Since we had just purchased the home, we were very price sensitive and Julian worked with us to keep the costs under control, even offering me advice and some light training on things I could do myself to prep the space and save some money. It's VERY rare to find such a considerate and understanding contractor who's willing to lose a few bucks provided the homeowner has some basic handyman skills to prep the job.
Travis, the installer, was prompt each of the three days he did the work. He spent a full 8 hours just repairing the existing wall -- 20 years old, site of former heavy brick fireplace AND subsequently site of a built out curtain wall. He wrestled with our firebox, ground down cement, grout and adhesive to get a plumb surface before we laid a single tile.
Once the prep was done, the tiles got in fast and perfect. Even with levels and steady hand I can't detect a wave (and these are tiny flexible sheets of tile that are very unforgiving. There was an usual grouting issue at the end as we opted for a hearth even with the floor which left a difficult transition between the new tile and our existing tile floor. Travis had some ideas, I had some ideas, and Julian was on the phone with us in minutes receiving photos from our phones and evaluating the options. We ended up with a creative fix that beautifully transitioned and was well ""outside the box"" of a standard installation technique. Travis worked late that day to pull off our last-minute design change.
The next day, after Travis was gone, Julian called and emailed us to make sure everything was up to our standards (and my wife and I can fairly be described as ""difficult"" clients) and offered to send Travis back if we wanted something changed. And all the work is backed by a lifetime guarantee, so if there's something not currently apparent, I'm confident I can get Julian back here to fix it pronto.
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