Commercial tile installation
in Chicago, IL
Tile for storefronts, offices, salons and restrooms, scheduled around your business hours.
Planning around your business
Most businesses can't close for a week. Before any tile is ordered, we sit down with you and work out which areas can shut down and when, where customers and deliveries come in, and where we can stage tile and tools. Then we schedule each zone with enough time for the mortar and grout to cure before people walk on it again.
We choose tile for the floor and for how it gets cleaned. Porcelain holds up to heavy foot traffic and carts. Ceramic is fine on restroom and break-room walls. Large tiles mean fewer grout lines to scrub, but the slab has to be flat enough for them.
Details from a salon floor
Three things to notice on this salon floor.
Large tiles under the stations
Large tiles mean fewer grout lines to catch hair, color and dust. A glossy tile like this gets slick when wet, so on a commercial floor we check its slip rating before you commit to it.
Grout close to the tile color
The grout is close to the tile color, so the joints fade and the veining stands out. Light grout in a salon picks up stains, so we suggest a stain-resistant or epoxy grout.
Laying out around the chairs
The chair bases sit on the finished floor. We lay out the tile so a base doesn't straddle a joint, and we mark floor outlets and anchor points before setting.
How a project works
Review the space and schedule
We walk the space with you and note entrances, elevators, loading access and which areas stay open. We ask how the floor is cleaned, where traffic is heaviest, and whether we should work room by room, at night or on weekends.
What you’ll do
Tell us your business hours, busy days, and any areas that must stay open.
What we’ll do
Draft a phased schedule and a list of what needs to be moved out.
Confirm substrate and conditions
We check the slab or subfloor for cracks, loose patches, old adhesive, moisture and uneven spots. Commercial slabs often carry old glue or patch layers that have to come off before tile goes down.
What you’ll do
Give us access to the space and any drawings or flooring records you have.
What we’ll do
Test the slab for flatness and moisture and tell you what prep it needs.
Coordinate layout and materials
We start the layout from the main entrance or the most visible line in the room. We check that every box comes from the same production lot so the color matches, and plan how the tile meets carpet, vinyl and door thresholds.
What you’ll do
Approve the tile, grout color and layout, and confirm the order quantity.
What we’ll do
Order setting materials and check that the tile lot numbers match.
Set, grout, and protect
We set each zone with full mortar coverage under every tile. Edges and corners get the most attention, since carts and rolling chairs hit them hardest. Then we grout and cover the area until it can take traffic.
What you’ll do
Keep staff and customers out of taped-off zones until we reopen them.
What we’ll do
Set, grout and protect each zone, then hand it back on the agreed date.
Walk through the handoff
When the last zone is done, we walk the space with you and check transitions, edges, grout and fixtures. We clean off grout haze and go over how to clean the floor, which cleaners to avoid, and when each area can take full traffic.
What you’ll do
Walk the floor with us and pass the cleaning notes on to your cleaning crew.
What we’ll do
Fix anything on the punch list and leave written care notes.
Materials & surfaces we work with
Ceramic
Ceramic suits restroom walls, break rooms and other light-traffic areas. Most ceramic isn't rated for heavy commercial floors, so we check the rating before using it underfoot.
Porcelain
Porcelain is the standard for busy commercial floors. We still check each product's slip rating and finish, since a polished porcelain behaves very differently from a matte one when it's wet.
Large-format porcelain
Large tiles give a lobby or showroom a clean look with few grout lines. They need a very flat slab, full mortar coverage, and leveling clips to keep the edges even with each other.
Natural stone
Stone varies a lot in hardness and in how it reacts to cleaners. In a business, the cleaning crew matters as much as the stone, so we go over sealing and safe cleaners before you choose.
Mosaic
Mosaics work for borders, logos, curved areas and small restrooms, and the extra grout joints add grip underfoot. We line up each sheet as we go so the pattern stays straight across a large floor.
Glass
Glass tile works for accent walls, backsplashes and restroom features. It needs a white mortar made for glass and an even wall behind it, and your cleaning crew should use non-scratch pads on it.
Your tile's spec sheet says where it can go and what mortar it needs. We follow it.
Working while you stay open
On a commercial job, the schedule matters as much as the tile. We can split the work into zones, say the entry one weekend and the restrooms the next, so you never have to close. We agree up front on where tile and tools are stored, how customers and staff get around the work, and what gets covered. The schedule includes cure time and any inspections your landlord, designer or other trades need.
Commercial floors take carts, chair casters, mop buckets and floor machines every day. That decides which tile finish, grout and transitions we recommend. At the front door, winter salt and grit wear the surface fastest, so we suggest a harder, matte tile there and walk-off mats from November to March.
Prep under commercial floors
If the slab is uneven or moves, it shows up in the tile as cracked grout, loose edges, and water that pools instead of reaching the drain. We find out why a floor is uneven before we tile over it. Bigger tiles need a flatter floor, so we measure against the size you've picked. If the floor needs leveling, a crack-isolation membrane or new underlayment, we include it in the price before setting starts.
Older commercial spaces often have several layers of old flooring, adhesive and patch. Some older floor tile and black mastic contain asbestos, so if we suspect it, we ask you to have it tested before anything comes up. Once the floor is bare, we check it again before we start setting.
Cleaning and upkeep
Use a cleaner made for your tile and grout, and keep acidic or harsh cleaners off the floor. Grit at the entry causes most of the wear, so keep mats down and sweep often. Use soft pads on floor machines.
Keep carts, pallet jacks and wet mopping off a new floor until we tell you it's ready. If a tile gets damaged later, call us before anyone patches it or tries a new cleaner on it.
What affects the price
What shapes the scope?
Tick what applies to your space. We give you a price after we've walked it.
The biggest cost drivers on a commercial job are square footage, tile size, the condition of the slab, removal of the old floor, and how many phases the work is split into. Night or weekend work adds cost too. A price per square foot can't account for prep or for working around your hours, so we look at the space before we quote.
Where we work
Can you work around an open storefront or office?
Yes. We can split the work into zones, work nights or weekends, and keep a path open for customers and staff. How we phase it depends on your space, other trades and cure times.
What commercial areas do you tile?
Storefronts, offices, entries, corridors, lobbies, salons, restrooms and break rooms. We look at the floor and how the space is used before we recommend a tile.
How do you choose tile for a high-traffic floor?
We look at the tile's floor rating, slip rating, finish and size, plus how the floor gets cleaned and whether carts roll over it. Matte porcelain is our usual starting point for busy floors.
Do large-format tiles need special preparation?
Usually, yes. Large tiles need a flatter slab and full mortar coverage, and the biggest pieces take two people to set. Most floors need some leveling before large tiles go down.
Can you install over existing commercial tile?
Sometimes, if the old tile is solid, well bonded, clean and flat. If it's loose, cracked or uneven, taking it out usually costs less than fixing problems later.
How soon can a commercial area reopen?
Many floors can take light foot traffic about a day after grouting and full traffic a few days later, depending on the mortar, grout and room temperature. We give you a reopening date for each zone when we set the schedule.
Planning a tile project?
Call us or send a few details. You don’t need measurements yet.