Floor tile is where installation quality shows most, because you walk across it every day and light rakes along it from every window. Lippage, uneven grout lines and hollow-sounding tiles all come from rushing the preparation.
What’s included
- Removal of existing flooring and disposal
- Subfloor inspection for deflection and moisture
- Self-levelling compound where needed
- Uncoupling membrane over plywood subfloors
- Layout planning, levelling clips, back-buttering
- Grout, transitions and trim
Typical cost
$14 to $24 per square foot installed, depending on tile format, layout pattern and how much preparation the subfloor needs. Diagonal and herringbone layouts cost more because they generate significantly more cuts and waste.
Things worth knowing
Over a plywood subfloor in an Ontario home, an uncoupling membrane is not optional. Our seasonal humidity swing moves the structure enough to crack tile that’s bonded directly to plywood.