Porcelain, ceramic, stone, and large-format tile — installed flat, level, and built to last.
Quality tile work is determined long before the first tile is set. The substrate has to be right, the layout has to be planned carefully, the cuts have to be precise, and the grout has to be mixed and applied correctly. Most tile failures — cracked tiles, lippage, loose grout, and water intrusion — trace back to one of those four areas. At Symmetrical Flooring, we're Schluter Certified and work with Mapei waterproofing systems, and we do every job ourselves. No handoffs, no subcontractors.
Bathroom floors take moisture, foot traffic, and temperature swings every day. We use appropriate uncoupling membranes, correct mortar coverage, and rectified tile where tighter grout joints are specified. Every bathroom floor tile job is set on a solid, properly prepared substrate — not just laid over whatever was there before.
Shower walls are a waterproofing job first, a tile job second. We use Schluter KERDI membrane on all shower walls and perform a flood test before any tile goes up. The result is a shower that won't leak behind the wall — which is where water damage is most expensive and least visible until it's too late.
A kitchen backsplash is one of the most visible tile surfaces in a home. We take layout planning seriously — centring patterns, accounting for outlets, and making sure cuts at the edges look intentional rather than like afterthoughts.
Tiles 600×600 mm and larger require more preparation than standard formats. Back-buttering for full coverage, continuous-contact mortar to eliminate hollow spots, and careful lippage control during installation are all non-negotiable. We work with tiles up to 900×1800 mm using our PIKUS bridge saw to make the precision cuts large-format work requires.
Outdoor tile in Ottawa's climate must be rated for freeze-thaw cycles. We select and install appropriate frost-resistant porcelain with proper slope for drainage and use exterior-rated setting materials throughout.
A PIKUS bridge saw is a fixed-rail precision saw — the cutting head travels on a gantry, keeping the blade path perfectly straight and repeatable. This is fundamentally different from a consumer wet saw where the tile slides through a spinning blade.
The bridge saw matters most for cuts that require exact geometry:
These cuts define the finish quality of a tile job. They can be attempted on a standard wet saw but the results are inconsistent and often require a profile strip to hide the imprecision. The bridge saw eliminates that compromise.
We use Schluter KERDI membrane for shower waterproofing — a thin, bonded waterproofing sheet that goes directly into the tile mortar bed on both sides, with no air gap for moisture to accumulate. All shower assemblies are flood-tested for a minimum of 24 hours before any tile is installed. If there's a leak in the membrane, we find it before it's hidden behind tile.
For areas that require Mapei waterproofing systems — particularly for wet areas beyond the shower — we're Mapei Certified and apply their systems according to specification. This includes proper product selection, application thickness, and seam treatment.
Large-format tile is the most unforgiving format to install. Because the tiles are big, any deviation in flatness or lippage is immediately obvious. Our process for large-format tile:
Large-format tile done properly looks like a slab — continuous, flat, and almost seamless. Large-format tile done poorly is obvious immediately and only gets worse over time.
Schluter Certified, owner-operated tile installation. Free quotes, no subcontractors.
Get a Free Quote Call (613) 981-8903We work with all tile formats, from mosaic sheets up to large-format slabs at 900×1800 mm. Large-format tile requires additional subfloor prep, back-buttering, and the precision cuts that our PIKUS bridge saw provides. There is no format too large for us to work with.
Yes — shower tile is a core part of our work. Every shower we tile is waterproofed with Schluter KERDI membrane and flood-tested for 24 hours before tile installation begins. We install floor tile, wall tile, tiled niches, benches, and linear drains.
A bridge saw is a fixed-rail precision saw that allows accurate, repeatable cuts through tile — including L-cuts, corner notches, and mitered 45° edges. These are cuts where geometry has to be exact. On a standard wet saw, the tile moves through the blade, which introduces vibration and imprecision. On a bridge saw, the cutting head moves along a fixed gantry, keeping every cut straight and controlled.
Yes, and we consider it non-negotiable. We use Schluter KERDI membrane for all shower waterproofing. KERDI bonds directly into the mortar bed, creating a continuous barrier behind the tile. We flood-test every shower assembly before tile is installed to confirm there are no leaks in the membrane.
Yes. We serve all of Ottawa and Orléans, including Kanata, Barrhaven, Nepean, Gloucester, Rockland, Cumberland, and many other surrounding communities. Contact us to confirm availability in your area.
Tile installation across Ottawa and surrounding communities.