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

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

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.

Professional Women in Construction

Ours has long-been perceived as a male dominated profession, but the National Association of Home Builders has designated this week to recognize the amazing contributions of the women in our world.

Neuse Tile is a woman-owned business, and, let’s be honest, the women in our office keep things ticking on a daily basis. 🙂  So, we’re happy to have a reason to give a shout out in recognition of the many contributions of our female workforce, both in the office and on job sites!

The NAHB’s designation of a week to celebrate women in construction is something new, but those of us who have been in the field a while know that women have been working in construction for a very long time. Some don hard hats and kneepads and install tile; others are superintendents; and many are project managers and estimators. The work of both men and women in this field is difficult and underappreciated, no doubt, but no other profession offers such tangible satisfaction at the end of every project.

We applaud all the changing faces on construction jobsites while also giving honor to women who have done the accounting, the purchasing, the scheduling, the inventory management, and the marketing for our profession for all these years. You may not see them on a daily basis, but, without them, the jobs probably wouldn’t happen.

All our team members are essential to getting our work done to your satisfaction, and we know that the person who answers the phone or makes the sale is just as valuable as the technically adept project manager or the master craftsman. It takes us all to get things planned, built, and maintained with quality.

Let’s celebrate all those who work so hard in construction, with a special tip of the hat this week to the women among us!

Why pay for tile twice?

We often write about coming in behind tile placers who have done residential jobs poorly or left homeowners with failed installations, but this happens on the commercial side as well. One of our local contractors recently called us in to evaluate and tear out  the tiled steps in a commercial building.

The tile installer they hired initially had little experience installing tile on steps, and their finished work showed it. The  building owner was not satisfied, and the contractor called us to correct the problems. We completely re-worked the steps, and they look great now since we used the proper adhesives, planned the layout before setting any tile, and finished it all with Schluter’s Trep-E stair nosing profiles.

But, why do things have to be done twice?

General contractors feel tremendous pressure to produce the lowest bid when vying for projects, and, to get there, they feel they must take proposals from low-cost providers. The end result is sometimes adequate, and sometimes, as in this case, more expensive. The cost of increased supervision, project delays, multiple change orders, and potentially unsatisfied customers is real. If only we could get those making the ultimate decisions on selecting a contractor to understand that Quality Should Not Be Cheap. The low bid contractor or tile installer should be the first bid thrown out because someone has missed something or cut a corner that will be costly later on.

Knowledge and craftsmanship are costly to obtain, and it’s fair to ask the end user to pay for that high-quality work. Long-lasting, beautiful tile installations with no hassles, no headaches, and no callbacks should be the expectation, and a ‘Schmuck in a Truck’ can’t get there with his low-ball price.

 

Terrific tile from 2015

Thanks to some of the country’s best installers, our fantastic customers, and the most knowledgeable tile team anywhere, we’re wrapping up a good year in tile. We’ve been honored to be included in some great projects in 2015, so here’s a sample for your viewing pleasure:

Large tile is here to stay, & custom patterns add interest.

Intricate cuts and plenty of patience created this fantastic feature bath.

Removing barriers – properly installed curbless showers are a new norm.

Classic subway tile is always a winner.

 

Practical luxury — heated floors continue to gain popularity.

Stacked stone is a great way to create a fireplace focal point.

Lots of glass on the walls this year. Installed well, it’s a fantastic backsplash.

 

 

 

 

Upstairs porch tile installations have needed our expertise this year. Done properly, they’re beautiful and functional.

A tiled mosaic in Louisburg features the largest state motto ever. NTS craftsmen & a local artist created public beauty.

Tile as creative expression takes hold in this new Downtown Raleigh commercial  space.

Heat up those toes with a tile floor

Maybe it’s because the ground is covered in snow and ice, but the idea of a heated tile floor is sounding extra wonderful today! Stepping out of the shower onto those warm tiles started my day off in the best way possible.

Many forward-thinking builders are adding heated floors to their projects these days, but the idea of under-floor radiant heating actually dates back to prehistoric times. TILE magazine reports that archeologists digging in the Aleutian Islands have solid evidence of inhabitants channeling smoke from fires through stone-covered trenches dug under the floors of their dwellings. “The hot smoke heated up the floor stones, which then radiated into the living spaces. The principle behind this process was – and still remains—quite simple, the floor radiates heat to a person’s feet, warming that person all over,” Arthur Mintie reports.

Today’s electric radiant floor heating uses that same concept, and is an affordable addition to any tile installation. An electric heating element is incorporated into the materials laid beneath the tiles and can be directed to specific areas in the room. With their high thermal mass, tile and stone retain the heat (controlled by a wall thermostat), and the warmth radiates from your feet throughout your body. Several of our customers say they’ve actually lowered their room thermostats because their floor heat made them feel so much warmer. One customer even said her favorite spot to watch it snow is on her all-season porch because her warm floor keeps her so cozy.

So, instead of starting a fire on these next cold nights, how about turning up the floor? Ask us about it for your next project.

Miles of Tile for all our great customers

It’s a new year, and we’re hoping for a good one!  As we’ve been doing our end-of-year analysis and new-year planning, we are reminded of those who make our existence possible – OUR CUSTOMERS!

We’d like to say ‘Thank You’ to all who have given us the opportunity to participate in your projects. The miles of tile we’ve installed in the Triangle area wouldn’t have happened without the thousands of homeowners and builders who have trusted us with their installations.

(Our great installers and their consistent good work are a big part of that, too, of course, but we’re focusing on customers today.)

Some of our builder and remodeler friends have stayed busy through the downturn, and, because their business has been built with a reliable team, they stayed true to their high-quality subcontractors. Others have found us more recently because they needed reliable, quality tile installations done at a fair price.

So, in an effort to say thanks and help promote their great work (with positive Google searches), we’ve added some contractor credits to our website photos. They’ve kept us going in 2014 (and in previous ones), and we appreciate them! Check out their beautiful work (highlighting the tile, of course) at www.NeuseTile.com. We’ve labeled photos with a lot of contractor names and are adding to the info. every day.

Also, as we were reviewing our data, we realized that several of our contractor customers have been working with us for almost 20 years, so we’d like to give a special thanks to: Jay at Beaman Building & Realty, Mark at Massengill Builders, Jim and Dan at J.L. Williams Construction, Mark and team at Prime Building Company, Walt at Dillon Construction, and to Kemp Harris Inc. You guys have lived through the ups and downs with us, and we greatly appreciate your loyalty and your good work!!!

Here’s hoping 2015 will be a good year for all our local contractors and for those of us who are part of their teams! We’d love to add to our list and help make sure the area’s quality level remains high. If you have a builder friend who is tired of headaches and no-shows from his current tile guy, tell him or her to give us a call. We’d like to keep adding to the miles of tile we’ve installed for the area’s great contractors. And, if you want a recommendation for a general contractor for your next project, give us a call.