Gray stone hallway
Porcelain stone-look tile in a renovated Oak Park home entry and hall
A neighborhood being rebuilt — we work at every stage of the process.
Oak Park sits just south of Highway 50 off Broadway, and it is moving. Bungalows and Victorian-era homes that sat vacant or under-maintained for decades are being gutted and renovated by a new wave of owners. We work in this neighborhood on both ends of the spectrum: full gut rehabs where the tile is one of the last trades in, and incremental updates where a homeowner is doing one room at a time. Both kinds of jobs get the same prep and attention.
Three tile projects done in Oak Park homes and businesses.
Porcelain stone-look tile in a renovated Oak Park home entry and hall
Large-format Calacatta porcelain in an Oak Park retail or salon space
Full bathroom tile with gray large-format walls in an Oak Park renovation
Yes. On full gut rehabs we typically come in after rough plumbing and backer board are done but before paint. We coordinate timing with the general contractor and other trades. The key is that cement board or waterproofing membrane needs to be in place before we start — we can also handle that installation ourselves if it is not within the GC's scope.
Oak Park has significant housing stock from before 1978, which means lead paint is a real possibility in demo work. If demo of existing tile or backer board is part of the scope, we follow EPA RRP (Renovation, Repair, and Painting) guidelines for containment and cleanup. If you are uncertain about lead presence, we recommend a lead test before any demo begins.
Yes. Oak Park has new infill construction going up alongside the renovations. New construction is generally simpler from a substrate standpoint — concrete slab or freshly framed wood floors with proper deflection ratings — but layout planning and material coordination still take the same care. We work directly with builders and individual homeowners on new builds.
It depends on the owner's direction. Some people want to honor the period with encaustic-style cement tile or classic subway formats. Others are doing a full contemporary refresh and want large-format porcelain. We do not push a particular aesthetic. If you want input on what has worked in similar houses in the neighborhood, we can share observations from past jobs without being prescriptive about your choice.