Griffin Ceramic Tile

Along with brand new kitchen countertops and new appliances, we also had a new tile backsplash installed.

After working with design consultant Laura Eaton at Byrd Tile to put together a fantastic pattern, I needed to find a qualified installer to do the job. Laura presented me with a list of installers with which her customers have had good luck, and the one I selected was Eric Griffin of Griffin Ceramic Tile.

His mature demeanor and professionalism seemed evident in my initial consultations with him. The quality of his workmanship was apparent when he showed me photo samples of his work during his first onsite visit.

Eric took away drawings of our backsplash pattern and some measurements, and e-mailed me a few days later with a bid that came in about $100 lower than the average of other installers I'd contacted.

On installation day Eric arrived well prepared to spend the entire day at our homesite. He carefully laid out paper over our new granite countertops and across all areas of our hardwood floor upon which he would be traversing. As I happened to be off of work that day, I watched as he carefully and competently laid all our tile.

As our design presented what I thought was somewhat of an intricate challenge to an installer, Eric managed through without missing a beat. In this case, he handled the positioning of many random stones in such a manner as to avoid making unnecessary cuts. Discount tilers would have just done it the easy way.

He also had some clever maneuvers to tame some of the trickier aspects of laying tile. For example, he made the pattern sort of "bend" around a corner so it was less evident that a change in direction was present. Not all installers are willing to go the extra mile to make the results so attractive but you can tell that Eric takes pride in his work and doesn't see it as just a job. There is a certain artistry that a good tile installer should possess, and it's clear that Eric's a master.

When he was finished for the day, he pulled up all the paper and cleaned up after himself. When he returned the next day, he started by again laying out all the paper on our counters and floors. The grouting job went well, and when we saw how the pattern jumped out at us in the finished product, we knew we would have a tile backsplash we would enjoy for years to come.

If you live in the Triangle Area and are looking for an expert tile installer who's not afraid of a challenge, look no further than Eric Griffin at Griffin Ceramic Tile. Eric can be reached at (919) 359-3042.
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