ServicesLuxury Vinyl Tile
Luxury Vinyl Tile Installation in Katy
LVT puts a stone or ceramic pattern on your floor with a softer, warmer surface and no grout to scrub. Before any work starts, we check your slab and tell you how many days the job runs. Each day comes with an arrival window, and if something shifts, you hear from us early.
Where vinyl tile makes sense
Vinyl tile, often shortened to LVT, is built in layers and cut into square or rectangular formats like 18x18 or 12x24 rather than long planks. A clear wear layer, rated in mils, protects a printed design layer that copies slate, travertine, marble or porcelain. Below that is either a flexible vinyl base made to be glued down or a rigid stone-polymer (SPC) or wood-polymer (WPC) core that clicks together and floats.
It is the right call when you want a tile look in a kitchen, bath, laundry room or entry but do not want hard, cold ceramic or grout lines that stain. It is softer underfoot, quieter, and the vinyl itself does not absorb water. If you prefer a wood look, our luxury vinyl plank page covers that format.
Most homes around Katy sit on concrete slabs, and the clay soil under them moves with wet and dry seasons. That movement is why ceramic tile often cracks here. A floating LVT floor tolerates small slab shifts much better, as long as the slab is flat enough when we start.
What the job includes
- Moisture and flatness checks on the slab
- We meter the concrete for moisture and run a 10-foot level across it in several directions, all before choosing an adhesive or underlayment. Most rigid core products allow roughly 3/16 inch of variation over 10 feet, and dips deeper than that lead to clicking joints and lifted edges.
- Removal of the old floor
- We pull carpet and pad, sheet vinyl, laminate or ceramic tile. Ceramic removal includes scraping the thinset left behind, since ridges of old mortar will telegraph through vinyl.
- Floor prep
- High spots are ground down and low spots filled with a cement-based self-leveler. This step takes drying time, and we build it into the schedule instead of rushing it.
- Layout and installation
- We dry-lay tiles to center the pattern on the room and avoid thin slivers at doorways. Floating floors get a 1/4 inch expansion gap at walls; glue-down floors are rolled to set the adhesive.
- Trim, transitions and door jambs
- Door casings are undercut so tile slides beneath them cleanly. We finish with transition strips where LVT meets carpet or another floor, plus quarter round or baseboard as agreed.
- Cleanup and walkthrough
- Scraps, packaging and the old flooring leave with us. We walk the finished floor with you and recheck anything you point out.
Signs it is time for luxury vinyl tile
Cracked ceramic tile
Hairline cracks running across several tiles usually follow slab movement. Replacing single tiles rarely holds, because the slab keeps moving.
Grout you cannot keep clean
Porous cement grout darkens in kitchens and entries no matter how often it is scrubbed. LVT has tight joints, or optional grout lines on groutable products, with far less upkeep.
Peeling or curling sheet vinyl
Edges lifting at seams or near the tub mean the adhesive has failed, often from moisture or age. Water can then get under it.
Swollen laminate in a wet room
Laminate with a fiberboard core swells when water reaches the joints. A vinyl core does not take on water, which suits baths and laundry rooms.
Hard, cold floors you dread standing on
If long stretches at the kitchen counter hurt your feet, LVT with an attached pad gives a little underfoot while keeping a stone look.
What moves the cost of luxury vinyl tile
We price each job from what we measure and find, so the estimate reflects your rooms rather than a flat rate. These are the items that move the number most. Every one shows as its own line on your written estimate.
Product and wear layer
A 20 mil wear layer costs more than 12 mil but holds up better to pets and grit. Rigid core click tiles and glue-down tiles also differ in price and labor.
What comes out first
Pulling carpet is quick. Removing ceramic tile and grinding off thinset takes far more labor and disposal.
Slab condition
A flat, dry slab needs little prep. Dips that need self-leveler, or high moisture readings that call for a vapor barrier, add material and time.
Layout and room shape
Large-format tiles in a straight layout waste little. Diagonal or offset patterns, closets and many doorways add cuts and extra material.
Trim and baseboards
Transitions, stair nosings and new baseboard or quarter round are priced by the linear foot. Stairs are handled as stair flooring and quoted separately.
How the work is scheduled and done
- 1
Phone call and measure visit
You call, we talk through the rooms and the look you want, and we set a measure visit with a stated arrival window. At the visit we measure, test the slab and look at what has to come out.
- 2
Written estimate with a day count
Your estimate lists each line item and how many working days the job needs, including any leveler drying time. You know before you agree how long rooms will be out of use.
- 3
Material and date confirmation
Once the tile arrives and we inspect the boxes for matching run numbers, we confirm your start date. If a product is backordered or a slab needs extra drying, we tell you as soon as we know and give you a new date.
- 4
Installation days
Each morning you get an arrival window, and at the end of each day we tell you where things stand. Glue-down floors need light traffic until the adhesive cures, usually through the following day, so we plan furniture moves around that.
- 5
Final walkthrough
We check transitions, gaps and trim with you and point out any care notes for the specific product.
Luxury vinyl tile questions
What is the difference between luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank?
They are built from the same layers. Tile comes in square or rectangular formats with stone or ceramic designs, while plank is long and narrow with wood designs. Installation and prep are similar, but tile layouts take more planning to center the pattern.
Can LVT go in a bathroom?
Yes. The vinyl does not absorb water, so it handles splashes and mopping well. We seal the perimeter at tubs and toilets because water that runs under any floor can still sit on the slab.
Do you have to tear out my old ceramic tile first?
Not always. When the old tile is bonded tight and lies flat, we fill the grout joints with a patching compound and float a rigid core product right on top. Tiles that are cracked, or that sound hollow when tapped, need to be removed first. After the measure visit you will know which situation your floor is in.
How long will my rooms be out of use?
A typical kitchen and living area takes a few working days, and your estimate states the exact count. Leveler drying or a delayed delivery can add time, and if that happens we call you before the original date, not on the morning of.
Is the installation covered?
Yes. Our labor falls under the 1-year workmanship warranty on all installations, so a joint that separates or a transition that loosens from our work gets fixed. We also carry insurance while we work in your home. Coverage on the vinyl itself comes from the manufacturer and depends on the product line you pick.
Get a tile floor with dates you can count on
Tell us which rooms you are planning and roughly when. We will set a measure visit and give you a written estimate with a day-by-day plan.