MAK Tile & Marble Art

I received Mikhail's name from a friend. We needed his help at the last minute because we underestimated how long it would take to tile our shower/tub surround and we had friends coming in town. Mikhail happened to have an opening and gave us a reasonable estimate to do the work, even though he knew we were in a bind. He came that day and completed the job for us. I was pleasantly surprised at how high Mikhail's standards were with his work. He was careful to protect the carpets along the route he took to our bathroom and cleaned up after himself each day. In fact, I think he left the bathroom more clean than before, as we had left some cement dust in there. Additionally, he took the time to explain various options which would affect the job. He mentioned the caulk we got didn't have any antimicrobial properties so in a year or two, we would be dealing with mold again and have to strip it out. So he asked us if he could use a silicone caulk to which I agreed. He also gave us a couple options with an area where the drywall met the cement board and we had installed it a bit jaggedly (we could patch it with spackle later or he could cover up the area with tile which would be a lot easier for us). Lastly, he discussed our options with the grout we'd picked out. I had initially opted to do the grout myself to save $100, but he was honest with me about experiences he and his peers had gone through with it. I had purchased a premixed epoxy grout, and he explained how I would need someone to follow behind me and be very good about cleaning because if it wasn't cleaned up immediately, I'd have to use some noxious cleaners. He actually took the time to explain how I could do it myself if I wanted. But I was a bit concerned about the 7-day cure time on mine anyway, and he said he usually used an epoxy grout that was a bit easier to work with and took only 2 days to cure. He gave me a choice of colors and I ended up going with his grout and labor. I was very impressed with the quality of work he did. All of the tiles are straight and even, the caulking and grout looks very professional, and he got the job done quickly. We'll be inviting him back to tile our other shower, but this time we'll let him install the cement board!