THE SURFACE EDIT BLOG

Dark spots along grout lines and corner caulk are one of the most common complaints about tiled showers. Often the cause is simple and fixable. Sometimes it is a sign that water is getting where it should not. This guide explains why mould grows in a shower, how to prevent it, how to clean small areas safely, and how to tell when the problem is bigger than the surface. Why Showers Grow Mould Mould needs moisture, and a shower supplies it every day. Health Canada notes that mo

A tiled staircase can look striking, and it is one of the least forgiving tile projects there is. Every step is a small floor with an edge that people trust with their weight, and a few millimetres of error show up as a trip hazard. This guide covers what has to be settled before the first tile is cut: the base, the step heights, the edges, the grip, and the order of work. In This Guide Why Stairs Are Different The Base Underneath Step Heights: The Detail That Gets Missed Pro

The last tile goes down, the room looks finished, and the temptation is to start using it. The floor or shower is not ready yet. The mortar and grout are still curing, and what happens in the first days has a direct effect on how long the installation lasts. This guide covers what to wait for, what to avoid, and what to watch for as the new tile settles in. In This Guide Why the First Days Matter Three Clocks Running at Once Walking on It, and Moving Things Back In Water, Sho

Tearing out old tile is noisy, dusty, and slow, so the question comes up in almost every renovation: can the new tile simply go over the old one? Sometimes it can. More often than homeowners hope, it cannot. This guide explains what decides it, how the surface is prepared, and the signs that removal is the better call. In This Guide The Short Answer What the Old Tile Has to Prove Testing What You Cannot See How the Surface Is Prepared The Hidden Cost: Added Height Showers and

A shower with no step looks simple, and that is part of its appeal. The simplicity is only on the surface. Behind it, the floor, the slope, the drain, and the waterproofing all have to work harder, because the curb that used to hold water in is gone. This guide covers what changes in a curbless or walk-in shower, and what to settle before any tile is ordered. In This Guide Curbless and Walk-In: What the Terms Mean Why Homeowners Ask for Them The Floor Is the Hard Part: Recess

The entryway is the one floor in the house that gets hit by everything winter brings at once: wet boots, meltwater, de-icing salt, and sand ground in by the hundred steps a week. Tile is a smart choice for it, but only if the tile, the finish, and the grout are chosen for that job. Here is what actually holds up at a Montreal front door, and what to do about the salt. In This Guide Why the Entry Is the Hardest Floor in the House Porcelain, Ceramic, or Natural Stone at the Doo

A tile project in a Montreal condo runs by a different set of rules than the same project in a house. Before anyone sets a single tile, there's usually a syndicat to notify, a soundproofing requirement to meet, and a neighbour below who becomes part of the conversation the moment water or noise is involved. Here's what actually changes when tile installation happens in a condo, and what to sort out before work begins. In This Guide Why a Condo Project Isn't Just a Smaller Hou

Grout gets picked last and often thought about least, right up until it stains, cracks, or starts growing mildew in the shower. This grout guide covers what actually differentiates the main types, how to choose the right one, how sealing works, and the maintenance habits that keep grout looking like day one for years instead of months. In This Guide Why Grout Choice Isn't an Afterthought Cementitious vs. Epoxy Grout: The Real Difference Matching Grout to Joint Width Colour: T

A backsplash is one of the few surfaces in a kitchen that has to look good and take a genuine beating at the same time: heat, grease, splashes, and daily wiping. If you're planning a kitchen backsplash installation in Montreal, the material and layout you pick matter, but so does everything happening underneath it. Here's what actually goes into a backsplash that holds up, from wall prep to the last bead of caulk. In This Guide Why the Backsplash Is More Than Decoration Choos

If you're planning a bathroom renovation, it's easy to focus on the tile itself: the colour, the pattern, the size of the format. But the part of the job that actually determines whether your shower holds up is the layer you'll never see again once the tile goes on. Shower waterproofing is what keeps water out of your subfloor, your framing, and, in a Montreal condo or duplex, potentially your neighbour's ceiling below. Get it wrong, and even flawless tilework can hide a slow

We get asked the same handful of questions on almost every call, whether it's a first-time renovator or someone who's done this before and just wants to confirm what they remember. We put the ten most common ones in one place, with straight answers — no sales pitch, just what you need to know before your project starts. How long does tile installation actually take? For a standard bathroom (around 100 sq ft), plan on 3 to 5 working days from demolition to grout curing; a kitc

If you're planning a restaurant, café, or retail build-out in Montreal, tile is not just a design decision — it's a liability decision. Most homeowners choosing tile never think about two numbers: PEI rating and DCOF. In a commercial space, both are not optional. A beautiful tile that isn't rated for commercial foot traffic will show visible wear within a year. A tile that looks non-slip but tests below code minimums is a slip-and-fall claim waiting to happen, and in Quebec,

You call three tile installers for the same bathroom, and you get back three numbers that don't even look like they're for the same project — one is $2,400, another is $4,800, and a third doesn't respond with a number at all until they've seen the space in person. This is normal, and it's also exactly why comparing tile quotes on price alone is a mistake. A quote is only as useful as what's actually itemized in it. Here's what a serious estimate should include, and how to rea

Luxury vinyl plank has earned its popularity honestly: it's affordable, it installs fast, and modern printing technology makes it look convincingly like wood or stone from a few feet away. If you're flipping a starter condo on a tight budget, it's often the right call. But we get a different question almost every week from clients renovating a forever home or a high-end commercial space: “Should we just go with vinyl instead of tile?” Here's the honest comparison — including

Most homeowners choose a tile installer the same way they choose a pizza place: lowest price, decent reviews, done. Then eighteen months later, grout lines are cracking, corners are lifting, and the “deal” quote turns into a second, more expensive renovation. Tile work looks simple from the outside — cut, glue, grout — but the difference between a floor that lasts twenty years and one that fails in two comes down to steps you'll never see once the tile is down: subfloor prep,

The kitchen floor takes more abuse than almost any other surface in your home — grease splashes, dropped pots, constant foot traffic, water from the sink, and the daily movement of chairs and appliances. Choosing tile for a kitchen floor is not just a design decision. It is a performance decision. Here is what actually matters before you commit. In this article Ceramic vs. porcelain: which one for a kitchen floor? Slip resistance: the most overlooked factor Finish: matte, tex

Most homeowners focus on choosing the tile. What gets less attention — but matters just as much — is what is underneath it. Concrete and wood subfloors require very different preparation processes, different materials, and carry different risks if the installation is not done correctly. Here is what actually changes depending on what is under your floor. In this article How to know which subfloor you have Tiling over concrete: what the process involves Tiling over wood: what

The basement is one of the most challenging rooms in a home to floor well — and one of the most rewarding when done right. Moisture, cold concrete, and temperature swings eliminate most flooring options from the start. Ceramic and porcelain tile, however, thrive in exactly this environment. Here is what you need to understand before installation begins. In this article Why tile outperforms every other option below grade Moisture: the issue that decides everything Preparing th

Both patterns create that hypnotic zigzag effect people love, and both get requested constantly — but they are genuinely different patterns with different installation requirements, different costs, and different ideal applications. Here is what actually distinguishes them, and how to know which one is right for your space. In this article What's actually the difference? Installation complexity: what your installer deals with Cost considerations Where each pattern performs be

Few upgrades transform a Quebec winter quite like stepping onto a warm tile floor first thing in the morning. Radiant heated flooring under ceramic or porcelain tile has become one of the most requested upgrades for bathrooms, kitchens and basements — and for good reason. Here is what you actually need to know before adding it to your next project. In this article How radiant heated flooring works Why tile is the ideal partner for radiant heat Electric vs. hydronic: which sys