Tile / Duval County
Tile in San Marco, FL
Tile in a San Marco home means working with rooms that have settled for eighty years. Walls are rarely parallel and corners are rarely ninety degrees, so a layout snapped off one wall will visibly drift by the far side.
In San Marco
What tile involves here
- Layout squared to the room, not to a single wall
- Substrate prepared for tile over older framing
- Floor-to-wall tile, as in our San Marco barndominium bath
Tile is the most permanent floor you can install and the least forgiving to get wrong. Once it is set and grouted, fixing a bad layout means breaking it out.
That is why the work happens before the tile does. We measure the room, plan the layout so the cuts land in the least visible places, and check the slab for flatness. Large format tile in particular has almost no tolerance for a wavy substrate. A 24x48 panel will lippage at every seam if the floor moves more than an eighth of an inch under it.
Local conditions we plan for in San Marco
- There may be hardwood under your carpet
- Before you buy new flooring for a San Marco home, it is worth pulling back a corner of carpet in a closet. Refinishing an original floor usually costs less than replacing it and produces a better result.
- Crawl space decking
- Pier and beam construction plus a humid crawl space is hard on subfloor over eighty years. Soft spots near baths and exterior doors are common and need to be replaced, not covered.
- Rooms that are not square
- Older homes settle. Walls are rarely parallel and corners are rarely ninety degrees. Layout has to be planned around that so the cuts land where you do not notice them.
Quote for San Marco
Name and cell number. We will call you back and set up a measure.
What is included
- Tear out of the existing floor and debris haul-off
- Slab flatness check and grinding or patching as needed
- Dry layout planned around doorways and sightlines
- Crack isolation or uncoupling membrane where it is warranted
- Tile set with the right trowel and coverage for the format
Proof
Tile we have completed in San Marco
Photographed on the job as the work happened.
San Marco, Jacksonville7 photosBathrooms & Showers
San Marco Barndominium Bath, Floors and Walls
An upstairs bath in a San Marco barndominium. Tile ran across the floor and up the walls.
Beacon Hills, Jacksonville18 photosTile
Large Format Italian Tile and Slate Stair Treads in Beacon Hills
A Beacon Hills home moved from dated flooring to 24x48 Italian porcelain. The stairs got slate treads cut to fit each riser.
Neptune Beach15 photosBathrooms & Showers
Neptune Beach Wetroom, Taken Down to Studs
A full wetroom build in a Neptune Beach home. Everything behind the tile was rebuilt before anything went on the wall.
FAQ
Tile in San Marco: questions
Not covered here? Call (904) 592-0777 and ask.
Does my slab need to be leveled before tile?
It needs to be flat, which is not the same as level. A floor can slope slightly and still take tile fine. What it cannot do is undulate. For large format tile the tolerance is tight, typically an eighth of an inch over ten feet. We measure it, and if it is out we grind the high spots or patch the low ones before we set anything.
What is lippage and how do you prevent it?
Lippage is when the edge of one tile sits higher than its neighbor, so you can feel the ridge with your foot. It comes from an uneven substrate, inconsistent mortar coverage, or naturally warped tile. We control it with a flat substrate, full mortar coverage, and leveling clips that hold adjacent tiles in plane while the mortar cures.
Should I seal my grout?
Cement-based grout benefits from sealing, and resealing periodically, especially in a kitchen or bath. Epoxy grout does not need it but costs more and is harder to work. Sealing is not something we take on, so we will tell you which grout you have and what maintaining it involves, and you can handle it or bring in someone who specialises in it.
Can the original hardwood in my San Marco home be saved?
Usually. Floors from that era were built with thick solid wood, so there is normally plenty of material above the tongue to sand. Unless it has been sanded repeatedly already or has water damage, refinishing is the better option. We will look and tell you honestly.
Free, no-pressure quote
Tile quote in San Marco
Send your name and cell number. We will call you back and come out to measure. No obligation.
Laser measured. Quoted in writing. One contractor for the whole job.