- Tub surround tile work: $2,000 flat.
- Kitchen backsplash tile work: $1,000 flat, labor.
- Tile floors: $3 per square foot labor, or $2 per square foot labor on jobs of 2,000 square feet or more.
Custom layouts and stone work in Salado homes
Salado has a different mix of homes than the newer subdivisions sitting closer to the post. Along the creek and off the main roads south of Belton, you see custom builds, historic renovations, and private properties that use real stone, handmade zellige, and large format porcelain. Setting natural marble or handmade clay tile is not the same as throwing down basic ceramic. Every piece of zellige has an uneven face and irregular edges. It has to be sorted by thickness before it touches mortar, or the finished wall will look crooked instead of hand crafted.
When we take on a project in Salado, we plan the layout around the room instead of rushing to stick tile to the wall. Centering a pattern on a focal point like a freestanding tub, a kitchen range, or an arched shower opening requires dry laying tiles first. We look at how cuts fall into the corners and against the ceiling so you never end up with a tiny sliver of tile along an outside edge. If you want brass or satin metal edge profiles to frame your niches and corners, we miter those joints cleanly on site.
Materials we set across Salado living spaces
A custom home usually calls for materials that require specific thinset mortars, deliberate spacing, and careful handling. We work with materials sourced directly from the Temple supply house or picked out by the homeowner, bringing the right tools to cut and set each type properly without chipping the finish.
- Natural marble, travertine, and terrazzo slabs or tiles cut with wet diamond blades
- Handmade zellige and ceramic subway tiles set with tight, consistent grout joints
- Large format porcelain floor tile leveled across concrete slabs to prevent lippage
- Glass and stone mosaic sheets installed flat on shower pans and niche recesses
Checking the substrate before setting tile
What sits under the tile matters more than the tile itself. In custom homes around Salado, we see both poured concrete slabs and framed wood subfloors. Concrete slabs in Central Texas move with the seasonal moisture shifts in the ground, which can crack rigid tile if you do not use an uncoupling membrane or isolation system. Wood subfloors in older properties or second story additions need to be checked for deflection. If the plywood flexes under your foot, the grout will crack within weeks, so we inspect the framing stiffness and add cement backer board before spreading mortar.
Wet areas require strict preparation. In a shower build, water will eventually work its way past grout and tile, so the waterproofing behind the wall is what keeps your framing dry. We install solid backer board with taped and mortared seams, followed by a continuous bonded waterproofing membrane across the walls and into the pan. Shower floors get packed with a sloped mortar bed that pitches a quarter inch per foot toward the drain. If the substrate is not flat, plumb, and properly sloped from the start, we correct it before the first tile goes down.
How we schedule and run jobs out from Killeen
Merlan's Tile is based in Killeen, and driving down to Salado to quote and work on a project is part of our standard service area. When you call us at (512) 297-7493 or send an email to info@merlanstile.com, Genaro Merlan discusses what you want done and sets up a time to walk the job site in person. The same people who quote the job are the people who do the job, so nothing gets lost between the initial conversation and the physical installation.
You can purchase your own tile, or you can come to the supply house in Temple with us to select your material. Buying through the Temple supply house means what you pick out is the exact batch that gets delivered to your home. We do not use mystery overstock or damaged boxes. While standard tub surround tile work runs at $2,000 flat, custom showers, intricate backsplashes, and large floor areas vary by size and preparation needs, so we provide a straight quote once we inspect the room. Every completed project includes a written one-year limited labor warranty covering our installation work.
Grouting, edge details, and site cleanup
The last steps of a tile project determine whether the room looks crisp or sloppy. We mix grout to the manufacturer density, packing the joints fully from the back of the tile to the surface to eliminate air pockets. On natural stone and zellige, we apply sealers where needed so grout pigment does not stain the raw material. Once the grout sets, we wash the face clean to avoid leaving a cloudy haze across the tile surface.
Where tile meets a dissimilar surface like a hardwood floor, a vinyl plank transition, or a tub apron, we do not pack rigid grout into the seam. Hard grout will crack and crumble as different materials expand at different rates. We bridge those transitions using proper color matched flexible sealant, metal profiles, reducers, or thresholds. When the setting and sealing are complete, we pack up our tools, clean the workspace, and leave your room ready for everyday use.