Calacatta Commercial Floor in Oak Park
About this project
This was a commercial floor installation in a retail-type space along the Broadway commercial corridor in Oak Park — an area that has seen a significant uptick in small business openings as the neighborhood has grown. The space was occupied during the installation, which required a phased approach: we installed half the floor one weekend, let it cure to foot traffic, and completed the second half the following weekend.
The tile is a large-format glossy Calacatta gold porcelain with a pronounced veining pattern. For a commercial application, we used epoxy grout rather than standard grout — epoxy is harder, chemically resistant to cleaning products, and does not require sealing. The joints are tight (3/16 inch) to minimize visible grout area and let the tile read as a continuous surface. The polished finish was specified by the business owner for its reflectivity in an interior space with limited natural light.
What we did
1
Assess slab flatness, plan phased weekend installation around business schedule
2
Set first half of floor with large-format Calacatta gold porcelain, full thinset coverage
3
Complete second half the following weekend after first section reaches full cure
4
Apply epoxy grout at 3/16" joints, clean polished surface, final walkthrough with owner
