Angie's list article
February 2014
Raleigh company adds style to ceramic floor tile
Compiled by Oseye Boyd
This month, we're spotlighting a review from member l.F. Eason of Cary, who shared great details and photos about the ceramic tile flooring install by Elite Tile System of Raleigh. Angie's List reviews like this one are especially helpful because they include all the particulars along with great before and after photos, which let members know why you think they should hire or steer clear of a company. So the next time you submit a review, don't spare the details or the visuals!
Elite Tile Systems always agreed to do things as I asked, but when what I suggested wouldn't work out, they tactfully suggested better ways to accomplish what I wanted. They always pointed out a way that left me thinking. "Why didn't I think of that?" I was totally impressed, both by their efficiency and the quality of their work! They took no shortcuts and everything was done to perfection. Since the shower wall tile was slightly different, they helped me pick out a narrow border to disguise the separation between old and new. They suggested a staggered pattern for the new tile below the border, something I never would've thought of, which worked perfectly. Without question, this was the best experience I've ever had with any contractor.
From Priming and painting to tiling a floor and replacing miles of wood decking that nearly circles his home, L.F. Eason's not one to shy away from a home improvement project. "I've always been a person who figured a screw was there to take out," says the Cary, N.C., member, adding that over the course of owning his homes, he's jumped into all kinds of jobs and projects of varying skill levels. Even when he inadvertently creates the repair job needing to be done.
"One of the biggest laughs my wife still haas on me, long ago, we game my sone a TV for the first time," Eason says. "I had to run a cable the length of the house, and instead of calling someone, I knew I could do it myself.: A good plan, except Eason forgot that the flooring in the attic, where he was working to get the cable strung. didn't extend past the heating ductwork. He wound up falling Chevy Chase-style through the floor. "My wife walked into the bedroom and there I was hanging out of the ceiling. … The money I saved on the cable guy ended up costing us to repair and replace Sheetrock."
Still, he remained undeterred. As other wants and needs arose, including power washing his deck, Eason kept diving in, though he readily admits things didn't always get done in a timely manner. But when he noticed a leaky shower base, Eason calling in A-rated Elite Tile Systems to fix the problem. "They were able to replace just the bottom foot of the shower wall, which saved us a considerable amount of money," he says.
"One of the biggest laughs my wife still haas on me, long ago, we game my sone a TV for the first time," Eason says. "I had to run a cable the length of the house, and instead of calling someone, I knew I could do it myself.: A good plan, except Eason forgot that the flooring in the attic, where he was working to get the cable strung. didn't extend past the heating ductwork. He wound up falling Chevy Chase-style through the floor. "My wife walked into the bedroom and there I was hanging out of the ceiling. … The money I saved on the cable guy ended up costing us to repair and replace Sheetrock."
Still, he remained undeterred. As other wants and needs arose, including power washing his deck, Eason kept diving in, though he readily admits things didn't always get done in a timely manner. But when he noticed a leaky shower base, Eason calling in A-rated Elite Tile Systems to fix the problem. "They were able to replace just the bottom foot of the shower wall, which saved us a considerable amount of money," he says.
Michael Yazbek, project manager with Elite says they do a fair amount of work for homeowners who start a project and don't finish. Yazbek says Eason's shower pan leaks common, and the result of improper installation.
Eason says they were so impressed, they hired Elite to fix another bathroom shower that didn't drain properly. And, he says, he had them come back again to finish a backsplash in his kitchen with materials that had been siting in boxes in the garage for more than a year.
Though Eason says he can still do the work, as he started getting a little older, he realized he had better things to do than home improvement projects. "I think my time is worth more to me now," he says. "The biggest lesson i've learned over the years is that if you have good recommendations, and you value your time, you come out way ahead by hiring someone who knows what they're doing and who you can trust to do the job."