Tile Flooring Installation in Jonesboro, GA

Bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens are the usual places for tile, and they are also where water has had the most chances to get under the old floor. That history is why a Jonesboro tile flooring installation starts with close attention to water exposure, to how each edge of the tile will be finished, and to whether the subfloor is solid enough to carry tile.

Flatness, the layout and the location of movement joints are recorded as part of the same review.

What backer board does and does not do

Cement backer board is a common base for tile over a wood subfloor. It is set in a layer of mortar, screwed down on the pattern its manufacturer specifies, and its seams are covered with alkali-resistant mesh tape and mortar. It gives tile a stable surface that will not rot or swell.

What it does not do is stop water. Backer board tolerates moisture, but water can pass through it. Where a floor needs real waterproofing, such as around a toilet or washing machine, a liquid or sheet membrane is added over the board, or a membrane system is used instead.

Hidden damage under bathroom and laundry floors

Slow leaks from a wax ring, a supply line or a washer hose can soften plywood for years without showing on the surface. When the old floor comes up, those areas are probed for soft or dark wood, and damaged sections are cut out and replaced before any tile work continues.

Because this damage cannot always be seen in advance, the estimate should explain how it will be handled: work stops, you are shown the problem, and the repair is described and priced in writing for your approval. For bathroom projects that go beyond the floor, our bathroom remodeling services in Jonesboro page has more.

Edges, thresholds and the next floor

Trim for each opening is chosen once we know the height of the floor on the other side. Where tile meets carpet, a metal edge or reducer protects the tile while the carpet is stretched against it. Where it meets wood or vinyl, a reducer or flat threshold bridges the height. A bathroom with a waterproofing membrane needs a transition that accounts for the extra layer.

Door clearance is checked for every door that swings over the new floor, and casings are undercut where needed.

Grout and membrane decisions

Three choices hang together here: how wide the grout joints are, what color the grout is and which membrane or underlayment goes beneath. Joint width follows the tile’s edges and the maker’s stated minimum. Color affects how dirt and wear show, and stain-resistant grouts reduce upkeep in busy rooms. The membrane decides finished height and the level of water protection.

Flatness, layout and movement joints

While pricing the job, we look for cracks, measure how square the room is and run a straightedge across the floor. Low spots are filled and high spots ground. Balanced layout lines are planned so cuts at opposite walls are similar, and movement joints are marked along the walls, at thresholds to other materials and over slab joints.

Asking city hall in Jonesboro about permits

Jonesboro is in Clayton County. If your tile project involves structural subfloor or framing repairs, plumbing changes or electrical work, check with the City of Jonesboro building permits office at City Hall about whether that work requires a permit.

What happens after the old floor comes up

After removal and repairs, the backer or membrane is installed, layout lines are set and tile is placed in suitable mortar. Once the mortar cures, joints are grouted and edges finished. The closing inspection looks at grout width, the transition height at each doorway and any part of the slab or subfloor that was repaired.

The estimate lists rooms, removal, the planned subfloor work, membranes, tile and grout, toilet and appliance handling, transitions and exclusions.

Backer board, subfloor and carpet edge questions

Is cement backer board waterproof?

No. Cement backer board is water-resistant in the sense that it will not rot, swell or lose strength when wet, but water can pass through it. In areas that need waterproofing, such as bathroom and laundry floors, a liquid-applied or sheet membrane is installed over the board, or a membrane system rated for waterproofing is used in its place.

What happens if rotted subfloor is found after the old floor comes up?

Work on that area pauses and you are shown the damage. The extent is described and the repair, usually cutting out and replacing the soft section, is priced in writing as a change order. Once you approve it, the repair is made and tile work continues. This is most common near toilets, tubs and laundry hookups.

How should tile end at a doorway into a carpeted room?

Usually with a metal edge profile or a reducer set into the tile edge, with the carpet stretched and tucked against it. The profile protects the tile edge from chipping and gives a clean line. The carpet’s tack strip is placed so the carpet meets the profile neatly, and the door is checked to make sure it clears both surfaces.

Have the subfloor checked

Call 404-409-4448 to describe the room and the floor that is there now. We can visit, check for soft spots and give you a written estimate to review.