Tiling — Nova Scotia, NB & PEI
Tiling.
Waterproofed first, set out before the first tile.
Overview
Waterproofed first, set out before the first tile.
A tiled shower is a waterproofing job with tile on top. The membrane, the slope to drain, the corners and the curb are what keep water out of the framing — the tile is the finish. Most failed showers we are called to look at did not fail at the tile; they failed at a corner or a penetration where the waterproofing was never continuous in the first place, and the damage was quietly happening for years.
Layout is the other half. Where the cut tiles land, whether the grout lines line up between the floor and the wall, how the pattern meets a niche or a corner — all of that is decided before anything is set, and it cannot be recovered afterwards. We dry-lay and set out the job with you so you know what it will look like, rather than starting in a corner and letting the offcuts fall where they fall.
We use uncoupling membrane over substrates that move, which in renovation work is most of them — wood-framed floors flex, and tile and grout do not. That layer is what stops a hairline crack in a substrate becoming a cracked grout line across your bathroom floor. On heated floors we coordinate with the electrician so the mat, the sensor and the thermostat all end up where they should be rather than wherever there happened to be room.
Typical range
Quoted after a site visit
We have not published a range for this trade yet. Every job is quoted line by line after a site visit.
What’s included
Six things you are buying.
Concrete deliverables, not adjectives. Each of these is on the quote.
- Continuous waterproofing membrane in wet areas — corners, curbs and penetrations included
- Sloped-to-drain shower bases built correctly rather than patched with extra mortar
- Uncoupling membrane over substrates that move
- Layout dry-laid and agreed before the first tile is set
- Floors, walls, backsplashes, niches, tub surrounds and heated floors
- Grout and silicone specified by joint — movement joints where they belong
How it runs
Four stages, start to finish.
- 01
Substrate and moisture check
We inspect what the tile is going onto, check for flex and moisture, and identify anything that needs repair before it disappears under a membrane.
- 02
Waterproof and prepare
Wet areas waterproofed as a continuous system, slopes formed to drain, uncoupling membrane laid where the substrate will move, and everything given time to cure.
- 03
Set out
Layout dry-laid with you — where the cuts land, how the lines meet at corners and niches, which wall the pattern references. Agreed before anything is fixed.
- 04
Set, grout and seal
Tile set with full coverage, grout matched to joint width, silicone at movement joints and changes of plane, then a clean-down and a walk-through.
Why Anant
How the job is run, not how good we say we are.
- Seven trades kept in house, so handoffs do not wait on somebody else’s calendar
- A written scope and a quote broken out line by line
- Written change orders — nothing moves the price without your signature
- One point of contact who knows the state of your job
- Permit applications and inspection booking handled by us
- A deficiency walk with you before the final invoice
Where we do this
Tiling in 21 communities.
Each of these is a page about tiling in that specific community — local conditions, permitting and all.
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Often booked together
What usually comes next.
Questions
Tiling, answered.
Always, as a continuous system rather than a product dabbed at the corners. Cement board on its own is not waterproof — it is a substrate. The membrane has to be continuous through corners, over the curb and around every penetration, which is exactly where the ones we get called to repair were not.
Because the floor moves and the tile does not. Wood-framed floors flex seasonally and under load, and that movement transfers straight into a rigid tile assembly. An uncoupling membrane separates the two so the substrate can move without taking the tile with it. On a renovation over a wood subfloor we treat it as standard.
Sometimes, but be realistic — discontinued tile is common and even a matching product will differ from tile that has been in place for years. If we cannot get a match we will say so up front, and usually the better outcome is retiling one full surface rather than a patch that will always read as a patch.
Tile size and format matter more than people expect — large format and mosaic both take longer than a standard field tile. Beyond that it is area, pattern complexity, how much waterproofing and substrate prep is involved, and niches or benches. We quote labour and materials separately so a tile upgrade does not silently change the labour line.
Start here
Get a quote for tiling.
Call us on 647-864-2058, or send the form and we will arrange a time to walk the site.