Frequently Asked Questions
Want to understand more about tile and why it's a good choice? Read our frequently asked questions and let us know if we can help with anything else!
Why Tile is the Healthy Choice?
Tile is a healthy choice, ceramic and porcelain tile is made from natural ingredients and free from toxic chemicals that can make you sick. Tile is the smart choice for a healthy home from the ground up! Tile is a hypoallergenic flooring option, naturally resistant to dust and other harmful pollutants that are known to cause a variety of health issues. Tile is a great choice if you suffer from allergies or asthma. Tile is impervious, meaning it's inhospitable to dust mites, bacteria, fungi, mold, and other irritants. Tile is inherently inorganic, emitting zero VOCs. VOC's are emitted by virtually all other types of flooring. VOCs are harmful gases that can cause headaches, nausea, and nose, eye, and throat irritation. VOC emissions are also a leading cause of "sick building syndrome". Tile is also a solid material meaning tile does not contain the binders common to other flooring and wall surfaces- binders like formaldehyde. Tile is also free from PVC, a resin commonly used in other surfaces to improve mechanical flexibility and heat stability. PVC contains phthalates and organotin, both regularly a subject of concern and discussion among health experts. PVC link.
Why Tile is the Green Choice
- Tile is a sustainable building material, Certified Green.
- No other flooring or wall covering choice can compare to tile when it comes to longevity. When installed correctly Tile will last for many generations. This combined with tile being a zero-waste manufacturing material made it the most eco-friendly choice when it comes to flooring or wall coverings.
- Ceramic tile is plastic-free and completely recyclable.
- There are many tile options available that are made from recycled materials. Find some examples here.
- Tile is Energy Efficient. Tile's inherent thermal mass reduces peak heating and cooling, which helps moderate temperature swings in your home. This means less work for your HVAC system and more energy savings for you.
- Manufacturers of tile have the lowest carbon footprint of any flooring choice! Tile manufacturers typically use materials found within 500 miles of manufacturing facilities, dramatically reducing the energy and emissions that come from long-distance shipping of materials.
Why tile is the classic choice?
Over the centuries, tile has represented the perfect union of art and architecture. The richness of tile adorns our greatest buildings and historical icons. Whether you are looking for a durable surface for your flooring or something with a wow factor, tile can and should fulfill both desires!
Is Tile Waterproof?
Short answer No. Why is this important? When considering a tile contractor to construct and tile your shower or bathtub surround please keep in mind that your shower will have an average of 1100" of water ran per year, in comparison the average rainfall for Seattle Washington is 36" per year! Make sure that whomever you choose to install your new shower tile has a plan for waterproofing before installing tile!
Types of Tile
- Porcelain Tile, porcelain tile is impervious, meaning its water absorption is 0.5% or less. A great choice for any application. Easy to maintain and very durable.
- Ceramic Tile, similar to porcelain ceramic tile is fired clay. Ceramic is not fired as hot and long as porcelain making it a softer product. Ceramic tile also absorbs water at a much higher rate, making it a poor choice for most outdoor applications.
- Mosaic Tile, tiles having a facial area of less than 9 in². Typically mounted on sheets or strips with other mosaic tiles.
- Encaustic Tile, tile decorated with colored clays, inlaid and fired. Often referred to as Cement Tile.
- Marble Tile, marble that has been cut into tile sizes.
- Gauged Porcelain Tile Panels/Slabs; Large format tile that is gauged to a certain thickness, often only half the thickness of standard tiles and up to 63"x 126".
- Natural Stone, tiles cut from naturally occurring material, travertine, marble, etc.
- Feature Tile; tile that is used strictly to make a statement, express your artistic taste, and beautify your home. The choices are endless and as unique as you are! 3D tile, metallic tile, stone-look tile are just a few of the options.
Tile Terms
- Brick joint or Running bond, Tile installation with each row offset, typically with half its length. (If the side to be offset is greater than 15", a maximum offset of ⅓ is recommended.
- Bullnose, trim tile with a radius on one edge, is used for finishing an edge.
- Backerboard; An underlayment material used as a substrate for tile. Some backer boards are waterproof and some need to be waterproofed for proper shower construction.
- Grout; the material used for filling tile joints.
- Honed; a satin surface with little or no gloss.
- Lippage; A detectable change in elevation between the edges of tiles sharing the same grout joint.
- Membrane; An underlayment material, usually in the form of a sheet or trowelable liquid applied to the substrate prior to tile installation. A couple of common uses of membranes would be to isolate substrate cracks from the tile and mortar (crack isolation membranes), waterproofing (waterproof membranes).
- Thinset mortar; A blend of cement, sand, and additional compounds to improve adhesion and add strength.
- Rectified Tile; A tile that has had all edges mechanically finished to achieve a more precise facial dimension.
- Trim; Various shapes of bases, caps, corners, moldings, angles, etc. to finish or trim tile.
What tile organizations exist?
- ANSI, American National Standards Institute, a standards development organization.
- ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials International, a standards development organization.
- NTCA, National Tile Contractors Association, Established in 1947, the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to the professional installation of ceramic tile and natural stone. It is widely recognized as the largest and most respected tile contractors association in the world.
- TCNA, Tile Council North America. TCNA is a trade association representing manufacturers of ceramic tile, tile installation materials, tile equipment, raw materials, and other tile-related products.
- Coverings, The largest event dedicated strictly to tile. Experience nine miles of the latest tile and stone trends. https://www.coverings.com/
- CTDA, Ceramic Tile Distributor Association,
- CTEF, Ceramic Tile Education Foundation,
- TCAA, Tile Contractors Association of America.
- TCA Team, The TCA Team, a subsidiary of the TCNA, was launched to address the growing demand for tile installation consultations, inspections and expert witnesses.
- Tile Heritage Foundation, For research and preservation of ceramic surfaces
Kreate Remodels provided us with amazing service! They transformed our old outdated tub into a luxury walk in shower we never thought possible in our small restroom. Jared created an awesome open restroom that feels so much like a high end spa. The people they referred us to help choose the tile and shower door were extremely helpful and kind as well. Jared does a great job and is very meticulous making sure no detail is left unfinished and was not afraid to add the extra details and finishes we wanted. Ashley was also terrific at addressing all my questions. We are most definitely using Kreate Remodels for our next project. Very strongly recommend!
Jared was extremely professional. Quality of work A+! He was very forthcoming and honest. There were no surprises. Very easy to work with. The work went very smoothly and efficiently. He took over my project after a disastrous experience with another contractor and trust was an issue for me, but that was squashed once he took on my project. It was a very stress-free experience. I wish I had found him sooner. It would have saved me a lot of money, time,and headache. I will definitely use him again when I am looking to undergoing another remodel project!
Kreate Remodels is a very trustworthy family-owned general contractor specializing in bathroom remodeling. They also have strong expertise in repairing leaking shower pans without rebuilding the entire shower. My shower was leaking from both sides of the curb. Kreate Remodels quickly identified the root cause (waterproofing defects from the original construction) and fixed it by repairing the bottom portion of the shower instead of rebuilding everything, which saved significant cost. Highlights of the project: - Excellent communication and transparency throughout the process - Cost-effective solution by repairing instead of rebuilding - High-quality workmanship, with the owner personally doing most of the work - Great coordination with the glass door contractor to remove and reinstall my tall, heavy shower door - Very clean worksite with careful protection of floors, walls, and stairs, plus dust ventilation Overall, I’m very happy with the result and highly recommend Kreate Remodels. See the attached pictures (before and after)
Jared is a perfectionist at what he does, my brother is an inspector for the City of Irvine and he even said it’s perfect! I can’t stop staring at it every time I walk by. 🥰
Jared remodel our master bathroom after we found our shower pan had been leaking 😧. We had quite a bit of wood damage on second floor. Jared fixed our structure and we got a complete remodel. We love how it turned out, so much better than we expected! It feels like a spa bathroom now! We highly recommend Jared's excellent construction to details. He is very personal and kind, you'll love him!
Just finished two bathroom renovations with Kreate Remodels and we are so thrilled with the results. When it comes to laying tile, Jared is a perfectionist and his workmanship is top notch. Over the course of several months, Jared and Ashley Martin adapted their schedule to ours, which made things move more smoothly. The Martins are honest and reliable and all-around nice people. They will make sure your renovation project reflects the vision you have for your bathroom or other important spaces in your home.
Jared remodeled my bathroom into a place of beauty and serenity. His work ethic was so refreshing. He is personable and professional. He was timely and very neat. He was easy to work with.
Fantastic work! Did a complete gut and remodel of our primary bathroom. Their work is meticulously executed! Guidance and input on colors, theme, style was so appreciated. Best part- they worked CLEAN!!! Tidied up every day after themselves. Didn’t leave a house filled with dust and debris. Also, they showed up on time and were respectful of the space. Would (and about to) work with them again for the entry way, fireplace and hearth and kitchen backsplash.
Wanted to give a huge THANK YOU to Jared!! My parent’s guest bathroom had been in desperate need of updating, like super outdated (see the jacuzzi tub and old school window) and not in working condition. Jared came to the rescue, took care of all their wants and needs and left them with a gorgeous functioning bathroom where this shower/bath now gets used constantly by their grandkids. Jared was the cleanest contractor we have ever experienced, always neat, tidy and cleaned up everyday he left, you never knew he had been working on this project. Would highly recommend him and use him again in a heartbeat! Thank you!
Jared and his team worked on remodeling our master bathroom and guest bathroom. We really enjoyed working with them, and absolutely loved the outcome. Ashley helps you with making design decisions (the hardest part, I think) and overall they have the experience and expertise to know what needs to be done in a construction project. They were super thorough with their work, very clean workspace, honest and trustworthy. I highly recommend!
This is the second bathroom Jared and his crew have done for me and it will not be the last. All I can say is you get what you pay for. Do not be scared away by an estimate. If the price seems too good to pass up you should pass it up because you will not be happy with the final product. Jared priced out my downstairs bathroom for me and I thought it was too high and I went else where. Guess what, I will probably have Jared do that one too. He did my upstairs guest bathroom in 2020 and I just recently had him redo my master bathroom. He gave me an itemized estimate so I knew exactly what I was getting. He does all the little things you would not get get if you were cutting corners on cost like making sure your subfloor is prepped and level for tile, your walls are straight, hell he even set the temp on my shower system to make sure its the perfect temp. The photos will speak for themselves. Marble everywhere cut perfectly, tub set perfectly, second floor curbless shower done perfectly, custom giant framed mirrors. The list is endless, I highly recommend Kreate Remodel. Also his wife Ashley helped us pick a lot of material and we were able to take advantage on some of her insider discounts, saved a couple hundred here and there on some or the big ticket items like our tub which I priced at kohler at 5400 not including delivery but Ashley found it for us delivered for under 5000. Again Thank you Jared, Ashley and your great team.
Jared and Ashley are great to work with. They help you through the entire project and the quality and workmanship are impeccable. I highly recommend Kreate Remodels for your bathroom remodel needs.
Jared and Kreate Remodel constructed three beautiful bathrooms in my home. All three were very different and required different skills and he did a great job. One bathroom we made the shower curbless so that my elderly mom can easily be rolled into the shower when needed. In the master bathroom, he removed the bathtub and expanded our shower so we get a spa experience. His tile work is superb. His prices were reasonable, and the workmanship excellent. We definitely received great value for our money.
The pictures below will show what a fabulous remodel job Jared Martin, owner of Kreate Remodels, did in the main bathroom in my home. He worked all day every day to finish the job in the time allotted. He gutted the entire bathroom but kept it, n the hallway, spotlessly clean and dust free every day. I find that quite commendable. He's kind n professional and I highly recommend him! Cheryl Miller
Excellent craftsmanship, clear and consistent communication, and patience throughout the project - from design to completion. Could not be happier.
We have used this company many times for several rooms in our home from our kitchen to bathrooms. Jared has always been very professional and the quality of his work is excellent. I would highly recommend them.
Kreate Remodels did an amazing job on our Master Bathroom update. Our refinished cabinets look great and our new shower is amazing! Jared's tile work is impeccable and their design suggestions were perfect!