This review is overdue praise for a fantastic company. This past April, I had the cheap carpet and…read moredamaged laminate in my condo replaced entirely with wood look porcelain tile throughout the home and it came out AMAZING!! I had been shopping for tile for quite some time, since I wanted something that was water, stain (read "pet') resistant but mimicked the beauty of wood. After looking at several other companies more towards L.A., I came across Mike's right here in my own backyard of Redlands and that's when I knew my search was over. On my first visit, I showed up 5 minutes before closing and I was still waved in by smiling employees who took the time to speak with me, showed me samples and made an appointment for a free in-home estimate. Sweet-natured, considerate Project Manager Hector turned out to have a fabulous eye for design and an appreciation for what I was trying to do, by emphasizing the unique shape of the home (a hexagon within a hexagon with an interior courtyard) and drew up an elegant floor plan. He also directed me to Empire Tile in San Bernardino, which I had never heard of and would have saved me several trips down the 10 Freeway West if I had. The moment I walked in, I saw a display from a manufacturer in Spain called Porcelanosa that had a gorgeous, organic looking long, wide plank tile called Bernes Haya, the first sample that literally made me smile and say, "That's it, that's the one." Now I had my tile and my installation company, how did it all actually go?
The crew that worked on my home, Dave, Darryl and Aidan (sp?) were, in a word, FANTASTIC! They were personable, respectful, funny, and so dedicated to my house getting the best possible outcome I was deeply impressed. The shape of the condo with its abundance of angles proved to be a considerable challenge, but they proved themselves to be more than a match for it. No detail was overlooked, no area simply filled in with grout, they did a masterful job of cutting even the smallest or most uniquely shaped pieces to allow complete tile coverage. They had to improvise on more than one occasion, with undercutting door sills and jambs, and finding just the right angle or location for the perfect tile placement. In addition, they kept me informed of every concern or issue and patiently answered my many questions. Even while sitting in the driveway on their lunch breaks, they helped a neighbor unlock her car to retrieve the keys still in her ignition and assist another with her pesticide sprayer! They were that helpful and caring, I wanted to adopt them! I've never seen a harder working, unfailingly polite and talented crew. It was a masterful job, and everyone that has seen the floor in person is just blown away. I've passed out several business cards to my neighbors and friends and can not recommend them highly enough!