Tile carries its load

Sometimes it would be nice if our business was a little lighter –pillows or feathers or something easier to carry around. But, then we’re reminded of some of the reasons that there’s nothing as durable or long-lasting as properly installed tile.

Tile:

• Resists scratches, scuffs, dents, and cuts
• Is unaffected by moisture and part of a water resistant system when it’s properly installed
• Naturally resists bacteria growth, is inorganic, and hypoallergenic
• Contains no formaldehyde, PVC, or other Volatile Organic Compounds
• Lasts 3 to 5 times longer than Luxury Vinyl Flooring, sheet and vinyl composition tile, engineered wood, carpet, laminate, and painted epoxy
• Recycles readily because it’s made from naturally occurring materials (no landfill plastics issues)
• Won’t fade
• Cleans easily often with just sweeping or wiping with water
• Can help limit thermal swings by maintaining temperature during peak heating and cooling, improving your energy efficiency
• Has a low carbon footprint when you choose tiles made in America
• Resists allergens because it doesn’t harbor dirt, dust mites, pollen, bacteria, fungi, or mold
• Can be frost resistant, slip resistant, and antimicrobial
• Won’t smoke, burn or emit toxic fumes

When you’re ready to discuss the best investment for your project, give us a call. We’d be glad to contribute a weighty investment in the value of your home or office. Maybe there’s a new tile project on your wish list for the holidays??

#NeuseTile #RaleighTileInstaller #ValueOfTile #WhyTile #LocalBusiness

A shift back to all things tile

Some of the masks, cleaning, and fear associated with the COVID pandemic have subsided, but the impact of the crisis caused an “historic paradigm shift” in the US. Attitudes, lifestyles, and purchase decisions are different, according to a major nationwide America At Home study.

All the time that we spent staying separate has led to new motivations for our physical spaces and underlying wellness concerns. Americans are looking for:

• Germ resistance
• Energy efficiency
• Elimination of chemicals and Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs)
• Minimizing the impact on the environment and sustainability
• Ease of cleaning
• More storage

Better equipped kitchens and bathrooms along with private, outdoor spaces have also become high priorities. People are looking for their “ideal” home, and they define that as: a safe, secure, relaxing and comfortable sanctuary that provides an overall sense of physical and personal wellness.

Consequently, more Americans have a growing interest in Accessibility, especially these Aging-in-Place elements:

• Large showers
• Wider doorways
• Freestanding soaking tubs
• Multiple shower heads
• Grab bars
• Zero-clearance entries to showers

With all the changes, it’s nice to know the positive benefits of tile and the innovations in accessibility that have been part of our repertoire for a long time are now in the forefront. Let us help you create your ideal post-covid space as we all look toward positive and healthy futures.

#NeuseTile #HealtySpaces #TileHealthyChoice

The risk/ reward of cost as the driving factor

Budget is a first-priority consideration in any home improvement project. Those with unlimited funds are few and fortunate. For the rest, there’s a real temptation to think that ‘how-to’ videos and the simplicity of home improvement shows are ways to get our dream spaces for the lowest cost possible.

We might even ask on social media for someone who will work “for the lowest cost possible.” Here are a few reasons you don’t want to let low-cost be your top priority:

• Low cost can mean using materials that won’t stand up to long-term use or using unskilled workers.
• Low cost may mean all kinds of things are excluded. These ‘extras’ will likely show up as ‘change orders’ once you’ve already paid your deposit or the project has started. Don’t assume things are included, because likely they aren’t in the lowest cost bid.
• Low cost can indicate a business running on a cash basis or trying to skirt licensing, insurance, taxes, and regulation. This can be a problem for you if you have a future problem, or if you try to sell your home and find that unpermitted work can’t be included in your square footage.
• Low cost can simply mean a business doesn’t know their true cost of doing business. That may be great for you today, but tomorrow your warranty will be impossible to enforce against a business that no longer exists.
• Low cost may be a tactic for a new business to get themselves established. You may get a deal as they gain experience. In other words, they’ll be learning on your dime.
• Low cost can indicate poor service. Someone who has underbid your work may be quick to leave you mid-stream in order to complete a more profitable project. Your ‘base bid’ project isn’t likely going to come in on-time.

Your home is your largest investment. Using the lowest cost workers or doing some projects yourself can end up costing you big money: in defective work, in your time and money to learn a task or to chase completion, and in peace of mind. The old adage that you can have 1)low cost, 2)quality, OR 3)service is absolutely true in the construction world. Choose 2 of the 3 but don’t expect you’ll ever get all three at once. #constructionprofessionals #localcraftsmanship

The dollars and sense of tile

At less than $0.99 per foot per year, tile comes in at the top of the affordability list when compared to other flooring in terms of cost for initial installation, on-going maintenance, and length of estimated useful life. The 2023 Life Cycle Cost Analysis Study ranks Quarry, Ceramic, and Porcelain tile as more affordable than wood, carpet, luxury vinyl, engineered wood, laminate, and poured epoxy.

Today’s tile installations are actually best maintained with environmentally friendly cleaners rather than harsh chemicals. Often just sweeping tile will remove the dirt and debris that are tracked in each day. After sweeping, you can wipe down tile with a cloth and clean water. If you need a little extra cleaning, use a pH Neutral cleaner that’s formulated especially for grout and tile. DO NOT use cleaners containing bleaches or acids as these will open the pores of your grout and actually make them retain more dirt.

When you have a stubborn area or build-up of residue, a nylon or plastic stiff bristle brush with a little elbow grease will do a great job. Make sure to rinse well with clean water to keep any residue from drying on the surface of your tile and grout.

So, when you’re weighing product options, tile should be near the top of your list –and not just because its heavy! Properly installed tile is one of the longest lasting, environmentally friendly, durable, and healthy choices you can make. With its beauty and ease of maintenance, the investment in tile makes dollars and sense!

#NeuseTile #TileHealthyChoice #ValueofTile #RaleighTileInstaller  #ValueOfTile

Can social media find a good contractor?

The internet has become the ‘yellow pages’ of our world. We use the search bar to find local restaurants, dry cleaners, and home improvement professionals. We turn to Social Media channels for recommendations and resources, and sometimes you get good information and other times the names you get are the ones with the most friends, the most savvy search engine algorithms, or the time to make their presence known on all channels.

Other good starting points are people you know your friends and neighbors have used and been happy with as well as local professional groups.

But wherever you get the names, be sure to check them out in other ways:

• the NC Secretary of State’s website will show if they are a registered business
• trade association listings will give you an indicator of how serious they take their industry. Home Builders Associations, Chambers of Commerce, and even the Better Business Bureau can all give you a glimpse of a company that’s invested in on-going improvement and our community;
• license boards for the particular contractors will tell you if there are current complaints or actions against them. If there’s no local license requirement, then check to see what industry certifications the contractor might have;
• ask about their process – how long typical projects take, what other similar projects they’ve completed, what’s their warranty process, are their materials sourced locally, what kind of experience do their employees have;
• what standards or methods do they rely on for their work? (Hint: doing it the same way for the past 10-15 years doesn’t cut it in today’s ever-evolving construction industry)
• On their last 3 jobs, how much did the final billing amount differ from their quoted price?

Hiring a home-improvement professional is an investment in your home’s future. Make sure your research is as extensive as possible. #Professionalcraftsmanship #HireAProfessional #LocalCraftsmanship #ProfessionalTileInstallation #NeuseTile

We want you to be informed about tile

We’re like most good tradespeople –passionate about our craft and doing it correctly. We take pride in serving our community with installations that are beautiful and long-lasting. And we want to be your tile installation company for this project and the next.

That’s why in 1985, we joined The National Tile Contractors Association. This like-minded group of professionals has grown over the years and represents the best collection of brains and talent in the tile world. And all of them want you to be better informed about your tile installation.

They’ve formed a Consumer Education Committee that’s busy producing documents to help you Find the Right Tile Installer, determine why you might have a Leaking Tile Shower from a failed installation, see if your tile might be Spot-Bonded, figure out what’s up with your Grout, and other documents to come.

These are being compiled on the association’s website under TileTrouble. The last thing any of the members of NTCA want you to have is Tile Trouble, so we want to be sure you’re informed and able to find the information you need as a consumer, home owner, or contractor.

There’s also a search feature on the website under Find A Contractor, so, if you’re outside the Triangle area, go there to start the search for your next project. And, if you’re in the Triangle area of NC, please let us know if Neuse Tile can help you avoid any tile troubles.

#NeuseTile #ConsumerEducation #TileTrouble #LocalCraftsmanship #NTCA

Do one thing and get really good at it

We had a conversation recently about ‘diversification’. We appreciate dialogues that challenge “the way we’ve always done things,” so we spent some time thinking about the way we’re structured versus how some of our competitors operate.

For 56 years we’ve installed tile and stone in the Triangle area of NC. Some of our competitors have decided to install all things that go on floors and walls. They’ve created large enterprises and expanded their package possibilities. We’ve considered and discussed this kind of expansion many times, but it still just doesn’t make sense to us. Tile is a specialty product– there are endless tile options, and literally thousands of methods and application possibilities. It’s installed in all kinds wet areas; it doesn’t bend or flex; and yet it’s really meant to be a permanent finish. Therefore, the craftsmanship and knowledge needed to install tile that lasts over time is significantly different than that needed to put down a plastic or vinyl floor covering that’s intended to be changed out every 5-10 years.

We’ve spent decades getting really good at what we do –long-lasting tile and stone installations. We know a lot about the materials and methods needed to successfully install these unforgiving materials.  The artistry and precision needed to install tile well is a true craft, and the tile and stone industry is continually creating new products and uses to keep us challenged. Today we’re seeing larger and thinner tiles used to transform walls as well as thicker paver tiles set on pedestals for decking. Endless imagination and innovation ensure an interesting and growing future for our craft.

So, we’re not going to muddy our focus and tell you we’ll install everything because we still choose to do the one thing we’ve done for 56 years. We’re really good at it. It’s our craft, it’s our art, and it’s our service to our customers and friends.

For now, that’s enough to keep us challenged and creating every day. Thank you for the opportunities you give us to keep going.

Long-lasting, beautiful investment in tile

Many of us are seeing more than usual of the inside of our homes lately, and we’re coming to really appreciate surfaces that are easy to clean, durable, and nice to look at.  When your home includes properly installed tile you know you’ve provided your family a hygienic space that will hold up well over time.

As described in a recent piece on WhyTile.com, long-lasting installations are a direct correlation to the skill of the installer, the use of the right components in the assembly,  and the integrity of the company behind the work. If any of those pieces are missing, problems may result. With tile, issues of technique (like uneven grout joints) may be immediately apparent; concerns with product might show up with use (like a base-level grout put in a commercial kitchen or interior tiles used outdoors); but the biggest worries are the ones that take time to present themselves (like deterioration of a structure from water that works its way under the surface tile and through a gap in poorly done waterproofing).

In order to ensure your investment in tile is a good one, look for a company that provides all three components — skilled installers (check their certifications), knowledgeable estimators who specify quality products (do they participate in industry training & associations), and proven business credentials.

Carefully choosing your contractor on the front-end of your investment can save you a lot of headache, time, and money on the back-end.

#QualifiedLabor #NTCAFiveStar #NeuseTile

The long-term impact of good prep

If your New Year’s exercise program started off with a solid plan and workout gear that was well-suited to your routine, then you might have made it into February with some success. But, if you made up a plan as you went, then January probably didn’t bring much change in your health.

In the same way, starting off with a good plan and quality materials can help ensure a beautiful and long-lasting tile installation. However, when initial corners are cut due to ignorance or cost-cutting, the final finishes will suffer or fail –either immediately or over time. Tile is meant to be a permanent finish, so it has to begin with the proper foundation.

When a job goes to the lowest bidder, it’s usually because something has been left out or a specification wasn’t followed, and the easiest thing to hide from an end user are the steps needed to get an area ready for tile. Before a tile installation should begin, the surface needs to be solid (no deflection or de-lamination), free of previous residue, dry, and within the flatness tolerances to install the chosen tile. If slope to a drain or zero-entry is needed, then often additional surface prep methods have to be used. A good tile contractor will know when to use a membrane, cement backer board, mud beds, or other required installation materials. Much depends on the existing surface, the budget, the application desired, the material to be used, and the skill of the installer to perform a quality, long-lasting installation.

One solution just won’t work in every application, and the tile installer who only has one tool in his box probably hasn’t been tested over time. Be sure to ask why he’s recommending the particular system to be used, and ask him or her to show you the method details and/ or standards involved.

We’ve had projects where we’ve been told to skip the preparatory steps needed in order to save some money, but that’s just not in our DNA. The long-term success of our installations depends on starting off correctly, so we’re pretty passionate about good prep. After all, don’t we all want our ‘outfit’ to look as good as possible?

#QualifiedLabor

The many layers of a tile sandwich

The common denominator in our installations is that the products on the top layer are rigid — they don’t flex or bend. And the factors beyond that are as varied as all the possible sandwich combinations in a New York deli.

Each project is as different as the location to be tiled, the material, the substrate, and the customer’s preferences. We enjoy the challenge of making sure we’ve selected the proper tile installation method and products to accommodate your surface, your application, your needs for the space, and the material you’d like us to install.

Some of the things we’ll be factoring into our estimates (and our conversations) are:

• Floor deflection (the up and down movement of a floor should not exceed L/360 for tile and L/720 for natural stone)
• Floor preparation (remove any existing adhesives, flatten problem areas by bringing substrate into required tolerances, scarify if needed)
• Needed coverage (required mortar contact on the back of tile in a dry area 80%; wet area 95%)
• Grout color and its impact on setting materials as well as end results (highly contrasting grouts can present a visual framing on some sheeted materials)
• Sealant needed prior to installation to protect the material from any staining during the grouting process (natural stones must be sealed prior to grout due to their susceptibility to staining)
• The size of the material to be installed (any tile more than 15” in any one direction is considered ‘large format’ and requires different mortars and substrate tolerances
• Composition of the tile itself (stone, glass, metal, sheeted mosaics, and accents with combinations of these –all require different setting materials, blades, tools, and care)
• Trowel and spacer type and size (tile, mortar, pattern, installer preference all factor in here)
• Movement joint locations and treatment (to allow for the movement that occurs as structures expand and contract)
• Pattern selected and its impact on installation waste factor as well as installation difficulty
• Job location – what it takes to get our heavy materials into the area, what hours we can work, how much protection of adjoining areas we’ll need to do, etc.
• Wet area/ interior or exterior/ angle of lighting/ long-term use & traffic in the area
• Base surface to be used (mud-set, backer board, membrane, etc.)

Those in our industry who tell you they can give you a ‘quick’ price per square foot for tile installation are either clairvoyant walking encyclopedias of construction, or they haven’t thought about all the factors that make up a long-lasting and beautiful tile installation. Most of the time, the best and most accurate things come to those who put some experience and careful consideration into all the options available. #ExperienceMatters #NTCAfivestar