Travertine Outdoor Decks & Stairs

Below are some pictures of a huge tile job I worked on with another company. I specifically worked on the stairs, which have lights embedded under each lip, the rails that hug the sides of the stairs, the edging on the balconies, and the block walkway through the gravel. Most of the field tile was done by co-workers.

In this shot, you can see the miter cuts that were needed allow the rail tile to meet the floor. Also, here you can see the tedious triangle shaped tiles that were custom cut to fit each space after the stairs were installed.

In this shot, I hope you can see more of the miter cuts for the rail tiles to reach the floor. These rail tile were odd shaped. They were square on one corner and about a 30 degree slant on the opposite corner. So trying to marry these pieces together was a great lesson for me in tile installation!

There were large pieces of travertine that were set on cement beds. I framed in each bed and packed in Portland cement and sand mix just like I would do in a custom shower floor. After the bed is cured, I remove the wood frames, waterproof the mud bed, and set the travertine tile on top.

Travertine Shower & Back Splash with Glass Feature Band

This is a custom shower tiled in Travertine, a natural soap stone. This shower is in the same house as the Travertine kitchen back splash posted below. This is a masterpiece as far as design goes, in my opinion. And I'm not bragging, because I didn't design it. But, like the kitchen back splash below, the feature tile works perfectly with the field tile. The feature band includes natural stone and glass. As you can see, the feature band works as a back splash for the sink area and bleeds seamlessly into the shower. As you follow the band around to the front of the shower, it opens up to cover a wide open area on the wall. I also used the "pencil" tiles to outline the feature band and border the field tile. Below you can see how the insert box, or niche, is strategically places on the inside of the half wall. Not that it looks bad, it actually looks amazing, but in this spot is doesn't interrupt the flow of the feature band and it also doesn't clutter up the overall design of the shower.

Travertine Kitchen Back Splash

This is a great example of a natural stone kitchen back splash. The design is tasteful. All the tile selections work great together. And the Travertine "pencil" bullnose is a great way to finish it off.

In this shot you can see the detail of how I had to address the angle of the cabinet coming out from the wall. So that top bullnose piece had to be mitered on both sides.

Luckily for me, the feature band fit perfectly below the window so no gnarly cuts had to be made.

Stone Shower with Glass Blocks & Insert Boxes

This is one of my favorite bathrooms that I've done so far. Design wise it is about perfect. Everything is balanced. All the tiles are all made of the same material and are the same size. I just adjusted the shapes and angles to create texture and pattern variances. And I also got to use a lot of features that have practical applications and work great in the design.

This is the first time I've worked with glass blocks. Because I didn't have to stack them, I can't say that I got the real experience using them. But these came out great for what we needed them for. They provide light and a sense of openness.

Here you can see two corner shelves made out of the 12" floor tile. I cut a 6" triangle, slightly smaller than a half of a 12" tile from corner to corner. Then I use the bullnose to cap the front of the shelf. Because these are easy to make and they are made from the actual field tile, they are guaranteed to match better than any factory made shelf you can buy.

Glass Tile Back Splash

Below is a 1"x 2" glass tile back splash. The home owner just had new counter tops installed and wanted something simple and modern for the kitchen. I used mastic to install the tile and a bright white grout & caulk to finish it off. Check out the detailed cuts around the window frame. This job was started in May or June but not enough tile was ordered. And what the home owner bought was the last of the supply! So about 80% through the job, it had to be put on hold for the rest of the tile to be ordered. Now, when using tile from two different dye lots, there are always variations in color. This time I think the new tile blended pretty well with the old. The glass has so many reflective properties because it is clear and slightly rounded. So each piece has a different look to it depending on how the light is hitting it. Try to figure out the new from the old. I bet you can't!

Stainless Steel Back Splash & 2 Slate Foyers Part 1

The following two posts were a lot of fun to do and are great features to enhance an already beautiful home in NE Washington DC.

Front door entrance: Black slate tiles with Sterling Silver grout and an L-shaped Schluter strip to cap it off. Because I tiled directly on the hardwood, I painted two layers of RedGard waterproofing/anti-fracture membrane on the wood before tiling. So as the wood expands and contracts with the seasons, the RedGard will isolate the tile from the wood.

Here we have the same slate and grout, but this time I used a T-molding Schluter strip because the tile is level with the hardwood. Whereas the front door tile is higher than the hardwood.

Stainless Steel Back Splash & 2 Slate Foyers Part 2

Below are five pictures of the stainless steel tile that was used on the back splash to match the appliances yet avoiding any clashes with the counter top. I used a Delorean Gray grout and capped off the ends with an L-shaped Schluter transition piece for a finished look.