Tile Flooring in Ann Arbor, MI

Flat, Quiet Floors That Stay Put for Years

Floor deflection has to stay within L/360 for ceramic and porcelain, and L/720 for natural stone over a wood subfloor, or the tile cracks no matter how good the setting work is. Substrate flatness matters equally, within 1/4 inch in 10 feet for standard tile. Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration installs and repairs tile flooring in Ann Arbor, MI, covering subfloor preparation and leveling, porcelain, ceramic and natural stone, kitchen and bathroom floors, and floor tile replacement.


Getting a floor right starts with what sits under it, so the subfloor gets checked and flattened before a single tile goes down. That habit comes from 40 years of combined experience laying floors, and it's why we will tell you plainly when porcelain suits a room better than natural stone, or when a membrane is worth the extra layer. Every stage of the job stays with us. Send the room dimensions through our contact page and we will arrange a consultation and estimate.

Free Estimate!

For the fastest reply, call or text us at

Contact Us

Our Approach to Long-Lasting Tile Floors

  • Kitchen Floor Tile

    Kitchens take spills, dropped pans and heavy traffic, so the floor needs full mortar contact underneath every piece. We aim for at least 80% coverage in this dry area, fully support corners and edges, and keep no void larger than 2 square inches.

  • Bathroom Floor Tile

    Wet rooms move the standard up to 95% thinset contact, and the perimeter gets a 1/4 inch movement joint rather than grout tight to the wall. Grout joints never go below 1/16 inch, and 1/8 inch is the minimum for rectified tile.

  • Subfloor Preparation and Leveling

    Wood-framed floors need 2 layers, typically a 23/32 inch subfloor with 3/8 to 19/32 inch underlayment over joists 16 inches on center, with underlayment edges offset at least 2 inches from subfloor seams. We flatten to 1/4 inch in 10 feet before setting.

  • Porcelain and Ceramic Floor Tile

    Porcelain and ceramic both sit inside the L/360 deflection limit, which makes either workable over a properly built wood floor. Anything with a side longer than 15 inches counts as large format, so offsets stay at 33% or less to control lippage.

  • Natural Stone Floor Tile

    Stone asks more of the structure, holding deflection to L/720 over a wood subfloor rather than L/360. That usually means added stiffness below before setting, along with tighter flatness so slabs of marble or slate sit level across a whole room.

  • Floor Tile Replacement

    Cracked or hollow-sounding tiles come out in sections rather than one at a time, since the failure is often in the mortar bed below. We lift the affected area, correct the substrate, reset with matched tile and regrout to the existing joint width.

Why Choose Us for Tile Flooring

A Flat Substrate Before Any Tile

Lippage, hollow spots and cracked grout usually trace back to a floor that was not flat before setting began. Bringing the substrate within 1/4 inch in 10 feet, or 1/8 inch for large format, removes most of what goes wrong later.

Full Mortar Contact Under Every Piece

Hollow spots under tile are where cracks start, because a piece with no support flexes and breaks under a dropped pan or a chair leg. Meeting the coverage standard and keeping voids small means the floor carries load the way it should.

Edges You Will Not Catch a Toe On

Allowable lippage is 1/32 inch under 15 inch tile and 1/16 inch for large format, which is the difference between a floor you notice and one you do not. Holding that tolerance also keeps grout lines even across the room.

Movement Joints Where They Are Needed

Tile expands and contracts, and a floor with nowhere to move pushes up or cracks along a line. Interior floors get movement joints every 20 to 25 feet, sun-exposed and wet areas every 8 to 12 feet, with 1/4 inch at perimeters.

Material Advice for the Room You Have

Choosing tile is easier when someone tells you what the room actually needs. A basement slab, a second-floor bathroom and a busy kitchen each suit different sizes, finishes and materials, and knowing that early saves returning boxes and reworking a layout.

A Floor That Does Not Loosen

Nothing wears out a homeowner faster than tiles that click, rock or pop loose a year after installation. Getting deflection, flatness, coverage and joint placement right at the start is what keeps a floor quiet and fixed in place for the long run.

Testimonials


See What Our Customers Are Saying!

Floors That Feel Right Underfoot

Good tile work is mostly invisible. You notice it only in what does not happen: no rocking pieces, no cracked grout lines, no ridge where two tiles meet. Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration builds floors that way in Ann Arbor, MI, starting under the surface with deflection, flatness and full mortar coverage, then finishing with joints placed where the floor actually needs to move. Whether you are replacing a tired kitchen floor, tiling a bathroom or putting stone through a whole level, there is no pressure to decide in one visit. Share your plans through our contact page and we will arrange a consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What to put down on subfloor before tiling?

    Over a wood subfloor, an underlayment layer goes down first, typically 3/8 to 19/32 inch panel with edges offset at least 2 inches from the subfloor seams. A crack isolation or uncoupling membrane often goes on top of that.

  • Can you put tile directly on a subfloor?

    Not on a single layer of plywood or OSB. Wood-framed tile floors want 2 layers, a 23/32 inch subfloor with 3/8 to 19/32 inch underlayment, so deflection stays within L/360 and the setting bed has something rigid beneath it.

  • How much tile lippage is acceptable?

    Standards allow 1/32 inch for tile under 15 inches and 1/16 inch for large format, measured between adjacent edges. Anything beyond that reads as a ridge underfoot and usually points to an uneven substrate rather than the tile itself.

  • Why are my floor tiles suddenly cracking?

    Movement below is the usual answer: deflection beyond L/360, a hollow spot with no mortar support, or a structural crack telegraphing through the setting bed. Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration diagnoses cracking tile floors in Ann Arbor, MI before setting anything new.

  • Do you need an uncoupling membrane for a tile floor?

    Membranes are not required everywhere, but ANSI A118.12 crack isolation products bridge 1/16 inch of crack width, and high performance versions handle 1/8 inch. Over a slab with existing cracks or a wood floor at the deflection limit, one is worth including.

  • What are the downsides of porcelain floor tiles?

    Hardness cuts both ways: porcelain is dense and durable but cold underfoot, unforgiving of dropped glassware, and harder to cut and drill than ceramic. Danaher Family Masonry and Restoration walks through those tradeoffs with clients in Ann Arbor, MI during material selection.

  • How do I tell if my tile is ceramic or porcelain?

    Look at the edge and the back. Porcelain is denser, usually shows the same color through the body, and absorbs almost no water, while ceramic often has a lighter, more porous biscuit under a glazed face. Chipped edges give it away fastest.

  • Can you add heated floors to existing tile?

    Radiant heat has to sit under the tile, not above it, so an existing floor comes up before elements go in. Once installed, the system must not exceed 85 degrees, with self-leveling underlayment at least 1/2 inch above the heat elements.