Tile Contractor in Ottawa

Professional Tile Installation Across Ottawa

Orleans Flooring Co. provides tile installation services throughout Ottawa, from Barrhaven in the west to Rockland in the east, and from Kanata to Gloucester. Owner Joseph Leger handles every project personally — there are no subcontractors, no surprises, and no handoffs. When you call a tile contractor in Ottawa and want someone who will show up on time, prep the substrate correctly, and install tile that lasts, that's the work we do.

Ottawa homeowners deal with a range of substrate challenges: houses on slab in newer subdivisions like Barrhaven and Avalon, older wood-frame construction in Vanier and Overbrook, and everything in between. Each substrate type has its own requirements before tile goes down, and we assess every floor before pricing the job. There are no flat-rate quotes that ignore what's actually there — we build the prep into the project so the tile bonds correctly and stays that way.

From a classic 4×4 ceramic tile in a basement bathroom to 24×48 porcelain through a modern open-plan kitchen in Kanata, we have the tools and training to handle any tile format, any pattern, and any substrate condition. We use a Raimondi Pikus 130 tile saw for clean, accurate cuts on large-format and natural stone tile — critical for the tight tolerances required in premium installations.

Technical Standards We Follow

Substrate flatness: The ANSI A108.02 standard requires floors to be flat within 1/8" in 10 feet before tile installation. For tile with any edge exceeding 15 inches, the tolerance tightens: no more than 1/8" over 10 feet and no more than 1/16" in any 24-inch span. We check every floor with a long straightedge and correct high and low spots before setting tile. Grinding high spots and patching low spots is standard, not optional.

Mortar coverage: Standard tile installations require a minimum of 80% mortar contact between tile and substrate. Wet areas — bathroom floors, shower floors, steam rooms — require 95% coverage per ANSI A108.02. We achieve this by using the correct notch trowel size for the tile format, back-buttering large tile, and combing mortar in a single direction so no air pockets form. We verify coverage by periodically lifting a freshly set tile and inspecting the back.

Decoupling membranes: Over wood-frame floors, differential movement between the framing and the tile assembly is the primary cause of cracked grout and hollow tile over time. We install uncoupling membranes (Schluter Ditra or equivalent) on wood substrates to absorb this movement and allow the tile to perform independently of the subfloor below.

Grout and joint selection: Joint width is dictated by the tile format and rectification level. We specify the correct grout type — sanded for joints over 1/8", unsanded for narrow joints, epoxy for commercial or zero-maintenance applications — and install movement accommodation joints at all perimeter edges and field changes of plane.

What's Included

• On-site substrate inspection and flatness testing
• Subfloor grinding, patching, or self-leveling as required
• Decoupling membrane installation on wood-frame floors
• Tile layout planning and dry-lay
• Tile setting with polymer-modified mortar
• Lippage control system for large-format tile
• Back-buttering for full wet-area coverage
• Grout installation and cleaning
• Grout sealing on cement-based grout
• Schluter or Jolly trim at all transitions and exposed edges
• Site cleanup and final walkthrough

Our Preparation Process

Step 1 — Site assessment: We visit the site, assess the substrate, check for flatness, moisture, structural deflection, and any existing damage. On concrete slabs we look for cracks, control joints, and surface contamination. On wood subfloors we check for bounce, squeaks, and adequate thickness.

Step 2 — Substrate preparation: High spots are ground flat using an angle grinder with a diamond cup wheel. Low spots are filled with a fast-setting floor patch. Where the subfloor is borderline for stiffness, we may recommend adding blocking or a layer of additional sheathing. On wood floors, an uncoupling membrane goes down before tile.

Step 3 — Layout: We plan the tile pattern in context — centering on focal walls, balancing cuts, accounting for cabinet kick plates and door frames. For herringbone, chevron, or offset patterns, layout planning takes longer but the result is worth it.

Step 4 — Setting: Tile is set in polymer-modified thinset using the correct notch trowel. Large-format tile is back-buttered. A tile leveling system is clipped and wedged to control lippage across the field.

Step 5 — Grouting and finishing: After adequate cure time, grout is packed into joints, sponge-floated clean, and sealed. Schluter profiles are installed at all transitions. Perimeter caulk — colour-matched to the grout — is applied at all wall-to-floor changes of plane instead of grout.

Frequently Asked Questions