How to Prepare Your Home
for a Tile Installation Project

You've picked your tile, signed the contract, and the install date is set. Now what?

A little preparation on your end goes a long way. It keeps the project on schedule, protects your belongings, and makes the whole experience smoother for everyone — you, your family, and the crew. The projects that go best are the ones where the homeowner knows what to expect and does a bit of prep beforehand.

Here's exactly what to do before we show up.

Clear the Workspace

This is the biggest thing. We need the work area empty. What that looks like depends on the project:

For a Bathroom Remodel

• Remove everything from countertops, shelves, and the medicine cabinet.
• Take out all toiletries, towels, bath mats, and decorations.
• Empty the vanity cabinets if the work is anywhere near them — demo vibrations can knock things over inside cabinets.
• Remove the shower curtain and rod.
• If we're tiling the floor, the toilet will need to come out. We handle that, but clearing everything off and around the toilet helps.

For a Kitchen Backsplash

• Clear the countertops completely. Everything goes — small appliances, knife blocks, dish racks, spice racks, anything mounted to the backsplash area.
• Remove anything hanging on the walls in the work zone.
• If you have under-cabinet lighting, let us know so we can plan around it.

For a Floor Installation

• Remove all furniture from the room. All of it. Dressers, beds, nightstands, desks — everything. We can't tile around furniture and come back to do the rest later. It doesn't work that way.
• Take up any existing area rugs.
• Remove floor vents and registers if possible (or we will).
• Clear out closets if the tile extends into them.

What stays: Built-in cabinets, vanities (unless they're being replaced), and appliances that are staying in place. We tile up to them and finish the edge cleanly.

Protect Your Belongings from Dust

Tile work generates dust. Demo day is the worst — cutting through old tile, mortar, and backer board creates a lot of fine dust. Tile cutting during installation produces less but still noticeable dust, especially with porcelain.

Here's how to minimize the impact:

• Close doors to rooms adjacent to the work area. Stuff a towel under the door gap if you want extra protection.
• Cover upholstered furniture in nearby rooms with sheets or drop cloths, especially if the work area is open to other rooms without a door.
• Move electronics if they're close to the work area. Dust and electronics don't mix.
• Close HVAC vents in the work area if possible. This prevents dust from circulating through your ductwork into other rooms. Some homeowners cover the vents with plastic and tape.
• Expect to dust and vacuum adjacent areas after the project is done, even with precautions.

We use dust barriers (plastic sheeting) and cut outside whenever possible. But containing 100% of the dust in a lived-in home isn't realistic. Prep your space accordingly.

Plan for Bathroom or Kitchen Downtime

Your bathroom or kitchen will be out of commission during the project. Plan for it:

Bathroom Projects

• If we're remodeling your only bathroom, identify an alternative. A gym, a relative's house, or even a portable camping shower in the yard. Talk to us about the timeline so you know exactly how many days you'll be without a shower.
• If we're only doing the shower and you have a tub in the same bathroom, the tub might still be usable during parts of the project. Ask us.
• The toilet is usually out for only a day during floor tile work. We reinstall it at the end of the day whenever possible.

Kitchen Backsplash

• You'll still have use of your kitchen, but the countertops along the backsplash wall will be a work zone. Plan easy meals or eat out for a day or two.
• Your sink and stove should remain usable unless they're directly in the work zone. We'll let you know.

Floor Installations

• The room being tiled is completely off-limits during installation and while the thinset and grout cure. That typically means 24–48 hours after the last tile is set before you can walk on it. Plan accordingly for bedrooms, hallways, or other essential paths through your home.

Pets and Children

I like dogs. But a curious dog and an open bucket of thinset create a situation nobody wants.

• Keep pets out of the work area. Gate them off, crate them, or keep them in another part of the house. Open doors, tile saws, sharp-edged tiles, and wet mortar are all hazards.
• Keep small children out of the work area. Same hazards apply. The work zone is not a safe play area.
• Noise. Tile saws and demo work are loud. If your dog is noise-sensitive, consider doggy daycare or having them stay with someone on demo day.
• Entry and exit. Our crew will be going in and out of the house regularly, carrying materials in and debris out. An exterior door will be open frequently. Make sure pets can't dart out.

What the Contractor Handles vs. What You Handle

Here's a clear breakdown so there are no surprises:

We Handle	You Handle
All demolition and removal of old tile, flooring, or backsplash	Clearing all personal items, furniture, and decorations from the work area
Disposal of demo debris (we haul it away)	Providing access to the home (we'll coordinate a time)
Substrate preparation — leveling, backer board, waterproofing	Arranging alternative bathroom or kitchen access during downtime
All tile cutting, setting, grouting, and caulking	General dusting and vacuuming of adjacent rooms after the project
Daily and final cleanup of the work area	Any painting above or around the new tile (wait until tile is complete)
Toilet removal and reinstallation (floor tile projects)
Moving appliances (stove, fridge — when discussed in advance)

Parking and Access for the Crew

We need a place to park the work truck, and we need a clear path into your home. This sounds obvious, but it matters more than people think:

• Driveway access. If you can leave one side of your driveway open for our truck, that helps. We carry in heavy boxes of tile, bags of mortar, tools, and sometimes large sheets of backer board. The closer we can park, the faster setup and cleanup go.
• Clear the path from the door to the work area. We're carrying heavy materials through your home. A clear hallway and open doorways make a big difference.
• HOA or gated community? Let us know the gate code, visitor parking rules, and any work-hour restrictions before the start date. Some HOAs require advance notice or permits for construction work. We need that sorted out before demo day.
• Apartments or condos. Elevator reservations, loading dock access, and building management notifications may be needed. Check with your management office.

A Quick Note on Scheduling

Arizona's heat affects scheduling, especially for any outdoor work. During summer, our crew starts early — often at 7 AM — to get outdoor cutting done before the worst of the afternoon heat. Indoor work continues throughout the day.

We typically work Monday through Friday. A standard shower remodel runs 3 to 5 working days, a kitchen backsplash is 1 to 2 days, and a full floor installation depends on square footage. We'll give you a clear timeline before the project starts.