The title of this post is a bit of a paradox. There should never be mortar on the surface of a tile in the first place. Mortar goes behind the tile, bonding it to the backer. Grout goes between the tiles, as the final stage. When mortar ends up on the face of the tile,
Tile Surface Mortar Removal, San Bruno, CA 2025 Read More »
This rail was for the same San Bruno client whose tile floor we cleaned up after the installer used mortar as grout. It’s a split-level home with young children, and the open edge near the entrance was a real concern: nothing stopped a child from falling from the upper floor into the stairwell below. The
View-Through Stair Rail System, San Bruno, CA 2025 Read More »
Bay Area remodeling guide Permits, licenses, and who can do the work. Before you pick up a hammer or hire anyone, know when your project needs a permit, when it needs a licensed contractor, and when you can legally do it yourself. Here’s how it works in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Mateo,
Navigating Remodeling Permits and Contractor Requirements in the San Francisco Bay Area Read More »
Most of our jobs have a narrow scope. The homeowner already has a window in mind, has bought the materials, and needs someone to install them. We consult on design too, but on maybe a third of our jobs or fewer. This San Ramon condo was different. A realtor introduced us to the homeowner, who
This Castro Valley kitchen was a straightforward install, a single run of cabinets along one wall. It was helped by a house with good bones. The structure was pretty level, which isn’t something we can take for granted in Bay Area homes, and it made every step of the install go smoother. The cabinets went
This remodel used pre-sized stone veneer to cover a fireplace that looked dated. Recladding, or resurfacing, means setting new stone directly over the existing surround instead of tearing the old fireplace out. It’s faster and far less messy than demolition, and it can transform the focal point of a room. The stone appeared to be
San Rafael Fireplace recladding (resurfacing), November 2024 Read More »
