Tile Flooring Installation in Savannah, GA | Porcelain and Natural Stone Experts
Tile is the most durable floor we install and the least affected by moisture, which matters considerably in a coastal market. We install porcelain, ceramic, and natural stone throughout Savannah. Porcelain accounts for most of that work because it absorbs so little water.
The technical difference between porcelain and ceramic is water absorption. Porcelain is fired denser and absorbs under 0.5 percent by weight, while ceramic absorbs considerably more than that. This is why porcelain belongs in bathrooms, entryways, and any ground floor with a damp history.
Substrate preparation is where tile installations succeed or fail outright. Tile is rigid and unforgiving, so any movement underneath transfers straight into cracked grout lines or fractured tiles. We hold flatness to 1/8 inch over 10 feet, tighter than any other floor we install.
We install an uncoupling membrane or cement backer board over the substrate rather than tiling directly onto plywood decking. That layer absorbs the differential movement between a shifting wood subfloor and a rigid tile field. It is the single most commonly skipped step in residential work.
Layout is planned carefully before any mortar is mixed. We dry-lay the field, center the pattern on the room's main sightline, and place the cuts where they read least. Nobody notices a well placed cut, and everybody notices a sliver at a doorway.
We install throughout Savannah and Chatham County, including the historic districts downtown where access and delivery genuinely complicate the work. Every project gets the same crew from initial measure through final grout and sealing. We are licensed & insured throughout Georgia.
Licensed & Insured · 50+ years experience
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Porcelain, ceramic, and natural stone. Free measure across Savannah.
912-330-6990Why We are the Best flooring contractor in Savannah, GA
Selecting a flooring contractor ultimately comes down to who actually shows up. It also comes down to who stands behind the installation afterward. We have installed flooring throughout Chatham County for over 50 years. The same crew handles your project from initial measure through final walkthrough. Subcontracted installation is where most flooring complaints originate, so we simply do not operate that way.
- Over 50 years delivering flooring installation, repair, and maintenance across residential and commercial properties throughout the region
- Full-service solutions including luxury vinyl plank, solid hardwood, engineered wood, porcelain tile, laminate, and broadloom carpet
- Skilled craftsmanship using precise installation methods including floating click-lock assemblies, full-spread glue-down, and traditional blind-nailed hardwood
- High-quality materials and factory-cured finishes selected to improve durability, appearance retention, and long-term dimensional performance
- Custom design options covering plank direction, seam placement, transition detailing, and stair treatments to match any interior
- Low-VOC adhesives and underlayment systems available on request for occupied residences, medical clinics, and sensitive environments
Get a written price for your tile flooring project
Send us the rooms and the approximate square footage and we will schedule a free in-home measure. You receive one written number covering material, labor, subfloor preparation, and disposal of the existing floor. That figure does not move afterward unless demolition exposes structural damage nobody could reasonably have anticipated.
- Free in-home measure with no obligation
- Licensed & Insured throughout Georgia
- 50+ years installing across Chatham County
Request A Free Quote!
Tell us what you need. We reply the same working day.
Types of Tile We Install
Material choice governs cost, maintenance, and where the tile can reasonably be installed. The differences between these categories are considerably larger than the showroom suggests, particularly once coastal humidity and salt exposure enter the calculation.
Porcelain Tile
Porcelain is fired at higher temperature than ceramic and absorbs under 0.5 percent of its weight in water. It handles bathrooms, entryways, exterior-adjacent rooms, and any space that sees standing water without needing special treatment or additional sealing.
Through-body porcelain carries its color through the full thickness, so a chip does not expose a contrasting layer underneath. It costs more than glazed porcelain and it is exactly what we specify for genuinely heavy traffic in commercial settings.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic is softer, lighter, and cheaper than porcelain, and it cuts considerably more easily on site. That suits wall applications and light residential floors where the budget matters more than absolute durability does over a twenty year horizon.
It absorbs considerably more water than porcelain, so we keep it away from entryways and rooms with any flooding history whatsoever. In a coastal market that rules ceramic out of noticeably more locations than most people initially expect.
Natural Stone
Marble, travertine, slate, and limestone each behave differently, and none of them behave like porcelain does. Stone is porous, so it needs sealing on installation and resealing periodically depending on the traffic and moisture it actually carries.
Marble and limestone etch on contact with anything acidic, which rules them out of most working kitchens. Slate handles moisture well and suits entryways particularly. We are honest about the ongoing maintenance before you commit to any of them.
Large Format and Patterned Layouts
Tiles above 15 inches on any edge count as large format. They demand a considerably flatter substrate, because a rigid tile spanning a dip will eventually crack. We hold 1/8 inch over 10 feet and back-butter every single piece.
Herringbone, basketweave, and hexagon layouts increase labor by roughly 25 to 40 percent through additional cutting and waste. They are genuinely worth it in an entryway or a bath, where the floor is properly on display.
Our Tile Installation Process
Tile is the least forgiving floor we install. Every shortcut taken underneath surfaces within a year or two as a cracked joint. The sequence below is not negotiable on our jobs, and it is where our pricing goes.
Substrate Assessment and Membrane
We lift the existing floor, inspect the decking underneath, and refasten anything loose. Deflection is the real enemy here. We check that joist spacing and subfloor thickness genuinely support a rigid finish before we quote the work.
We then install an uncoupling membrane or cement backer board across the whole field. This isolates the tile from any subfloor movement. It is why our installations do not develop the hairline grout cracks most people accept as normal.
Layout, Setting, and Mortar
We dry-lay the field first, center the pattern, and position cuts away from sightlines and doorways. Layout gets decided on the floor rather than on paper, because rooms in older properties downtown are very rarely genuinely square.
Tile is set into a notched bed of modified thin-set mortar, back-buttered on larger formats to achieve full coverage. We aim for 95 percent mortar contact in wet areas, which is precisely what prevents hollow spots and cracking later.
Grouting, Sealing, and Curing
Grout goes in after the mortar has properly cured, typically 24 hours later. We use unsanded grout for joints under 1/8 inch and sanded grout above that. The wrong choice either cracks apart or scratches the tile face.
Cementitious grout gets sealed once cured, and we recommend resealing every 1 to 2 years in wet areas. Epoxy grout skips sealing entirely and suits commercial kitchens where staining would otherwise be constant and permanent.
Why Savannah Flooring Company Is the Best Tile Flooring Installation Expert
Local Expertise in Savannah, GA
Tile is the correct answer far more often here than inland, because coastal humidity and flood exposure eliminate most of the alternatives. We have installed across Savannah for over 50 years, including downtown properties where every box is carried in by hand.
Professional Installers
Tile rewards patience and punishes speed more than any other floor. Correct mortar coverage, honest layout, and a properly installed uncoupling membrane all matter. They separate a floor that lasts thirty years from one that cracks in three. We never subcontract this work to anybody.
Commitment to Customer Satisfaction
You receive one written figure covering material, labor, membrane, substrate preparation, and disposal of the old floor. We tell you before starting whether your subfloor genuinely supports tile, rather than discovering it halfway through demolition. Corrections happen before we leave.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tile Flooring Installation
Tile generally runs 10 to 20 dollars per square foot installed, covering material, labor, uncoupling membrane, substrate preparation, and disposal. Layout drives much of that range, since herringbone and hexagon patterns add 25 to 40 percent in labor and waste. Natural stone costs more than porcelain and needs sealing. Substrate repair moves the figure further where deflection needs correcting. The in-home measure is free.
Water absorption is the technical difference. Porcelain is fired denser and absorbs under 0.5 percent of its weight in water, while ceramic absorbs considerably more. That makes porcelain suitable for bathrooms, entryways, and any ground floor with a damp history. Ceramic is softer, cheaper, and easier to cut, which suits walls and light residential floors. In a coastal market we specify porcelain most of the time.
Tile takes longer than any other floor because of cure times. A standard bathroom runs two to three days, and a 500 square foot area typically takes three to four. Setting happens on day one, grout follows after 24 hours of mortar cure, and sealing waits a further 24 to 72 hours. Large format and patterned layouts add roughly a day. We give you a firm schedule at the measure.
Sometimes, and it depends entirely on what is underneath. Tile can go over sound existing tile if the substrate is rigid enough to carry the additional weight and height. It cannot go over cushioned vinyl, floating floors, or any surface that moves. We assess deflection first, because a substrate that flexes will crack grout lines regardless of how well the tile is set.
Through-body porcelain with a slip rating appropriate to the space, set with epoxy grout. Through-body color means chips do not expose a contrasting layer, and epoxy grout resists the staining that ruins cementitious joints in commercial kitchens. Slip resistance matters legally as well as practically in entryways and wet areas. We specify to the traffic and walk the space with you first.
Planning a tile floor? Book a free measure and get a written price.
912-330-6990