JD Tile recently completed a laundry room tile renovation in Annville. The existing layers of vinyl were removed down to the plywood. Ditra uncoupling underlayment was installed to provide minimal height buildup. 18″ porcelain tiles with marble pattern were perfect to give the customer the durability of porcelain but the look of marble. Contrary to belief the washer and dryer do not move on the polished tiles. SpectraLock Epoxy grout was used which will provide the best stain resistance possible in grouts. This was the 5th floor in the home JD Tile has replaced floors.

12X12 sheets of stone ledger mosaics were chosen by the customer to give this fireplace an updated look. This fireplace has been converted to gas, cement board was installed over the existing brick. Stone ledger panels have become popular and there is no grouting. The sheets of stone are installed tight together. A stone facing alleviates having a stone mason and saves on cost but an elegant facelift is the outcome! Call JD Tile at 717-821-5009 for your tile installation needs.

Customer remembered JD Tile from previous work 10 years ago. He tiled a stove base and entryway previously for customer. The current job was to remove the vinyl sheeting and install tile by Crossville, Americana series from Garden State Tile in Lancaster. The dark series went on the floor and lighter color for the backsplash. These tiles are V4 or varied to 4 shades. Varied shading is very popular these days. The new tile was installed to the height of the adjoining hardwood floor in the breakfast area. The proper substrate had to be installed to achieve this. Schluter Ditra was the choice in this situation. The dishwasher and stove were unhooked and removed from the room in order to tile the flooring underneath. After the floor was finished appliance were installed. Epoxy SpectraLock grout was used on the floor for longevity.

Barrier free in-law shower in Lebanon PA. NuHeat installed in the floor. Marco Corona porcelain tile carries into the barrier free shower with a 68″ Kerdi-Line Drain located at the back wall. Crossville mosaics were used in the ceiling, feature deco and niche. Dome liners were used to terminate the tile. The granite used for the bathroom vanity was incorporated into the niche which is a trademark of JD Tile. A drop down shower seat was incorporated. SpectraLock Epoxy grout was used, 2 colors light pewter and raven. Glass frameless shower door.

               

Grand Entry Finished!

This is another fiberglass tub surround renovation to tile for JD Tile.  Fiberglass tub surround removed the first day.  Homeowner chose a Kohler cast iron pan and new plumbing will be installed as well.  Will be tiled with 4X12″  the pattern will be 50% offset.  Tile was purchased from Garden State Tile in Lancaster.  Granite accents will be used.     This shower is a hybrid as most are in this day and age, with kerdi board and pro panels used.  2″ kerdi board installed under uba tuba granite for added support and to accept marble tiles.  1/8″ horseshoe shims used to insure consistent spacing.  Hyrdro Ban Water proofing over screw/washer penetrations.       Tile installed, grouted with Laticrete SpectraLock Epoxy grout only grout JD Tile will use in a shower.  Plumbing fitures installed with 2 grab bars, one not in picture.  Kohler cast iron pan used, choose by customer.  Niche is the Noble Niche 20X12″.  Marble to be installed yet under granite seat.        

Recently JD Tile took on what many contractors will not, a shower pan tear out and redo.  For this project many contractors would have wanted to do a total tear out of the shower/glass block walls.   JD Tile assessed the project to be a shower pan & bench tearout and to rebuild the subfloor and add new support where needed.  Obvious moisture and mold were evident on top of the shower floor and underneath the plywood was black from moisture getting through the liner.  A suspected lack of preslope was confirmed.  Advised customer to stop using shower as moisture was feeding the mold to grow.  Had nothing been done to this shower in a couple years the entire wing that shower was in would have been destroyed by mold. When measuring the pan for the size the tape measure caught tiles on the edge and pulled them up, saturation of the mud bed was obvious.  The water had not only damaged the plywood subfloor but also some of the joist structure.  2×4’s and 2×6’s were added and new 3/4″ plywood was installed to replace the entire subfloor.  The corner bench was removed and the customer wanted the same size installed.  Solid piece fabrication was provided and fabricated by JD Tile to custom fit the top of the seat and rounded off for safety.  Customer had previous tiles used to replace first row of tile walls removed in order to carry waterproofing up the wall to give a 100% pan seal effect with new kerdi drain brushed brass and kerdi surface waterproofing.  New p-trap installed as well due to old one clogged most likely during the actual building of the home back in the late 90’s.   One of the biggest challenges of a project like this is having all the right tools and knowing the structure of a shower pan throughout.  JD Tile has previously torn out shower pans with a liner and lead pans.  Here is the process from the start to finish.  Laticrete’s SpectraLock epoxy grout was used and the same color in Latisil 100% silicone caulk was used to caulk the bench to wall seam.    

Quartz recycling project patio deck in Annville, PA.  Using quartz remnants from a fabrication shop, these remnants were cut down into 12X16″ tiles, using first a grinder with a tubo blade and on the wet saw.  Cutting them down is a slow process as quartz is a very dense material which makes it easy for cleaning and removing stains, much easier than granite. These remnants were picked up and cut down into a specific size versus being thrown into a landfill.  3″ mud bed was installed first, followed by the quartz tile installation.  Thickness is same as countertops, 3 cm or 3/4″.  The previously polished sides were roughed up using a special cup wheel for a good bond.  The top of the quartz was roughed up using a grinder to have good traction for walking on, then the surface was enhanced to bring out the color and lastly sealed.  Hydro Ban was put down on the surface of the mortar bed to protect the bed and the tiles were grouted with SpectraLock Epoxy grout since this an outdoor project.  I have secured many more remnants quartz and granite so look for more unique tile/slab projects from JD Tile. 

This project for JD Tile consisted of working with an architect, the customer!  His vision was to use chalkboard slate slabs previously used at an old schoolhouse. He bought the slate at an auction.  Each slab of slate was approximately 4′ by 4′ and some larger.  Each piece had to be cut and dry fit before installing it.  Waterproofed the shower with kerdi waterproofing.  The shower pan is a kohler cast iron pan.  A piece of slate was put on the ceiling as well.  This project was framed out by the customer years ago, he needed an installer who had experience working with slabs.  I worked on a large slab installation back in 2009 on the Lancaster Convention Center/ Marriott Project with other subcontractors putting 3 mm slabs in.  The customer found JD Tile through the John Bridge Tile Forum where Jon is a professional advisor.  He is always looking for uniques projects like this most installers are afraid to take on because they have not worked with slabs.  The architect customer incorporated a unique idea bringing the wall out to create a shelf. This material was about 3/8″ in thickness.  Tuscan leveling system was used to insure the joints were flush.   Laticrete 317 thinset was used.  Mineral Oils are going to be used on slate to condition it.

This project was for some good friends I met while in the service. We removed the carpet and installed porcelain 18″ slate finish tiles, square pattern. Cracks in floor were coated with Laticrete mesh and blue liquid to isolate them. Tile was set with Laticrete 253, grouted with Laticrete Permacolor one of the new colors Dusty Grey. 600 sq. ft. Schluter transition profiles were used at doorways to meet carpet. Yes that is a Boston Terrior in the picture, his name is Leo! He kept me entertained while I was working on the tile installation, and did not move any of the tiles around! He was my buddy while I was working. Our next project in their home will be the kitchen floor and bathroom floors.