Bathroom Tile

After years of agonizing over what to do about the upstairs bathroom shower area ... Joe and I decided it was time to look into the cost of tile. Last year, in a desperate moment, I had basically closed my eyes and pointed into the phone book to find someone who could install bathroom tile. The gentleman on the phone sounded like a retired contractor interested in simple jobs. He was quick to quote a cost of $3/square foot (around $300) for the whole job. Although this seemed like a reasonable price I was also looking at other solutions. When the surround I had previously purchased did not fit in the shower space we began to consider tileboard. I was certain Joe and I could install the tileboard together - with minimal difficulty, and I had actually convinced Joe of this as well. In the meantime I had a tile store come out to the house and give me another estimate for the job - at least $700! Yikes.

Finally, push came to shove and it was time to do something about this 3 year bathroom project (that should have taken 1 week in 2006). We had fresh greenboard already installed in the shower area and I was unwilling to have it removed so that backerboard could replace it for a substantial fee. The tile stores want to tile only on backerboard - they also want to install it! Joe and I decided that we could get $300 together for the tile installation if this would truly be the cost to use our existing greenboard. I began to search my files for the name of that retired gentleman I had spoken to last year. I couldn't find his information anywhere - then I stumbled upon a number in the phonebook. It sounded like a smaller company, and I figured it must be him. The much younger guy who answered the phone quoted me the same price of $3/square foot! So, we set up an appointment and he came out to do an official estimate.

Working together to schedule the job has been a challenge for all of us, but this guy is doing amazing work! Yesterday, he asked me how we had heard about him. I simply let him know that I had found him in the phonebook. Oh, this amazed him - he has not been listed in the phonebook for 2 years! I am really good at throwing away old stuff, but I discovered that I had used a phonebook from 2006. Later I was admiring his work and of course stating how easy it looked (although I knew it wasn't). He told me about an older gentleman who has been installing tile improperly ... and then went on to explain that he has had to completely demolish and retile much of this gentleman's work.

Oh, praise GOD! I told my new tile guy the story about how I had contacted that guy and lost his number, and how I had been trying to reach the guy when I actually called him. I told him how God must have protected me ... and then we spent the rest of the afternoon talking about Jesus. As it turns out, our bathroom tile is being installed by someone from OUR church!

Tomorrow is grouting ... next week Joe and I can shower upstairs - We are so blessed!