"We hired Juan for our kitchen backsplash and floor tile installation on our kitchen upgrade project. We ended up hiring him for cabinet, countertop, and range hood installation, too! Juan and his team were absolutely wonderful to work with. He was prompt, professional, and an excellent communicator. His work and commitment to getting it right came through every day, and he has a very collaborative style. His advice gave us confidence in the decisions we were making about materials and installation. Because our home is 100 years old and has many quirks, we had a few surprises along the way. Juan didn't hesitate to offer up solutions. (He put in 6 shims to level our window sill! Something we didn't even know we needed). Our kitchen turned out better than we could have imagined, and it's because of Juan's commitment to excellence (and patience with us!) that it turned out so well."
"Adam did an incredible job installing porcelain tile backsplash in our kitchen; he is professional, timely, organized, and maintained great communication throughout the project. He took time to properly address my concerns, mask, and prep my home none of my cabinets or flooring were stained. His care and attention to detail are second to none! I highly recommend AK Tile for your next project."
"This project was to finish install of a new shower replacing former nasty tub. Derek's crew were excellent technicians, and I am confident we now have a high quality, nice looking shower. The work involved a lot of detail/bullnose around 2 windows and 3 niches, beautifully mitered corners. Also, a pebble tile floor was hand placed so the pebbles were level to each other leaving no low spots to puddle, a detail I hadn't expected. The same crew also installed a glass block wall which had a slight hiccup during the job; they came back at the end of the day and worked late to fix it and make it right."
"If what you are looking for is the best possible upgrade project imaginable in your home, America’s Dream Homeworks is the company you want to hire … period. My wife and I shopped around a few different remodel companies for our master bathroom job. There were several things that set America’s Dream Homeworks (hereafter “ADH”) apart from the competition. First, the quality of the materials. Upon entering their huge showroom floor, you notice that they order and work with huge slabs of rock. We were looking to have our shower walls be made of single large slabs of stone, rather than tile or other patchwork linked together by grout. Grout is the first part of one’s shower to gather mildew, so having a single rock panel for the wall has a marked impact on reducing mildew problems. In addition, the other materials that they work with were all five-star quality as well. After leaving the showroom, we were sold. The only thing that could have made us choose another company at that point would have been poor customer service. However, the service team also left us very impressed. Osa, our in-home design consultant, was incredibly friendly, very informed about all of ADH’s product offerings, and had a very good knack for hearing my wife’s style preferences and finding great solutions for our bathrooms. She took her time taking measurements, and looking through product offerings to find solutions that would work well for our space. Osa presented us with a few different options for materials, at various quality/price tiers, so that we got a very good idea of what our finished job would look like at various price points. My wife of course chose some of the most high-end materials for our job, but it was within the scope of our budget. The entire in-home design consultation was handled thoroughly, methodically, and the end result was a design we knew we were going to love. Great work, Osa! Now we waited. Julie was assigned to be in communication with us during the waiting period and she was diligent about keeping us up to date. ADH had current projects ongoing and needed to make sure those were properly wrapped up. In addition, our materials had to be ordered and some of them had long lead times. Contract was signed in late October 2018. All materials were not received until mid-February 2019. For projects such as this, delays are a reality that must be both expected and worked around, so we were ready to wait. Julie also did a very good job keeping us informed during the waiting period, so we were never left in the dark and always knew what was happening. Mid-February arrived and our installation team was ready to go. Alex, Eric, and Ivan were our main go-to guys for the work. They demoed the bathroom. Upon opening up the walls, one often finds unexpected surprises, and we had a couple, but nothing serious. Within the first week, all of the principle demo work was done and they were ready to start installing. They did the ground work for the install of the various parts of the project, including taking extremely detailed measurements for the stone work. Throughout the entire process, the guys were very sensitive to our needs (we have a two-year-old son, so they were particularly sensitive to his nap and bed times) and they worked super long hours to make sure we stayed on schedule. Demo, patching up, and prep work took about a week and a half to complete. The special stone team came in led by another Alex (different from the Alex taking primary project lead) during week #2, and they were miraculously in and out in a single day. There was one panel in the master bathroom that they could not install on that day because we ordered a jacuzzi tub, so they needed the space open to access the wiring for the motor installation. Overall, though, we couldn’t believe that they did the stone work so incredibly fast. Also, the resulting fit and finish is super professional. It is extremely difficult to tell where two rock panels are cut and bonded together because of the seamless way they sealed the pieces up. Also, they did an amazing job matching the rock patterns from panel to panel, such that even where two separate panels are adjoining, the patterns flow from one to the other almost seamlessly. It was a fantastic install job! Week #3 rolled around and the team did some more basic patching work, including hooking up the sink hardware and installing our new toilets. However, this was a quiet work week as they scheduled some other install projects and gave some time for the rock sealing to set-up properly. Week #4 they knocked out the countertop, new sink hardware, and backsplash in our guest bathroom. Two-day turnaround for that. Then, they moved back into the master bath, installed the tub, put the final rock panel in place (complete with stone access door for the tub motor), and grouted the shower floor. Only the glass and some final patch-work remained to be done. There were a couple of additional delays for the glass delivery, which took two weeks, but again we knew that delays like this are commonplace for a project like this, so we took it in stride. Also, we were able to start using our jacuzzi tub and shower even though the glass wasn’t in yet, so we could start enjoying our new space while we waited … and enjoy it we did! Once delivered, the glass was installed in just two hours, and as of this morning all of the finishing touches were put in by Ivan, we passed city inspection, and happily shook hands with the team congratulating them on a job well done. Our finished bathrooms are … well … the company is called America’s Dream Homeworks for a reason … our finished project is like a dream come true. My wife and I now have our own personal luxury spa in our own home, complete with jacuzzi tub, overhead rain shower (with detachable spray handle that we can hold and modulate water pressure to while still getting rain shower from above), gorgeous rock walls with beautiful clear tempered glass enclosing the shower, and brand new countertops with deep sinks. We only did half of our guest bathroom. When we finish that project (need to remodel the shower space as only the counter tops were done in there) we will be calling ADH back. Overall 5-star work. 5-stars on the finished job. 5-stars on the customer service at all levels. 5-stars on the quality of the materials. 5-stars on the communication before and during the job. 5-stars on the professionalism and friendliness of our install teams. I can’t use enough superlatives for this company, for its people, and for the top tier quality of their workmanship. I say again here to close what I said at the beginning … if what you are looking for is the best possible upgrade project imaginable in your home, America’s Dream Homeworks is the company you want to hire. We could not be happier with the result. We will be calling them again in the future."
"Ovation Restoration did an excellent job with our home improvement project. In our master bedroom, to take advantage of a fantastic view, they removed a large window from one wall, sealing it up like new, and installed a similar window on another wall. The work was performed quickly and skillfully, with great results. They also turned the double door leading into that room into a single door, creating more space in the room. Concurrently, in the guest bathroom, the old tub was removed, and a beautiful walk-in tiled shower was installed, along with a window with a fantastic view. The project manager Rick was a pleasure to work with, and his team were all professional, conscientious, and friendly. Everything turned out just as we imagined. We would highly recommend Ovation Restoration."
"Excellent services. Bob is conscientious, courteous and knowledgeable. He is reliable, honest and dependable. He follows through with his commitment to you and the job. So grateful that he was the one that responded to the request for a hardwood floor estimate."
"Did just what I needed - added a 240 V circuit to my existing subpanel using liquid waterproof conduit, done in 2 hours, reasonable quote for the work, two thumbs up, would hire again! They also noticed an existing outlet that was not properly sealed near the area they were working and sealed it up!"
"I have a beautiful master bathroom, thanks to Ruben Olivo, and the process was so smooth! Ruben does quality work, pays phenomenal attention to detail, and is a master of all trades: tile, plumbing, electrical, etc. Our remodel was completed on budget and according to schedule. It was relaxing to work with just one main person: no subs, no stress! You’ll notice Ruben’s professionalism and helpful, calm demeanor immediately and value his work ethic and enjoyable personality as he works at your home. We were nervous to select the right contractor for our first project and now we’re already saving to team up with him for another!"
Backsplash Installation questions, answered by experts
Like any painted surface, tile paint can peel and chip over time. However, tile paint can become especially susceptible to peeling during periods of high humidity. Other sources of excess moisture will also cause tile paint to peel faster than normal. And if the tiles are in a high-traffic area, like the entryway floor, tile paint will chip and peel faster.
You should always use caulk instead of grout where the tile meets the wall. This will help your tile installation look great and last a long time. When you accidentally use grout for the corner seams, you end up making the tiles too rigid. So as the wall shifts over time, your tiles have no wiggle room. This can lead to tile damage, which will eventually require you to do at least a partial reinstallation.
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are made from clay, but porcelain tiles are fired in a kiln at a higher temperature. This makes them more durable, but it also means porcelain is more expensive than ceramic at $3 to $5 more per square foot.
Even with the higher price point, many people choose porcelain over ceramic because there are more color and design options.
Whether you want to match your tile trim with grout comes down to your personal preferences. If you match the two, it can help your tiles to stand out while providing a clean, cohesive look. On the other hand, you might opt to match your tile trim with your tiles. The best option will depend largely on your tile design, as well as how it fits overall with the rest of your room.
Updating your backsplash without removing the tile is possible in a couple of different ways. First, you can remove the old grout and replace it with new grout to give your backsplash a fresh look. You can also change the grout color, which can have a surprisingly large impact on the final appearance of the backsplash. Finally, you can paint the original tile to totally change the look of the backsplash without removing it.
The Petaluma, CA homeowners’ guide to backsplash installation services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Recycled glass countertops have a distinct look. If you'd like some for your home, check out this guide to find out how much recycled glass countertops cost.
Choosing the best grout for kitchen backsplashes depends on your priorities and backsplash design. Learn how to choose the best grout for your backsplash.
