Hello! It’s been awhile!
Admittedly, I’ve fallen from posting on my blog regularly. Sometimes I need a break. It’s been 4 years of posting, every two weeks or so and I experienced some burn out. A small break, but the blog was not forgotten!
Today’s post is inspired by the vast pricing difference between Hamilton Tile and many of the other re-modelers/tilers in our area.
Why, Why, Why.
This blog has historically been about helping people to understand and this post is no different.
What are the details that make our bathrooms BETTER, therefore taking more time and also making them more VALUABLE?
Because ultimately, that’s what I am talking about. With Hamilton Tile, our higher price results in more VALUE. A bathroom or shower that looks better, lasts longer, and actually functions the way it should.
Also, our awareness of these details act as an ounce of PREVENTION. We take additional steps, so, (God forbid) when human error occurs out of our control, you as a homeowner can have the situation rectified much easier while minimizing damage and time.
So, what are these details that make us DIFFERENT?
HERE WE GO!
No horizontal penetrations for glass panel installation.
We spend many hours making our showers water proof. Not water resistant, WATERPROOF. Curbs, boxes, floors, walls…If there was a flood, we don’t want wood and water making contact.
During the building process, everything is water proofed…tile is set, it’s grouted and siliconed, then the glass installation.
During the glass installation many glass installers will put screw penetrations on horizontal surfaces for clips to hold the glass. Ours DO NOT!
These clips are generally unnecessary. Silicone holds glass panels just fine. A screw hole on the curb can cause a leak! No amount of silicone will seal the hole.
In the few scenarios that clips need to be installed to hold larger glass panels, our water proofing is preserved because we use 2” structural foam to build the curbs and not wood.
Unless the glass installer uses a 6” screw (which he won’t) he will not contact wood because of HOW we build our showers and our expertise with our building system.
When screws ARE necessary, in the very few situations, we make sure our water proofing is protected.
No penetrations on a horizontal surface results in a sealed shower area, a sealed curb. A water proof curb.
Our projects are better because we do not give water a chance to destroy your investment.
Let’s take a look at what I mean:
Grout that is falling out on a curb is a sign of moisture penetration. The wooden curb is getting wet and is expanding and contracting which is causing the grout to fall out.
Take a look at what our shower glass installation:
No curb penetration for the glass because they are not necessary. No leak potential.
2. Plastic under our tubs is looking ahead to the future!
When installing plastic or fiberglass pans or tubs it is imperative that you set them on a bed of sand mix concrete. This is the support that the tub needs to not crack or move. Improper support under plastic tubs and shower pans is a major culprit for leaks and failures.
An issue arises if you ever have to take the tub out. The sand mix will stick to the bottom of the tub making it impossible to remove. If you are able to remove it, you may damage the tub.
I get it, you should never have to remove the tub. But what happens if you do? Maybe a manufacturer error, etc.
Well, our ounce of prevention is when we set our tub in the concrete, we put plastic between the tub and concrete making it easier to remove if we ever have to.
Our bathrooms are better because we think ahead for our clients.
Take a look:
Plastic between the tub and sand mix concrete will make it possible to take the tub out (without damage) if you ever have to.
3. We use 100% SILICONE in all plane changes inside a bathroom.
We use 100% silicone in all plane changes (like corners) to create a soft joint for movement. Many installers grout their corners tight. This saves time for the installer, making their projects cheaper, but causes big problems for the home owners when their corners CRACK.
Corners CRACK because houses MOVE. A soft joint in the corners and all plane changes account for that movement!
Take a look at what I mean:
And here’s how we do it:
There’s a right way to do things and a wrong way. Many installers do it the wrong way because it is easier. For us to silicone your shower or backsplash takes a lot of extra time, effort and skill. That’s why our projects cost more. Most installers take the easy, lazy way out and you eventually pay the price.
To clarify: 100% silicone is not “SILICONIZED”. Siliconized caulking is not a sealant because it is a latex product.
100% silicone is not water based and is rated for inside a wet area.
Hiring a specialist gets you specialized talents and skills. Like silicone. Give it a try yourself and you’ll understand.
4. We build a removable panel underneath your tub deck.
A removable tile panel under your tub deck makes it possible to repair plumbing leaks or problems underneath the tub. Hopefully this will never happen, but wouldn’t it be awful if your plumbing fixture was built poorly from the factory and ten years after your bathroom was done it starts to leak?
It has happened!
If your panel is not removable someone has to destroy the tile on the front to access the plumbing or cut your ceiling open. Maybe you can’t get the same tile to replace the damaged tile!
A nightmare!
We build removable tile panels, so if you ever have to access under the tub…you cut the silicone perimeter and carefully remove the panel. When you are done. You replace it. EASY!
Here’s what it looks like when it’s done:
Very common sense, but most installers will not leave access for under the tub. It’s faster and easier to just tile it all in and leave the potential problem for the homeowner in the future.
When you put lifetime guarantees on your work, you simply perform your work DIFFERENTLY.
Our bathrooms are better because we have your best interest in mind!
5. We build benches with out penetrations into the waterproofing!
Why is this important?
No penetrations around your shower bench is important because most leaks start around the bench!
Most people build their benches out of wood and they’ll screw and hammer nails all over the place. Any penetration is a leak POTENTIAL.
Check out this bench:
Black mold. Underneath this bench was a pond of filthy stinky water. YUM.
Benches are a source of big problems.
We take the construction of our benches seriously.
We build ours out of 2” structural foam that is bonded to the outer waterproof layer and tiled around.
These benches are extremely strong:
Our bathrooms are better because they are designed to last. We take water very seriously.
6. Our soap niches are WATERPROOF!
Inset boxes/ soap niches are also a source of leaks and mold.
We build ours 100% water proof.
People will build their inset boxes out of wood. They won’t water proof them correctly. This causes failure.
Check out how we do ours:
A foam inset box, coated with Ardex 8+9 water proof cement.
Our bathrooms are better because we will show you what you are going to get.
There’s nothing worse than a leak. Unlike many other remodelers, we can show you how we do our work. Check out what you see above. That is what you’ll receive.
7. We don’t use wood curbs.
Wood and water don’t mix! Yes, you can waterproof the wood or outfit it with cement board that is waterproofed, but we cut to the chase.
We use 2” structural foam to build our curbs and there are no screws, nails or anything else to puncture or pierce the water proof envelope.
Check it out:
The 2” foam gets a waterproof membrane installed on top it with a water proof thin set called Ardex 8+9.
What the other guys doing:
The other guys build with wood curbs, layer it with rubber and then fasten cement board to the top of the rubber and wood using screws that ruins the water proof characteristics of the rubber.
There are correct ways to do this method.
MOST DON’T DO IT CORRECTLY.
Our bathrooms are better because we realize: WOOD AND WATER DON’T MIX!
8. WE FLOOD TEST OUR SHOWERS.
This one is common sense and not that special.
But, you’d be surprised to know that most “professionals” skip this step.
After the shower has been waterproofed, we dump a couple buckets of water in it and wait 24hrs to make sure it’s not leaking.
Most tilers DO NOT do this step.
Why? Because it takes longer and slows down the project.
But wouldn’t you want to know the shower is leaking BEFORE you set tile?
One more time: An ounce of PREVENTION to protect YOUR INVESTMENT.
Check out the video below to learn more:
Bottom line:
We think 10 steps ahead and 20 years in the future.
We take our time on our projects. We take OUR time so you don’t have to use YOUR time in the future to fix a mess!
That is the difference. We want our projects to last so you only have to do your bathroom ONCE. It’s a very simple formula.
You have expectations, we appreciate that and we are not afraid to meet your expectations.
Thanks for reading.
On a side note, look at this blanket my mother in law made. It’s all my tile t-shirts combined into a blanket. What a great gift for a tiler!