Custom homes and full rebuilds — common across North York, Markham, Richmond Hill, Oakville and Vaughan — are a different kind of tile project. The areas are larger, the materials more demanding, and the clients have usually done a lot of research.
Execution matters more than problem-solving
In a new custom build the subfloors are flat and there are no surprises. The work is about precision: joints that line up across rooms, cuts that land where they look intentional, and no lippage under long runs of window light.
Layout planning on large floors
Bigger tiled areas make layout planning matter more, not less. A decision that produces an awkward cut gets repeated across a much bigger floor. We plan the grid from the main sightlines — the front door, the kitchen island, the line between rooms — before any tile is set.
Natural stone
We are asked for marble more often in custom homes than anywhere else. It is beautiful and we install it happily, but we explain the commitment first: sealing at installation and every one to three years after, and it will etch if anything acidic sits on it. Natural stone also needs a stiffer floor than porcelain — L/720 rather than L/360 — and light stone needs white mortar so nothing shows through. Some clients choose marble anyway; some choose a marble-look porcelain once they understand the upkeep. Both are reasonable. See porcelain and natural stone.
Heated floors in large rooms
Ensuites and mudrooms are where in-floor heating earns its keep. Across a large open main floor it is rarely worth it; the furnace already heats that space.
Coordinating with the builder
On a rebuild we work around the general contractor’s schedule: after drywall and before trim, with plumbing rough-ins and drain locations agreed early. Linear drains, curbless showers and recessed floors have to be planned before the framing is closed, not after.
Timelines
An 800 square foot main floor in large format takes considerably longer than a 200 square foot kitchen — not proportionally longer, but longer. We give realistic dates and hold them.
Get a free estimate
Ultra Renovations Inc has been installing tile across Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa and the wider GTA for over ten years. We are a registered Ontario corporation with general liability insurance.
Call (647) 648-8985 or request a free estimate and we will come out, measure properly, look at your subfloor, and give you a written quote for your home at no cost.