About This Service
Good tile work is invisible — when it's done right, you notice the tile, not the installation. When it's done wrong, you notice it immediately: lippage between tiles, grout lines that wander, cracks that appear within a year. The difference is entirely in the preparation and the patience of the installer.
Options & Materials
- Ceramic — affordable, versatile, ideal for wall tile and lower-traffic floors
- Porcelain — denser, less porous, better for high-traffic floors and outdoor use
- Natural stone (marble, travertine, slate) — beautiful, requires sealing and care
- Large-format tile (24"×24" and larger) — contemporary look, requires flatter subfloor
Why Kirkland & Eastside Homeowners Choose Moss Bay
Eastside homes, particularly in Kirkland's older neighborhoods and Bellevue's established areas, often have subfloors that have shifted, settled, or were never perfectly level to begin with. This matters enormously for tile — lippage and cracked grout almost always trace back to subfloor prep that was skipped or rushed. We use laser levels and self-leveling compound before any tile goes down.
Frequently Asked Questions
How important is subfloor prep for tile installation?
It's the most important part. Tile has no flexibility — any movement or unevenness in the subfloor transfers directly to the tile surface. We laser-level every subfloor before tile installation, adding self-leveling compound where needed. This is what separates installations that last decades from ones that crack within a year.
How long does tile installation take?
A typical bathroom floor (50–80 sq.ft.) takes 2–3 days including prep, setting, and grout curing time. A full shower surround takes 3–5 days. We don't rush grout curing — the material needs adequate time to set properly.
Do you handle waterproofing for showers?
Yes — proper shower waterproofing (Schluter KERDI or equivalent membrane) is standard on every wet area tile project we do, not an option. A shower without proper waterproofing is a future moisture problem regardless of how good the tile looks.