I want to record my passionate support and approval for the work that David, and his team member, Juan, at Quadrants Tile, did for us. It is of the highest quality and met my needs in every way, it gets my highest possible rating. David knows what he is doing and really cares about getting it right. Full marks, pass with distinction!!
David's passion, care and expertise were apparent from the very moment we met him. He was recommended to us by our general contractor, Michal Gerard, and we agreed to meet him at a local tile store on Chanticleer, for a preliminary discussion. At that time, my wife and I had not reached consensus on the work that we wanted to have done in the house, except that we knew we wanted to add a shower to the half bathroom, downstairs in our house.
Meeting David was the pivot, the causal link in what was to come. At our first meeting, he proved to be a wonderful teacher, a thoughtful and caring guide. In half an hour at a table in the back of the tile store, he took us through an exemplary process of construction decision-making and the aesthetics of shower addition and tiling. He had a well-honed system in place, leading us gently through each step of the decision-making process, offering a range of options - and expanding them -- at each step, until he had helped us reach consensus (not an easy task!). Wall tiles for the shower and bathroom, floor tiles, edge tiles, a pebble surface for the shower floor, an aesthetic glass-tile insert into the shower wall that simulates a waterfall, and so on ... it was truly amazing to be a participant in his process and see how carefully he led the way! David has a quiet manner and a sense of artistry that is unmatched in others. Plus, we really enjoyed his process ... enjoyed him and left feeling good that we were both on the same page and that we were in the hands of an expert.
These same feelings persisted throughout the entire job, from inception to closure. David was with us every step of the way, doing the work and guiding his team member, Juan. Consulting, checking, seeking feedback, ensuring quality was built into the work and making sure we understood what was going on, every day. The quality that ended up on the surface of the job was matched by the quality of what was to be eventually concealed beneath it. The care that David and Juan took, at each of these steps, was extraordinary ... the thought and planning that went into laying out the layers of structure, water-proofing and paneling, to the skimming of the floor and walls with thin-set, and eventually to the planning of tile layout and its application. Perfectly smooth, perfectly level and plumb. Secure, strong and beautiful.
The importance of each step became more apparent to me, as I listened surreptitiously to the work-time conversations between David and Juan. They were master and apprentice, guide and guided - this was constructivism in action, questions raised and answered, alternatives proposed and discussed. Care expressed at every turn, before action was set in stone. Each interaction was like a graduate seminar in artistry, design and tilework. I wish I had taken a video of the entire process, it would have been invaluable!
More than his professionalism and artistry, though, David is also a fine and decent man. We loved having him and his team-member, Juan, in our home each morning till the work was complete. We loved receiving his texts and phone calls, responding to his questions and choosing among the options he presented and guided us through, walking with him through the work as it progressed. And now, we enjoy the results of his work - and the warmth of his caring -- every morning, when we step into the shower and turn it on. Thank you, David, you are a local treasure! read more