Can you install tile over my existing floor?

It depends on what is there. Tile can sometimes go over well-bonded old tile or sound concrete. It should not go directly over vinyl with a cushioned backing, floating floors, or a single layer of plank subfloor. We will tell you at the estimate whether removal is needed.

How long before I can walk on a new tile floor?

Light foot traffic is usually fine about 24 hours after grouting. Hold off on heavy furniture and appliances for two to three days, and wait for the grout to cure fully before wet mopping. We will give you exact timing for the products used on your floor.

What is the best tile for a kitchen or entry floor?

Porcelain with a matte or lightly textured finish. It is dense, stain resistant and tough enough for grit tracked in from outside. Choose a color-through body or a mid-tone color if you want chips and dirt to be less visible.

Will a tile floor crack in an older house?

Not if it is built for the house. Older framed floors often need added stiffness and an uncoupling membrane that lets the subfloor move slightly without stressing the tile. That preparation is included in our scope when the floor needs it.

Floor Tile Installation Arlington VA

A tile floor should outlast everything else in the room. It will, provided what is underneath it is stiff, flat and sound. Most cracked tiles and failed grout lines trace back to a subfloor problem that nobody addressed before the tile went down.

Nova Tiling Pros is a flooring contractor focused on tile. We install floors in homes across Arlington and Northern Virginia, and we start every one by checking the structure: joist spacing, subfloor thickness, flatness and moisture. Then we choose the right underlayment and mortar for your tile and set it with the coverage it needs.

Tile setter laying large-format porcelain floor tile with leveling clips

Signs Your Floor Needs Attention Before Tile

If any of these sound familiar, mention them at your estimate. They change how the floor should be built.

The floor bounces or squeaks when you walk across it
Existing tile is cracked in a line, which often follows a subfloor seam or a crack in the slab
Doors rub or the floor visibly dips toward the middle of the room
A basement slab that shows damp patches or white mineral deposits
Layers of old vinyl or tile that have raised the floor above neighboring rooms

Our Floor Tile Services

Most floors we install are porcelain tile, which handles water, pets and traffic better than almost anything else. Ceramic tile is a good value in lighter-use rooms, and natural stone tile such as marble, travertine and slate brings character that cannot be printed.

Bigger tile needs a flatter floor and a different technique. Our large-format tile installation includes the leveling and mortar work that 24x24, 24x48 and plank tile demand. For comfort, heated floor installation puts electric radiant heat directly under the tile.

We also handle the hard-wearing zones by the door with entryway and mudroom tile, and the step that makes all of it work: subfloor preparation.

Tile Floors in Northern Virginia Homes

Local homes give us two very different starting points. Above grade, most floors are wood framed: plank or plywood subfloors over joists, often in houses that have settled for seventy years. These need stiffness checked and usually an added layer of underlayment or an uncoupling membrane. Below grade, basements are concrete slabs that may carry moisture and nearly always have a few cracks.

We build for the floor you actually have. That might mean screwing down and sheathing over old planks, grinding a high spot in a slab, pouring a self-leveling underlayment or bridging a crack with a membrane so it does not telegraph through your new tile.