Material Spec

Tile
Pattern, color, and surface character.

From handmade cement tile to precision-machined porcelain, mosaic to stone, tile gives a surface its rhythm and personality. The broadest material category we work in, with applications from showers to floors to feature walls.

Tile hero installation

About the Material

The most versatile category we work in.

Tile is not a single material — it is a category. Cement tile (handmade, pigmented, encaustic-pattern), porcelain (precision-fired ceramic, almost non-porous), natural stone tile (marble, slate, travertine), mosaic (small-format glass or stone in patterns or fields), and increasingly specialty formats like large-format porcelain that mimics slab stone. Each behaves differently, each has its own strengths, and each is appropriate for different applications.

We work across this entire range. For a showpiece bathroom floor, handmade cement tile delivers character and depth no manufactured product can match — but it must be sealed and respected as a porous material. For a high-use shower wall, porcelain in a custom-cut pattern gives the visual interest without the maintenance friction. For a feature wall, mosaic creates rhythm in a way solid slab cannot. The right tile depends on the room, the use, and the result you want.

Tile installation is its own craft, distinct from slab fabrication. Substrate prep, waterproofing membrane, layout, grout selection, sealing — each step affects the longevity and appearance of the finished surface. We do this work ourselves, with the same standards we bring to stone and concrete. The visible surface is only one part of what makes a tile installation last.

Where We Use It

Applications.

The applications where tile performs at its best.

01

Shower Walls & Floors

The most demanding tile application — waterproofing, slope, drain detail, niche construction, and finish all matter. Porcelain, large-format slab, mosaic, or stone, depending on the design.

02

Bathroom Floors

Patterned cement tile for boutique character, porcelain for practical durability, mosaic for rhythm. We design floor layouts to flow with the room, not just fill it.

03

Kitchen Backsplashes

Patterned tile, subway, large-format, mosaic — the highest-impact, most-visible tile application in most kitchens. Where a backsplash carries the room's personality.

04

Feature & Accent Walls

Full-height feature walls behind ranges, beds, fireplaces, or built-in casework. Pattern, color, and dimensional texture create focal points solid surfaces cannot.

05

Fireplace Surrounds

Tile-faced fireplaces — from large-format porcelain that reads as slab stone to mosaic surrounds with hand-set detail. Heat-tolerant by nature.

06

Mudrooms, Entryways & High-Traffic Floors

Durable porcelain or stone tile in entryways, mudrooms, hallways. Heat-tolerant, easy to clean, and dimensionally stable across temperature swings.

What to Expect

Strengths, trade-offs, and care.

We believe in helping you specify with full information.

Strengths

What tile does best
  • Broadest design range of any material — pattern, color, scale, texture
  • Porcelain is highly water-resistant and durable
  • Individual tiles can be replaced if damaged
  • Mix-and-match across formats, materials, and patterns
  • Cement tile delivers handmade character no other material can replicate
  • Heat-tolerant — appropriate for stoves, fireplaces, and hot zones

Trade-offs

What to know going in
  • Grout lines require periodic maintenance and occasional regrouting
  • Cement tile is porous — must be sealed and resealed regularly
  • Installation quality is everything — poor substrate prep ruins beautiful tile
  • Can feel cold without radiant floor heating
  • Mosaic and patterned installations are labor-intensive (and priced accordingly)
  • Tile can chip on hard impacts, particularly at edges

Care

Living with the surface
  • Daily — sweep or vacuum to remove grit; mop with a pH-neutral cleaner
  • Avoid acidic and abrasive cleaners on natural stone and cement tile
  • Seal cement tile and natural stone tile every two to three years
  • Regrout when grout shows cracking, staining, or pulling away
  • For showers — squeegee after use to extend grout and sealer life
  • We provide a tile-specific care guide with each installation, varying by material

Specify your project in tile.

Tile selection is a conversation — material, pattern, scale, color, grout, layout, and substrate all interact. We will walk you through the options, source samples, and design the installation to fit your space and use.

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