Every failed tile job we are called to repair failed underneath. Tile set directly on a springy subfloor cracks. Tile set on drywall in a shower delaminates. Tile set without movement joints on a long run buckles when the slab moves - and slabs in Los Angeles move. We spend the first day on substrate: flatness, deflection, uncoupling membrane, waterproofing and layout. Then the tile goes down and it stays down.
Cracked and hollow tiles replaced from stock or matched. Failing grout ground out and replaced. Loose and hollow-sounding areas re-bedded. Shower corners and change-of-plane joints converted from grout to a flexible sealant, which is where they should have been from the start. Rusted or failed drain assemblies replaced. Missing bullnose and edge trim corrected.
Installed labour generally runs $12 to $22 per square foot for standard floor tile, $18 to $32 for large-format and pattern work, and $25 to $45 for mosaic and intricate layouts. Waterproofed shower assemblies are priced as an assembly rather than per foot. Substrate correction, self-levelling and uncoupling membrane are quoted separately because they depend on what we find.
Sometimes, if the existing tile is fully bonded, the substrate is sound and the added height works at doors and transitions. We check it rather than guess.
Because corners and changes of plane move, and grout is rigid. Those joints should be flexible sealant. We correct it properly.
Fifteen percent for a straight lay, twenty to twenty-five for diagonal, herringbone or chevron. Order it in one batch so the dye lot matches.
Yes, on installation and we tell you the honest reseal interval for your specific stone.
