A Letter from the Founders of Powerhouse TileOur Promise to You:
Many companies promise quality workmanship on their websites, leaving no further evidence for the prospective client to judge if the company can deliver on their claims. We’d like to offer you something more substantial on our site – first we’d like to tell you why we became different than other tile installation companies, and then we would like to offer you proof.
Back in the spring of 2000, when we were just Kip and Tracy the husband-and-wife installation team, most of our jobs were replacing tile work that had failed – if it was a shower, then usually water had penetrated the gypsum-based backer boards and had wicked up the walls, causing them to turn moldy and mushy, cracking the tile and grout. If it was a kitchen floor, then the problem was almost always that the subfloor (the layer of floor onto which the tile is adhered) was inadequate in some way.
At the time, standard practice in new construction was to use gypsum-based backer boards in wet areas and 3/8” plywood for subfloors. Now that we were focused mainly on renovation work, it came as quite a shock to discover that the industry-wide, standard operating procedures frequently didn’t work.
Many times we found ourselves standing in front of a five-year-old shower, explaining to an unfortunate homeowner that the installation was so rotten that it couldn’t be repaired, and many times the homeowner would look us directly in the eyes and ask this question:
“If I hire you to rip out and replace my tile, how do I know this won’t happen again?”
It was this question that began our career-long practice of searching out the best techniques and products available. The first procedural change we made when we became renovators was to insist on using nothing but HardieBacker for all subfloors and in all wet areas.
These days, we employ more than a dozen people doing custom installation work in high-end homes for Georgie Award-winning builders and homeowners in the metro Vancouver area. We still use HardieBacker as our usual substrate for tile. We are also proud to use Schluter membrane systems and Mapei mortars and grouts to achieve maximum longevity and durability for all of our installations.
It is because of these quality products, along with our expertise and commitment to fine workmanship, that we know we can look the homeowner in the eye and answer with confidence, “No sir, this won’t happen to you again.”
As proof, we are pleased to offer technical data on all our materials and procedures. Please send your request for this information by e-mail to info@powerhousetile.com.
With highest regards,
Kip Sewell & Tracy Wheeler
Owners, Powerhouse Tile Ltd
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