Our house was built in 1960 and the bathroom reflected that era, not to mention the grout in the bath surround was in dire need of attention. So once we gathered up the initiative (and funds) we went through the process of receiving quotes and interviewing contractors. Being a contractor at one time myself, and having owned four homes over the years, we where well aware of the necessary effort and expertise it would take to do a quality job. With that in mind we narrowed the playing field down to three companies - all of which had come very highly rated. We chose Creative Tile Concepts, not so much for the price (that certainly was a consideration, but all quotes where within the same range), but because of the attention to detail I felt that Sergio Esposito - the owner/operator, would bring to the table. Out of the three estimates, Sergio's quote was the only one to mention using Kerdi membrane (water proofing) and Ditra board (floor). Because of the age (and perhaps lack of maintenance of the existing tile) waterproofing the surround and flooring were an absolute necessity. Wrapping the shower area after the installation of backer board with the Kerdi prevents any possibility of water leakage. Additionally, using the Ditra for the floor simplifies the floor tile process as it is lighter and easier to work with than hardy board or cement board. So, I had originally opted to do the demo myself, however after speaking with Sergio we decided to have his team take on that project. That would speed up the work, plus they would dispose of the material. Anyone who has ever had to deal with the old style of mudset will understand what a difficult job that entails. Mudset is a combination of cement and sand spread over a metal lattice before the tile is laid. The result is a very dusty, heavy and extremely hard to remove mess. Better to pay someone else than to take on the aggravation (not to mention doing it for free). We provided all the tile in the form of 12" porcelain with a 3" glass accent running midway around the complete bathroom. Additionally, we requested a built in niche, that Sergio graciously custom built for use as we didn't care for the standard sizes of the preformed units. Ours is comprised of two cubbies, each about 11" tall. Now that this is complete, I don't think we could have asked for anything better. A 55 year old home tends to settle with time, ours certainly has. Not only did Sergio and his crew take extra care in honoring our wishes, but went the extra mile in assuring that all walls where plumb and the floor was level - neither was true of our bathroom previously. Once the flooring was removed, it was discovered that we had a water "issue" around the toilet, which required the replacement of the sub-floor. Sergio took care of all of it. As a matter of fact, he assisted me in installing our sink/vanity and the flush mounted medicine cabinet - none of which was required, but just being exceedingly friendly. Probably couldn't have gotten my friends to help with that - you know schedules and all. :) We now have a beautiful new bathroom that simply exceeded our expectations. Would I hire Sergio and his crew again - absolutely and without hesitation. His attention to detail, correcting things that needed fixing instead of applying a band-aid truly show not only his professionalism, but his skill as a craftsman. Cheers.