remember this is the first day that I've used this technology, so please bear with me any fu paws  and misspellings or ignorance on my part. 


It is not intentional and I apologize upfront as I use this technology more. I will become more proficient and you as readers will get much more benefit so here's some pictures of cuts as this backsplash progresses.  Next we'll be grouting. regards Chris




Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

Backsplash Installation LIVE-Part Five-An hour and a Half into the Job

                                                                             

Project Back Splash Installation LIVE

Marblehead, MA -October 27, 2014 -10:03 am

Part Five

1 hour and a half into the job and I would say I am about halfway done. Here is a picture of the progress chris

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

Backsplash Installation LIVE-Part Four-Wet Saw vs. 4 Inch Diamond Blade Grinder

Project Back Splash Installation LIVE

Marblehead, MA -October 27, 2014 -9:49 am

Part Four

                                  
As you can see from the photos, outlets are cut in such a way that the middle ears of the internal workings of the outlet lay upon the tile and the tile acts as a spacer making this a very simple process if you cut the tile precisely. Now I do have a wet saw, obviously is I'm a professional tile guy but very seldom do I use the wet saw. So most of the time I prefer a 4 inch grinder with a 4 inch diamond blade as pictured to make these small, but tedious cuts

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

BackSplash Installation LIVE-Part Three-Broke Joint Brick Pattern Tile

Project Back Splash Installation LIVE

Marblehead, MA - October 27, 2014 -9:23 am

Part Three


                            

As you can see , you start with a half  piece tile and a whole tile, which produces the brick pattern or Broke Joint Tile Pattern its known as. 

On electrical switches like the one pictured above, the ears of the internal workings of the switch are such a way that the tile acts as the spacer,  and you just screw those electrical outlets right back into the top of the new tile.  More Broke Joint Brick Pattern



Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device





-------- Original message --------
From: "Diana Smith (Google+)"
Date:07/31/2014 8:24 AM (GMT-05:00)
To: tile_excellence@yahoo.com
Subject: Chris, this was a picture from one of the...


Chris, this was a picture from one of the big storms in Gloucester, MA while you were sitting in front of pool in FL. You dog!
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Back Splash Tile Installation LIVE- Part Two- Broke Joint Tile Backsplash


Project Back Splash Installation LIVE

Marblehead, MA -October 27, 2014 -9:10  am

Part Two

Broke joint tile is tile that is set in an offset joint like bricks and you start out on 1 flat  side of the wall with half a piece and whole pieces to give yourself the offset pattern to begin the installation.  The first thing you do is cut yourself a few half tiles to install the broke joint tile . It is one of the easiest installations that you can do yourself because basically the tiles are offset in a brick pattern and there is no real straight line required except your horizontal line as you'll see in the next few posts You'll see what I mean .in a few minutes as I get some tile on the wall .It will be clear as to why this is a very simple installation for the homeowner or novice.

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Tile Materials Estimator App for Ceramic Tile Floor & Wall Installation

Cool Tile Design and Tile Materials Estimator App

It's a tile floor design tool. There are six simple steps to designing your ceramic tile floor, and when you are done, you get a report estimating your materials needed. For accuracy they suggest you carefully measure the area you want tiled first and make sure you account for any "non-tile" areas within the flooring design. It's really easy, and you can play with different sized tile, different patterns and even borders! 

I also wanted to let you folks know that Tile Excellence is actually running a special on summer back splashes for the next two weeks. You can email Chris @ tile_excellence@yahoo.com or call him directly at  [978 471-9127] to book your backsplash!  Last time I ran this special he booked within a few days, so be quick! Oh-and he's still running a summer long special on pool tile repair.

If you read his testimonials page on Tile Excellence you'll see he's posted some of the actual backsplash prices with the finished pictures. He's also written a couple of posts here with costs of the backsplash included. He's very reasonable, and starting next week, he's even more reasonable (for a limited time only)! 

Now one last precautionary word before you start using this tool. I only tested it a few times, and I kept it simple so it seems easy. Your ceramic tile floor installation project may be more complicated, so take the design and the amount of materials you'll need with a grain of salt-this app only approximates the design and materials list.  This little app does come right from the NTCA, which is the National Tile Contractors Association, so it should be reliable. For another opinion, use the formulas Chris posted yesterday below. They're for flooring and wall tile installation. It's a step by step formula for figuring out how much tile you'll need for your project. He's pretty accurate-he does it every single day! 

So the first link below takes you to the app and it's instructions. The second link is to a cool site which also estimates tile installation costs, but it also shows you estimated prices on tons of other things aside from flooring, so check it out if you ever wondered how much a .........fill in the blank. Enjoy! Diana





Monday, March 17, 2014

Glass Mosaic Back Splash Installed $300.00 From Tile Excellence

Hey There,


I've written a few times about backsplashes  with examples , pictures and timelines this particular job was in Wakefield mass  last Friday. The customer had gotten several quotes
from $500 to $700 and timeframes from 2 to 3 days. I arrived at 8:30 am and was driving away
by 1 :00 pm  and charged the really happy customer $300. He was so happy  he has since referred
me 2 other jobs over the weekend. I offer this info price and timeline to my readers for education
purposes so will have the info you need to hire the right backsplash installer in your own home!
There are hundreds yea  thousands of readers out here who come to this blog  to see pictures, learn
about tile installations,  but most important  how not to be taken to the cleaners by a" LINED IN
GOLD" tile installers. Most of my Blog readers are not in the Boston area  and I wont get any jobs
from sharing  this inside info. Its just important to make sure hard working consumers can come
here from all over the world and get the info they need to make educated choices when it comes
to tile installations in their home. Below are the pictures of the backsplash installed in Wakefield
A high quality, long lasting ,timely installation at a reasonable price .Thanks for reading Chris






Friday, January 31, 2014

Tumbled marble backsplash completed today total labor cost $310 !!

Hey There, Regards, Chris tileexcellence.com seopoweredwebsites.com
 Today I did this Tumbled marble  backsplash in Hamilton ma, It took me 4 hours of my time from start to finish and I grouted it as well. The labor cost to the customer was $310.00 I made almost $80.00 a hour and the customer saved hundreds. The point being  a experienced tile guy doesn't have
to charge a outrageous amount for his work to make money. When I finished the job, the customer asked me to quote a installation for  his entire kitchen (581 sqft tile) as well as 200 sq ft of tile to install in his bathroom. This ethical treatment of a customer turned into a job for me that will be worth several thousand dollars.
    Recently I was in a local tile store speaking with a acquaintance  of  mine who opened his store a couple of years ago. He seems to be at the store a lot and not out doing installations even though he has ladies tending the store. I told him of my formula for pricing backsplashes  $10 per sqft and $10 for each electrical outlet cut. He thought me crazy and said he would never do backsplashes for such a small price. I wondered if somehow hanging around the tile store was better than actually making money? Seems to me that trying to get the most $ from every job you price Rather than actually getting every job you price makes for poor business. In the long run doing many more jobs and having thrilled customers will build a solid business base and assure yourself work every day and more money in the end. There are many tile installers who believe they should make as much money as possible from every job they do. I understand this thinking because tile work is very hard work and in a lot of ways very specialized. Some tile guys have a different style all together  use $10.000 tile saws take days and days to do a job to get every piece perfect. I am a production tile guy who gets it done within the bounds of industry standards.  There is no doubt the quality of my work  just check out the hundreds of pictures of jobs done by me personally  on the web site and read some customer testimonials. But One thing about me that seems to bug some customers is the fact that I treat all customers the same rich or poor , they are all the same to me. The customers who want 5 star service with a chocolate on their pillow will be disappointed by me and the president would get the same treatment and service from me as the janitor And that's just the way it is. There also many guys who do terrible tile work and a good tile guy is sometimes hard to find. I appreciate the fact that high quality dependable service professionals are not always the norm. But for me and my business it just makes sense  to work every day and not have to take every job that is offered. The philosophy I follow allows me to work every day. pick and choose who I will work for, But most of all help people get affordable tile installations. Most of my competitors  hate me but most of my customers love me and Im ok with that . Thanks for reading  and I hope you enjoy the pictures of the tumbled marble backsplash below

















   

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