In-House Installation Team - No Subcontractors
Tile Installation - Porcelain, Ceramic & Natural Stone Across Ontario
Professional tile installation for residential and commercial properties across Toronto, Mississauga, Barrie, and the surrounding GTA and Simcoe County. Floor tile, wall tile, backsplashes, showers, and large-format porcelain. Waterproofing and uncoupling membranes, proper substrate preparation, precision layout. Our own crews. Workmanship warranty on every install.
Tile installation is the most technically demanding flooring and wall-covering service we provide, and it is the category where the gap between a correct installation and a failed one is widest. A tile floor or shower that is installed correctly performs for decades with almost no maintenance. A tile installation that skips substrate preparation, uses the wrong mortar, omits a waterproofing membrane, or ignores movement joints fails - cracked tiles, loose tiles, failed grout, water damage behind shower walls - often within the first two years and almost always invisibly until the damage is already done.
Squarefoot Flooring installs porcelain, ceramic, and natural stone tile for residential and commercial customers across Toronto, the entire Greater Toronto Area, Barrie, Simcoe County, and surrounding regions, working out of showrooms and installation crews based in Mississauga and Barrie. We do not subcontract. The crew that walks through your home for the site assessment is the same crew that installs the tile. Every installation is covered by our workmanship warranty, separate from the manufacturer warranty on the tile product itself.
In simple terms: a tile installation is only as good as what is underneath it. Substrate preparation, the right mortar for the tile and the application, waterproofing membranes in wet areas, uncoupling membranes over crack-prone or movement-prone substrates, and properly placed movement joints are what make a tile floor last. The visible tile is the easy part. We specify the complete assembly before installation starts, with a free in-home assessment for projects across Toronto, Mississauga, Barrie, and surrounding cities.
Whether you are tiling a bathroom floor and shower in a Toronto condo, installing a large-format porcelain main floor in a Mississauga detached home, tiling a kitchen backsplash in Barrie, or installing a heated tile floor in a Simcoe County cottage, the principles are the same but the assembly is not. This page walks through every layer of a tile installation - substrate, membranes, mortar, layout, grout, and movement joints - so you understand what you are paying for and what to ask any tile contractor before signing an installation agreement. Browse our full tile selection including porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, and mosaic ranges.
What We Install
Our tile installation team works with every major tile category in stock at our Mississauga and Barrie showrooms. We install the products we sell, the products you supply, and the products you have already purchased elsewhere. Our installers are trained on every tile type, format, and application - floor, wall, shower, backsplash, and large-format.
Porcelain Tile
Porcelain tile is the most durable and versatile tile category, fired at higher temperatures than ceramic to produce a denser, harder, less porous tile. Porcelain is the right specification for floors, wet areas, high-traffic spaces, and any application where long-term durability matters. It is available in formats from small mosaic sheets through large-format slabs up to 32x64 and beyond. Porcelain's low porosity makes it suitable for showers, bathrooms, kitchens, mudrooms, and exterior covered applications. Large-format porcelain requires specific installation techniques - back-buttering, large-format mortar, and precise substrate flatness - that we cover in detail below.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile is fired at lower temperatures than porcelain, producing a tile that is easier to cut and lighter in weight but more porous and less impact-resistant. Ceramic is the right specification for walls, backsplashes, and lower-traffic applications. It is generally not recommended for high-traffic floors or heavy commercial use, where porcelain performs better. Ceramic wall tile is the standard choice for bathroom walls, kitchen backsplashes, and decorative feature walls.
Natural Stone Tile
Natural stone tile - marble, granite, travertine, slate, limestone - brings a material character that manufactured tile cannot fully replicate. Natural stone installation is more demanding than porcelain or ceramic: stone is porous and requires sealing, many stone types need a white or stone-specific mortar to prevent staining from the back, and softer stones require careful handling during installation. We install all natural stone categories with the sealing, mortar selection, and handling each stone type requires.
Mosaic Tile
Mosaic tile - small tiles mounted on mesh or paper sheets - is used for shower floors, feature walls, backsplashes, and decorative accents. Mosaic installation is detail-intensive: sheet alignment, consistent grout joints across hundreds of small tiles, and (on shower floors) the slope to the drain all require careful work. Mosaic is the standard specification for shower floors because the many small grout joints provide slip resistance and accommodate the slope to the drain.
Large-Format & Slab Porcelain
Large-format porcelain (anything with one edge 15 inches or longer, up to full slabs) creates a contemporary look with minimal grout lines. Large-format installation is one of the most demanding tile applications: the substrate must be exceptionally flat (lippage between large tiles is highly visible), large-format mortar and back-buttering are required to achieve full coverage, and a lippage-control or leveling system is used during setting. We install large-format porcelain on floors, walls, and shower surrounds with the substrate preparation and setting technique the format requires.
Tile Applications We Install
We install tile across every residential and commercial application: bathroom floors and walls, shower surrounds and shower floors, kitchen floors and kitchen backsplashes, entryways and mudrooms, laundry rooms, fireplace surrounds, feature and accent walls, heated tile floors over radiant systems, and full commercial floor and wall installations. For heated floors we install the in-floor heating membranes and tile assembly together.
Tile Type by Application - Quick Reference
| Application | Recommended Tile | Key Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom floor | Porcelain | Waterproofing under tile |
| Shower walls | Porcelain or ceramic | Waterproofing membrane mandatory |
| Shower floor | Mosaic porcelain | Slope to drain + waterproofing |
| Kitchen floor | Porcelain | Uncoupling membrane recommended |
| Kitchen backsplash | Ceramic or mosaic | Wall substrate preparation |
| Main floor (large format) | Large-format porcelain | Substrate flatness + leveling system |
| Entryway / mudroom | Porcelain | Slip resistance + durability |
| Heated tile floor | Porcelain or stone | Uncoupling membrane over heat |
| Commercial floor | Porcelain | Commercial-rated mortar + movement joints |
Tile Substrates - What We Install Over
The substrate is the surface the tile is bonded to, and it is the foundation of every tile installation. The single most common cause of cracked tile and failed grout we are called in to repair is a substrate problem - deflection, the wrong substrate, or a substrate installed without the correct preparation. Tile is rigid and brittle. It cannot tolerate movement in the surface beneath it. Substrate selection and preparation is where a tile installation succeeds or fails.
Concrete Slab
Concrete is an excellent tile substrate - dimensionally stable, rigid, and the standard subfloor in Toronto and Mississauga condos, basement-level applications, and slab-on-grade homes. Concrete substrates still require preparation: cracks must be assessed and addressed (an uncoupling membrane is used to isolate the tile from substrate cracks), the surface must be clean and free of contaminants that prevent bonding, and the slab must be flat within tolerance. Existing concrete cracks that are still moving require an uncoupling membrane or a crack-isolation membrane before tile.
Plywood & Wood Subfloor
Plywood and wood subfloors are common in detached and semi-detached homes across the GTA and Simcoe County, but wood is a problematic tile substrate because it moves with humidity and deflects under load. Tile cannot be installed directly on plywood. The correct assembly is plywood subfloor, then a cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane, then tile. Subfloor deflection must be within the L/360 standard (L/720 for natural stone) - if the joists are too far apart or the subfloor is too thin, the framing must be reinforced before tile installation. This is the most commonly skipped step in residential tile installation and the most common cause of cracked floor tile in older Ontario homes.
Cement Backer Board
Cement backer board is a rigid, cementitious panel installed over plywood subfloors and wood-framed walls to provide a stable, dimensionally consistent substrate for tile. Backer board is the traditional substrate for tile over wood subfloors and for shower walls. It is fastened to the subfloor or framing, the seams are taped and mortared, and tile is set over it. Backer board does not provide waterproofing on its own - in wet areas, a separate waterproofing membrane is required over the backer board.
Existing Tile
In some renovations, new tile is installed over existing tile. This is possible when the existing tile is well-bonded, the existing installation is sound, and the added height does not create transition problems with adjacent rooms or fixtures. The existing tile is cleaned and roughened to promote bonding, and the appropriate mortar is selected for a tile-over-tile application. We assess each situation individually - in many cases removing the existing tile produces a better long-term result, and we will tell you when that is the case.
Radiant Heated Floor Systems
Tile is the ideal flooring surface over radiant in-floor heating - it conducts heat efficiently and is unaffected by the temperature cycling that limits other flooring categories. Heated tile floor assemblies typically use an uncoupling membrane that also accommodates the heating cable or mat, then tile set over the membrane. The uncoupling membrane is important over radiant heat because it isolates the tile from the expansion and contraction of the heated substrate. We install the heating membrane system and tile together as a coordinated assembly.
Waterproofing & Uncoupling Membranes
Membranes are the layer of a tile installation that homeowners never see and most contractors would rather not pay for - which is exactly why membrane failures are one of the most expensive tile repairs. Two membrane types matter most: waterproofing membranes and uncoupling membranes. Understanding what each does, and where each is required, is the difference between a tile installation that lasts and one that fails behind the wall.
Membrane 1
Waterproofing Membranes
A waterproofing membrane is a continuous water barrier installed behind or beneath tile in wet areas - showers, bathroom floors, tub surrounds, and steam rooms. It is applied as a sheet membrane or a liquid-applied membrane over the substrate, with all seams, corners, and penetrations sealed. The waterproofing membrane, not the tile and grout, is what keeps water out of the structure. Tile and grout are not waterproof - water passes through grout joints over time, and the membrane behind the tile is what protects the framing, subfloor, and rooms below. Proper tile floor waterproofing in bathrooms and showers is the layer that prevents the most expensive tile repair of all.
Required for: all shower walls and shower floors, bathroom floors, tub surrounds, steam rooms, and any tiled wet area. A shower built without a continuous waterproofing membrane will leak into the structure - it is not a question of if, only when. This is non-negotiable in every wet-area tile installation we complete.
Membrane 2
Uncoupling Membranes
An uncoupling membrane is a layer installed between the substrate and the tile that allows the substrate and the tile to move independently of each other. When a concrete slab cracks, or a wood subfloor expands and contracts, the uncoupling membrane absorbs that movement instead of transferring it into the rigid tile - which would crack. The membrane also provides a degree of crack isolation and, in many products, supports radiant heating cables.
Recommended for: tile over concrete slabs with existing or potential cracks, tile over wood subfloors, large-format tile installations, heated tile floors, and any installation where substrate movement is a risk. An uncoupling membrane is one of the highest-value layers in a tile assembly because it directly prevents the most common tile failure - cracking caused by substrate movement.
Membrane 3
Crack-Isolation Membranes
A crack-isolation membrane is a specialized membrane applied over existing substrate cracks to prevent them from telegraphing up through the new tile. Where a concrete slab has cracks that are stable but present, a crack-isolation membrane (or a full uncoupling membrane) bridges those cracks so the new tile is not bonded directly across them. Without crack isolation, an existing slab crack will reappear as a crack in the tile within the first year.
Recommended for: tile installations over concrete slabs with existing cracks, basement floor tile, and any substrate where cracking has occurred or is likely. We assess slab condition during the site assessment and specify crack isolation where the substrate requires it.
Why Membranes Are Worth Paying For
Membranes add cost to a tile installation, and they are the layer budget contractors skip to win a lower bid. The result is predictable: shower leaks that damage the structure and the rooms below, and cracked tile floors that have to be torn out and reinstalled. The membrane cost is a small fraction of the total installation. The cost of a failed shower or a cracked floor is the entire installation again, plus the water damage repair. Every Squarefoot wet-area installation includes a continuous waterproofing membrane, and we specify uncoupling and crack-isolation membranes wherever the substrate calls for them. These are documented line items in our quotes, not hidden assumptions.
Mortar, Thinset & Grout Selection
Tile is bonded to the substrate with mortar (also called thinset) and the joints between tiles are filled with grout. Both come in multiple types, and selecting the wrong one for the tile and the application is a common installation error. Here is what determines the right selection.
Thinset Mortar Selection
Thinset mortar bonds the tile to the substrate. The type is selected based on the tile and the application: modified thinset for most porcelain and ceramic, large-format (medium-bed) mortar for large-format tile to prevent slumping and ensure full coverage, white thinset for natural stone and glass tile to prevent staining or shadowing through translucent material, and specific mortars rated for use over membranes and in exterior or submerged applications. The mortar must be matched to the tile, the substrate, and the membrane below - not chosen for cost.
Achieving Full Mortar Coverage
Tile must be set with adequate mortar coverage on the back of the tile - generally 80% for dry interior areas and 95% for wet areas and exterior applications. Inadequate coverage leaves voids under the tile that lead to cracking under load and, in wet areas, water accumulation. For large-format tile, this requires back-buttering (applying mortar directly to the back of each tile in addition to the substrate) and the correct trowel notch size. Coverage is checked during installation by periodically lifting a set tile to verify the mortar transfer.
Grout Selection - Cement vs Epoxy
Cement-based grout is the standard for most residential tile installations - available in sanded (for wider joints) and unsanded (for narrow joints and polished tile that sanded grout could scratch). Epoxy grout is more stain-resistant, water-resistant, and durable than cement grout, making it the better choice for kitchen backsplashes, commercial applications, and wet areas where staining and water resistance matter. Epoxy grout costs more and is more demanding to install, but it does not require sealing and resists the staining and discolouration that affects cement grout. We recommend the grout type based on the application, not the lowest cost.
Movement Joints
Tile expands and contracts with temperature, and tiled surfaces need movement joints (also called expansion joints) to accommodate that movement without cracking. Ontario seasonal movement - the temperature and humidity swing between a heating-season winter and a humid summer - makes movement joints especially important in this climate. Movement joints are required at the perimeter of tiled areas, at changes in substrate, at transitions to other materials, over existing control joints in concrete, and at regular intervals across large tiled areas (industry guidance calls for movement joints every 8 to 12 feet in interior installations, more frequently in areas exposed to sunlight or temperature swings). Movement joints are filled with flexible sealant, not rigid grout. Tile installations that omit movement joints crack along the lines where the movement joint should have been - this is one of the most common large-floor tile failures.
Our Tile Installation Process - 8 Stages
Every tile installation we complete follows the same eight-stage process from initial contact through final cleanup. Tile is the most preparation-heavy installation we provide, and the stages homeowners do not see - substrate assessment, membrane installation, layout - are the stages that determine whether the tile performs for decades or fails in two years.
Stage 1
In-Home Site Assessment
A specialist from our Mississauga or Barrie location visits to measure the space, assess the substrate (subfloor type, deflection, cracks, moisture, flatness), evaluate wet-area waterproofing requirements, identify any existing flooring or tile that needs removal, and discuss tile options. For shower and bathroom projects we assess the full wet-area assembly. The site assessment is free for projects in our service area.
Stage 2
Detailed Written Quote & Specification
Within 48 hours, you receive a detailed quote specifying the tile, substrate preparation, membranes (waterproofing, uncoupling, crack-isolation as required), mortar type, grout type, movement joints, and transitions. Membranes and substrate preparation are documented as separate line items - not bundled into a single number or hidden. You see exactly what the assembly includes and what you are paying for.
Stage 3
Substrate Preparation
The substrate is prepared for tile. For wood subfloors, this means verifying deflection is within tolerance and installing cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane. For concrete, it means assessing cracks, cleaning the surface, and correcting flatness with self-leveling compound where needed - tile floor leveling is critical because lippage and uneven joints are highly visible in a finished tile floor. For walls, it means installing and preparing backer board. The substrate must be flat, clean, structurally sound, and within deflection tolerance before any membrane or tile goes down.
Stage 4
Membrane Installation
Waterproofing membranes are installed in all wet areas - showers, bathroom floors, tub surrounds - with every seam, corner, and penetration sealed. Uncoupling or crack-isolation membranes are installed where the substrate requires them. In shower installations, the waterproofing assembly is often flood-tested before tile to confirm there are no leaks. This stage is the foundation of a tile installation that lasts, and it is the stage budget contractors skip.
Stage 5
Layout & Dry Fit
Before any tile is set in mortar, the layout is planned and dry-fit. Layout determines where cut tiles fall (avoiding small slivers at visible edges), how the tile pattern centres in the room, how tile aligns across transitions and through doorways, and how the pattern works around fixtures, niches, and corners. A good layout is the difference between a tile installation that looks intentional and one that looks like it was started in a corner without planning.
Stage 6
Tile Setting
Tile is set in the specified mortar with the correct trowel notch for the tile size. Large-format tile is back-buttered for full coverage. A lippage-control or tile-leveling system is used for large-format installations to keep adjacent tiles flush. Consistent grout joint spacing is maintained with spacers. Mortar coverage is checked periodically by lifting a set tile. Movement joints are positioned per the layout.
Stage 7
Grouting, Sealing & Movement Joints
After the mortar has cured, joints are grouted with the specified cement or epoxy grout. Natural stone and cement grout are sealed where required. Movement joints are filled with flexible colour-matched sealant rather than rigid grout. Grout haze is cleaned from the tile surface. The installation is left to cure before use.
Stage 8
Final Inspection & Cleanup
The completed installation is inspected by the lead installer and the project manager - checking for lippage, consistent grout joints, clean grout lines, properly sealed movement joints, and a complete wet-area assembly. The work area is cleaned and care instructions are provided. Post-install service is included for the warranty period.
In-House Installation Team - No Subcontracting, Ever
Most flooring and tile retailers in Ontario subcontract installation to independent crews bidding project-by-project. The company that sold the tile is not the company installing it, the installers have no ongoing relationship with the retailer, and warranty issues become a finger-pointing exercise between three parties when problems arise. With tile, where failures are expensive and often hidden behind walls, this is a particularly poor arrangement for the homeowner.
Squarefoot Flooring does not subcontract. Every tile installation we sell is performed by our own employees - tile setters who work directly for Squarefoot Flooring, drive Squarefoot vehicles, and stand behind our workmanship warranty as direct employees. Tile setting is a skilled trade, and our installers have extensive experience across porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaic, large-format, shower assemblies, heated floors, and commercial tile installations.
What this means in practice: when you call about an issue six months after installation, the person who answers has access to the project file, knows the crew that did your installation, and can dispatch the same crew (or a senior installer) to assess and address it. With tile, this matters even more than with other flooring - a shower or wet-area issue needs to be addressed by people who know exactly how the waterproofing assembly was built.
All installation work is covered by liability insurance and WSIB. For commercial projects requiring site safety documentation, we provide WSIB clearance, liability certificates, and crew safety training records.
Tile Installation Workmanship Warranty
Every tile installation we complete is covered by our workmanship warranty, separate from and additional to the manufacturer warranty on the tile product itself. The distinction matters because tile failures fall into two categories - product defects (covered by the manufacturer) and installation issues (covered by the installer's workmanship warranty). Without an installer-issued workmanship warranty, installation issues are not covered by anyone, and the homeowner pays out of pocket to tear out and rebuild the installation.
What Our Workmanship Warranty Covers
- Cracked or loose tile caused by inadequate substrate preparation, missing membranes, or mortar coverage issues
- Grout failure, cracking, or excessive discolouration related to installation
- Wet-area leaks caused by waterproofing membrane installation defects
- Lippage or uneven tile surfaces beyond acceptable tolerance
- Movement-joint omissions or failures
- Any installation-related issue identified within the workmanship warranty period
What the Manufacturer Warranty Covers
Manufacturer warranties on tile products cover manufacturing defects in the tile itself - structural defects, glaze defects, and dimensional issues. Tile manufacturer warranties vary by brand and product. We provide the specific warranty documentation for whichever tile you select before installation begins.
In the event of an issue, we assess the problem first to determine whether it is installation-related (covered by our workmanship warranty) or product-related (handled through the manufacturer warranty claim). We handle manufacturer warranty claims on behalf of customers - we have direct relationships with every brand we sell and we manage the claim process so you do not have to coordinate with the manufacturer yourself.
What Fails in Ontario Tile Installations - 6 Common Errors
These are the tile installation failures we are most often called in to repair across Toronto, Mississauga, Barrie, and surrounding regions. Each pattern below is a substrate or installation error we have corrected for paying customers multiple times. With tile, the failures are expensive because the repair almost always means tearing out and rebuilding the installation.
Tile Installed Directly Over Plywood
Tile cannot be installed directly on a plywood subfloor. Plywood moves with humidity and deflects under load, and that movement cracks rigid tile and fails grout. The correct assembly requires cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane between the plywood and the tile. Tile-direct-to-plywood is one of the most common failures we see in older Ontario homes and DIY installations.
Missing Waterproofing Membrane in Showers
A shower built without a continuous waterproofing membrane behind the tile leaks into the structure. Tile and grout are not waterproof - water passes through grout over time, and without a membrane it reaches the framing, the subfloor, and the rooms below. By the time the damage is visible, the repair involves tearing out the shower and addressing water damage. Every Squarefoot wet-area installation includes a continuous waterproofing membrane.
Excessive Subfloor Deflection
Tile requires a subfloor that does not flex more than the L/360 standard (L/720 for natural stone). When joists are spaced too far apart or the subfloor is too thin, the floor flexes under foot traffic and the tile cracks. Reinforcing the framing before tile installation is the fix - and it must be done before, not after. We assess deflection during the site assessment.
No Movement Joints in Large Tiled Areas
Tile expands and contracts with temperature, and large tiled areas need movement joints to absorb that movement. Installations that omit movement joints crack along the lines where the joint should have been - most visibly in large floors, sun-exposed areas, and over radiant heat. Movement joints filled with flexible sealant are part of every large-area tile installation we complete.
Inadequate Mortar Coverage
Tile set with insufficient mortar coverage on the back has voids underneath it - and those voids lead to cracking under load and, in wet areas, water accumulation. Large-format tile especially requires back-buttering to achieve the 80 to 95% coverage standard. Skipping back-buttering to save time is a common cause of cracked large-format tile. We check mortar coverage during installation.
Existing Slab Cracks Not Isolated
When tile is installed over a concrete slab with existing cracks and no crack-isolation or uncoupling membrane, the slab cracks telegraph straight up through the new tile - usually within the first year. The fix is a crack-isolation or uncoupling membrane over the cracked substrate before tile. We assess slab cracking during the site assessment and specify isolation where it is needed.
When We Do NOT Recommend Tile
Most flooring contractors will install whatever the customer asks for. We will not. Tile is the right answer for many applications, but not all - and recommending it where it does not belong produces an unhappy customer. These are the situations where we recommend another flooring category.
Over Subfloors That Cannot Be Reinforced
If a subfloor has excessive deflection and the framing genuinely cannot be reinforced (access, structural, or budget constraints), tile is the wrong choice - it will crack. In that situation, luxury vinyl plank tolerates far more subfloor movement and is the safer specification.
Comfort-Driven Living Spaces
Tile is hard and cold underfoot. For bedrooms, family rooms, and main living spaces where warmth and comfort underfoot are priorities, engineered hardwood or vinyl plank is usually the better choice - unless the tile is installed over a radiant heating system, which solves the cold-underfoot issue.
Three-Season Cottages With Freeze Risk
In an unheated three-season cottage, the substrate can experience freeze-thaw cycling that stresses tile installations. Interior tile is generally fine in heated cottages, but for unheated seasonal properties we assess the specific freeze risk and may recommend a more forgiving flooring category for some areas.
Budgets That Cannot Cover the Full Assembly
A tile installation done correctly includes substrate preparation and membranes. If the budget only covers tile and mortar with no membranes or substrate work, the honest recommendation is not to cut those layers - it is to choose a flooring category that does not require them. We will not install a tile assembly with the critical layers removed to hit a price.
Quick Rental Turnovers
Tile is a permanent, labour-intensive installation. For rental units with quick turnover timelines where the floor may be changed again soon, luxury vinyl plank installs faster and costs less. Tile makes sense where it will stay for the long term.
Rooms Where Sound Is a Priority
Tile is acoustically hard and reflective, and it does little to limit sound transmission between units. In condos with strict IIC sound requirements, a tile installation needs an acoustic uncoupling membrane to meet the building's specification. Where maximum acoustic performance matters, we verify the assembly meets the IIC requirement or recommend an alternative. See our best flooring for condo guide.
Coordinated Tile Installation Services
Tile installation often involves more than the tile itself. Most projects need coordinated work including substrate preparation, waterproofing, fixtures, and transitions. We handle the complete scope so you are not coordinating multiple contractors for one renovation.
Shower & Wet-Area Builds
Complete shower assemblies - substrate, waterproofing membrane, niches, benches, curbs, slope to drain, and tile. The full wet-area build as one coordinated installation.
Shower Glass
Frameless and semi-frameless shower glass to complete a tiled shower. See our shower glass installation service - tile and glass coordinated on one timeline.
Heated Tile Floors
Radiant in-floor heating installed with the tile as a coordinated assembly. See in-floor heating systems. Heated tile is the warmest tile underfoot.
Kitchen Backsplashes
Kitchen backsplash tile installation coordinated with countertop and cabinet conditions. Ceramic, mosaic, and porcelain backsplash with proper wall substrate preparation.
Existing Tile Removal
Removal and disposal of existing tile, including substrate restoration. Tile demolition is labour-intensive and we handle it as part of the project scope.
Multi-Floor Renovations
For renovations involving tile plus other flooring, we coordinate hardwood installation, vinyl installation, and laminate installation on one timeline.
Tile Installation Service Area - Toronto, GTA, Barrie & Simcoe County
Our tile installation team works out of two showroom locations: Mississauga at 700 Dundas Street East and Barrie at 112 Saunders Road. Between the two locations we cover residential and commercial tile installation across all of southern Ontario including the Greater Toronto Area, Simcoe County, and surrounding regions.
Toronto & the GTA - Mississauga Showroom Coverage
Our Mississauga location serves Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket, Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, East York, and the wider GTA. Toronto and Mississauga condo tile installations - bathrooms, showers, and floors over concrete with IIC requirements - are coordinated from this location. See our flooring Toronto hub and flooring Mississauga hub for location-specific guidance.
Barrie & Simcoe County - Barrie Showroom Coverage
Our Barrie location serves Barrie, Innisfil, Angus, Orillia, Collingwood, Midland, Penetanguishene, Wasaga Beach, Stayner, Alliston, Bradford, and all of Simcoe County. We handle bathroom, shower, kitchen, and floor tile installation across Simcoe County including cottage and lakefront properties. See our flooring Barrie hub and tile flooring Barrie page for region-specific tile guidance.
Toronto Condo vs Barrie Detached Home - Same Tile, Different Assembly
A tile floor in a downtown Toronto condo over a concrete subfloor is a different installation than a tile floor in a detached Barrie home over a plywood subfloor. The Toronto condo gets tile over an uncoupling membrane on the concrete slab, with an acoustic membrane where IIC compliance is required and documentation provided to the condo board. The Barrie detached home gets a backer board or uncoupling membrane over the plywood subfloor, with deflection verified and the framing reinforced if needed. Same tile, completely different assembly underneath. This is the substrate-specific work that gets missed when one-size-fits-all contractors handle both.
Two Showrooms, Same Installation Standards
Both our Mississauga and Barrie showrooms operate under identical tile installation specifications, training requirements, substrate preparation standards, waterproofing protocols, and workmanship warranty processes. Whether you visit our Mississauga or Barrie showroom, the tile installation in your home follows the same eight-stage process and the same quality benchmarks.
Get a Free Tile Installation Quote
Most homeowners searching for tile installers near them narrow tile options online, then finalize the decision after seeing tile in person. Visit either of our showrooms to compare porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, and mosaic tile before deciding. Bring photos of your space and any substrate information you have, and we will recommend the correct tile and the complete installation assembly for your project.
For a free in-home site assessment and detailed installation quote, call our Mississauga location at 905-277-2227 or our Barrie location at 705-726-2272. Email sales@squarefootflooring.com for commercial project pricing and multi-room renovation coordination.
Tile Installation FAQ
The tile installation questions we hear most often from homeowners and contractors across Toronto, Mississauga, Barrie, and surrounding regions.
What types of tile do you install?
We install all major tile categories - porcelain, ceramic, natural stone (marble, granite, travertine, slate, limestone), mosaic, and large-format and slab porcelain. We install tile across every application: bathroom floors and walls, shower surrounds and shower floors, kitchen floors and backsplashes, entryways, mudrooms, fireplace surrounds, feature walls, heated tile floors, and full commercial installations. Our installers are trained on every tile type and format.
Do you subcontract tile installation work?
No. Squarefoot Flooring does not subcontract. Every tile installation we sell is performed by our own employees - skilled tile setters who work directly for Squarefoot Flooring. The crew that arrives for installation is the same crew that came for the site assessment. With tile, where failures are expensive and often hidden behind walls, having the same in-house team handle the installation and any warranty issue matters even more than with other flooring categories.
Can tile be installed directly over a plywood subfloor?
No. Tile cannot be installed directly on plywood - plywood moves with humidity and deflects under load, and that movement cracks rigid tile and fails grout. The correct assembly is plywood subfloor, then cement backer board or an uncoupling membrane, then tile. Subfloor deflection must also be within the L/360 standard (L/720 for natural stone). Tile-direct-to-plywood is one of the most common installation failures we are called in to repair.
Do showers need a waterproofing membrane behind the tile?
Yes - this is non-negotiable. Tile and grout are not waterproof. Water passes through grout joints over time, and without a continuous waterproofing membrane behind the tile, that water reaches the framing, subfloor, and rooms below. A shower built without a waterproofing membrane will leak into the structure - it is only a question of when. Every wet-area tile installation we complete includes a continuous waterproofing membrane on shower walls, shower floors, bathroom floors, and tub surrounds.
What is an uncoupling membrane and do I need one?
An uncoupling membrane is a layer installed between the substrate and the tile that lets the substrate and tile move independently. When a concrete slab cracks or a wood subfloor expands and contracts, the membrane absorbs that movement instead of transferring it into the rigid tile, where it would cause cracking. We recommend an uncoupling membrane for tile over concrete with crack risk, tile over wood subfloors, large-format tile, and heated tile floors. It directly prevents the most common tile failure - cracking from substrate movement.
Why does my tile floor have cracked tiles or cracked grout?
Cracked tile and cracked grout are almost always substrate problems, not product defects. The most common causes are excessive subfloor deflection (the floor flexes under load), tile installed directly on plywood without backer board or an uncoupling membrane, existing concrete slab cracks telegraphing up through the tile, or missing movement joints in a large tiled area. The repair generally requires removing the affected tile and correcting the underlying substrate issue. We assess the cause during a site visit.
What is the difference between porcelain and ceramic tile?
Porcelain is fired at higher temperatures than ceramic, producing a denser, harder, less porous tile. Porcelain is the right specification for floors, wet areas, high-traffic spaces, and large-format applications. Ceramic is fired at lower temperatures, is easier to cut, and is lighter, but it is more porous and less impact-resistant - the right choice for walls, backsplashes, and lower-traffic applications. For floors and showers, porcelain is generally the better-performing choice.
Should I use cement grout or epoxy grout?
Cement grout is the standard for most residential tile and is available in sanded (wider joints) and unsanded (narrow joints, polished tile) versions. Epoxy grout is more stain-resistant, water-resistant, and durable, and does not require sealing - the better choice for kitchen backsplashes, commercial applications, and wet areas where staining and water resistance matter. Epoxy costs more and is more demanding to install. We recommend the grout type based on the application rather than the lowest cost.
Do you install large-format porcelain tile?
Yes. Large-format porcelain (one edge 15 inches or longer, up to full slabs) requires specific installation technique - an exceptionally flat substrate because lippage between large tiles is highly visible, large-format medium-bed mortar, back-buttering for full coverage, and a lippage-control or tile-leveling system during setting. We install large-format porcelain on floors, walls, and shower surrounds with the substrate preparation and setting technique the format requires.
Can you install heated tile floors?
Yes. Tile is the ideal surface over radiant in-floor heating because it conducts heat efficiently and is unaffected by temperature cycling. A heated tile floor assembly typically uses an uncoupling membrane that also accommodates the heating cable or mat, then tile set over the membrane. We install the heating membrane system and tile together as a coordinated assembly. Heated tile is the warmest tile underfoot and solves the cold-underfoot concern that limits tile in living spaces.
How long does a tile installation take?
Tile timelines vary more than other flooring because of substrate preparation and membrane work. A bathroom floor and shower typically takes 4 to 7 working days including substrate prep, membrane installation, tile setting, mortar cure time, and grouting. A larger floor installation runs proportionally longer. Tile cannot be rushed - mortar and grout need cure time, and wet-area waterproofing often needs to be tested before tile goes on. The site assessment includes a realistic project timeline.
What workmanship warranty do you offer on tile installation?
Every tile installation we complete is covered by our workmanship warranty, separate from the manufacturer's product warranty. Workmanship covers installation-related issues including cracked or loose tile from substrate or mortar problems, grout failure, wet-area leaks from waterproofing membrane defects, lippage beyond tolerance, and movement-joint failures. Workmanship warranty terms are documented in writing at time of installation. Manufacturer warranty on the tile product itself is separate and covers manufacturing defects - we provide that documentation before installation begins.
Do you handle commercial tile installation?
Yes. We install tile in offices, retail spaces, hospitality, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and other commercial applications across the GTA and Simcoe County. Commercial tile flooring installation uses commercial-rated mortar, properly specified movement joints, and substrate preparation appropriate for commercial traffic loads. We provide complete site safety documentation (WSIB clearance, liability insurance, safety training records) for commercial projects. Email sales@squarefootflooring.com for commercial pricing.
How do I get started with a tile installation quote?
Call our Mississauga showroom at 905-277-2227 or our Barrie showroom at 705-726-2272 to schedule a free in-home site assessment. You can also email sales@squarefootflooring.com with contact information, approximate project size, and photos or details about your space. We typically schedule site assessments within 3 to 5 business days, with detailed written quotes - including substrate preparation and membrane line items - following within 48 hours.