From bare slab to finished floor
Most of what makes a tile floor last is buried under it. This is a single living room and entry, followed start to finish — so you can see the preparation, not just the result.
Down to bare slab, with the original brick hearth protected. 01Phase 01Demolition & slab assessment
Every floor starts by getting down to bare substrate. The old flooring and adhesive come up so nothing stays hidden underneath, and so we can see exactly what the slab is going to give us to work with.
- Old flooring and adhesive removed down to bare concrete
- Cracks, low spots, and movement in the slab identified up front
- Existing brick hearth and fireplace protected in place
Checking the hearth step and threshold before committing to a layout. 02Phase 02Layout & level
Before a single tile is set, we establish level and plan the layout. Transitions get decided first — the hearth step, the door threshold — because that is where a floor either reads as intentional or looks improvised.
- Level and straightedge run across the slab, hearth step, and threshold
- Transitions to the entry and raised hearth planned before the open field
- Layout set so cuts land where the eye is least likely to catch them
Flatness verified end to end before anything is set. 03Phase 03Substrate preparation
A tile floor is only as good as what sits underneath it. The slab is cleaned and prepared so the finished surface has a true, sound plane to bond to — the step that never shows in a photo and shows in every floor that fails.
- Slab scraped, cleaned, and prepared for a proper bond
- Movement and cracking in the concrete addressed before any tile goes down
- Flatness checked across the full run, not just spot-checked
Building the setting bed to a true plane. 04Phase 04Setting bed & installation
Mortar is floated and screeded to a true plane, then thinset is combed out so every tile lands in full contact. Tile is set, beaten in, and checked as the work moves rather than corrected at the end.
- Mortar bed floated and screeded to grade
- Thinset combed in a consistent direction for full coverage
- Tile beaten in and checked for lippage as each run is set
- 05The result
The finished space
Wood-look plank set in a staggered running bond, carried around a slate hearth and through to the entry. Grouted, sealed, and detailed — the transitions that were planned on day one are the ones you stop noticing.
- Wood-look plank laid in a staggered running-bond pattern
- Slate hearth and steps wrapped with tight, consistent edges
- Grout, seal, and a final detail clean
Plank meeting the slate hearth. The full room, finished. Slate steps carried through to the entry.
This is how your project gets built
Owner-operated means the craftsman who plans the layout is the one who sets the tile. Tell us about your space and we'll walk you through what it takes.