Tile Installation

• Regular cleaning with mild water/detergent solutions and nonabrasive scrubbing products are recommended to keep your tiles looking clean and new for years to come.
• Avoid oil-based cleaners that can leave a sticky residue on the tile or even bind dirt to grout, making it more difficult to clean over time.
• Also avoid harsh chemicals, such as vinegar or bleach, as they can etch or wear away at the surface of your tile and break down the grout.  Clean up spills promptly to avoid staining.
  
• Clean up spills promptly to avoid staining.
• For natural stone tile, sealing may be recommended every 2-3 years to avoid staining and discolouration.  

• Tile is very durable, making it great for high traffic areas because it won’t wear down. Tile flooring is easy to clean and won’t trap allergens.
• Tile installation is still the preferred flooring option for wet rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms because it won’t get damaged by moisture. There are many different looks -- some even mimic wood for use in wet rooms -- and prices to suit any budget.  

• Tile is classified by hardness and durability for foot traffic, which is known as the PEI Rating. Most residential floors will need a 2 or 3 rating depending on the room and the amount of traffic.
• Tiles with PEI ratings 4 or higher tend to be more commonly used in nonresidential applications with heavy foot traffic.
• Slip resistance is another important consideration for tile flooring to ensure you choose a safe option. Our professional tile installers are also here to help you make the right selection.
• Tile options with lower ratings for slip resistance may still be excellent options for walls and tile backsplash installation.  

Porcelain tile is denser and more durable than ceramic tile and often has a higher PEI Rating. Porcelain also absorbs less water, so it can be used in moisture prone rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens. Ceramic tile is softer than porcelain, which makes it easier to cut for installation and a great choice for projects that are on a tight budget.

Glazed tile has an additional layer of liquid glass applied to the top, making it more stain-resistant. Glazed tiles come in a larger variety of colours and styles compared to unglazed, while unglazed tiles are less slippery and more scratchresistant.

• Tile cannot be installed properly on top of existing tile. Generally, removal of old surface materials is necessary to ensure the best results for your tile installation project.
• For tile flooring installation, the same removal process is required for all other flooring materials and will be carried out accordingly.

• Depending on complexity and/or difficulty, creating a tile pattern may require more labour and result in a higher cost.
• Your installer will explain the work involved and how it might affect your quote prior to beginning any work.  

• Yes, there are many factors that can impact your tile installation cost. Porcelain and ceramic tile installation are generally cheaper than installing natural stone tiles.
• The level of difficulty should also be considered, as kitchen or bathroom tile installation in tighter spaces that have electrical or plumbing to work around will cost more, as will creating a pattern with tile. Removal of your old floors and subfloor leveling is also necessary.  

• Yes, generally a tile backsplash is installed directly onto drywall and doesn’t need any additional layers of material, such as backer board, to guard against moisture. 

• Yes. Home Depot tile installers will start your project by removing your old tile surfaces before installing the new ones.

• Installing new tile is a multi-step process that typically takes 1-3 days, depending on the space and size of your project. Projects involving multiple rooms and large homes may require longer times to complete.
• Please speak with your installer before and during your project to get a clearer sense of the time needed to complete your project.
• Some of the factors that can impact the length of time required for your installation include:
  • Number of tile installers
  • Number and size, layout and location of rooms covered by your project 
  • Prep time (eg. furniture removal, floor & wall repairs)
  • Whether and/or how much old tile needs to be removed prior to installing new tile  

• No. Large-format tile installation is an end-to-end professional installation job to ensure the best result for your home.
• This is because, due to the size of the material and difficulty associated with proper handling, as well as the specialized requirements of installation, all large-format tiles purchased from The Home Depot must be delivered and installed professionally.

• Your tile flooring installer will offer basic furniture removal as part of their tile replacement and installation services.
• Tile floor installers will not remove clutter. Most importantly, they will not move oversized, fragile or specialty items, such as pool tables, upright pianos or waterbeds. These large items require specialists to remove.
• TVs and other electronics which need to be disconnected and reconnected should also be removed from the room prior to any new tile flooring installation.  

• Yes! Our installers will supply all materials necessary to complete your tile installation project.
• You will have the opportunity to choose your preferred options for grout to complete your tile installation.
• Where necessary, they will remove and replace any baseboards, transitions and/or quarter-round to ensure the best result for our project.  

Generally, no. Tile floor installers will recommend that you wait at least 24 hours before walking on newly installed tile flooring, although for the best results you should wait 48-72 hours. This allows time for the mortar and grout to cure and dry properly before use.