Tile & Backsplash in Los Angeles, CA

Inside the tile showroom in North Hollywood

Tile is hard to judge from a phone screen. A glossy white that looks crisp online can read cold under LED cans, and a honed marble that seems flat in a photo shows depth once light rakes across it. The tile selection here is organized by where the tile goes, so you can narrow the field quickly and then compare finishes in person.

• Kitchen backsplash. Subway, arabesque, mosaic sheets and full-height stone, chosen against your door color and counter. The kitchen backsplash page covers layout height, grout and outlet placement.
• Mosaics. Glass, marble and porcelain on mesh sheets for accent strips, niches and shower floors. See mosaic tile for how small formats behave.
• Shower walls and floors. Hexagon marble floors, arabesque and large-format walls and niche detailing are explained on the shower tile page.
• Wood-look plank porcelain. Long planks that read as hardwood but shrug off water, covered under wood-look tile.
• Natural stone. Marble, travertine and other quarried tile with its own sealing routine, described on the natural stone tile page.
• Setting and replacement. Installation of tile purchased at the showroom, and replacement of worn or cracked tile work, is outlined on the tile installation page.

Porcelain, ceramic or natural stone: which tile suits the room?

The body of the tile matters more than the pattern on its face. Porcelain is fired denser than ordinary ceramic, so it absorbs very little water; the ANSI A137.1 tile standard classes porcelain as tile that absorbs 0.5% or less. Stone is cut from a quarry block and varies piece to piece.

For a deeper side-by-side, read porcelain vs. ceramic vs. natural stone tile.

Backsplash tile in Los Angeles kitchens

The backsplash is usually the last thing chosen and the first thing guests notice. Because the showroom displays cabinetry beside countertops and tile, you can see how a busy granite fights a patterned tile, or how a quiet quartz lets a hand-glazed subway carry the room. A common approach is to pick the counter first, then the tile, then the grout, since each choice narrows the next.

Grout color does a lot of work. A Google reviewer described a 4-plex where large white arabesque tile went on the shower walls and the kitchen backsplash with brown grout, which outlines each curve and hides everyday cooking stains far better than bright white. Our guide to grout color and sealing explains the trade-offs.

Floor tile and shower tile where slip resistance counts

Wall tile only has to look good and shed water. Floor tile has to do that while people walk on it wet. The ANSI A137.1 standard sets a minimum wet dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) of 0.42 for level interior floors expected to be walked on when wet, and many tile spec sheets list that number. Matte, textured and smaller-format tiles generally grip better than polished large slabs.

• Shower floors: small mosaics or hexagons give more grout lines for traction and follow the slope to the drain.
• Kitchens and laundry rooms: matte porcelain or wood-look plank tile handles spills and dropped pans.
• Entries and patios: textured porcelain rated for exterior use, since a polished face turns slick in winter rain.

Signs old tile needs replacing, not regrouting

• A hollow sound when tapped, meaning the tile has lost its bond.
• Cracks running across several tiles, often over a slab crack.
• Grout that keeps crumbling or darkening around a shower drain.
• Loose tiles at a tub edge or toilet flange.

How does buying tile at the showroom work?

1. 1

   Measure and photograph

   Note wall and floor dimensions, ceiling height, window and outlet positions, and take photos of the cabinets or vanity that will stay.

2. 2

   Narrow by location

   Start in the area for your room: backsplash, shower, floor or accent. Set aside three or four contenders.

3. 3

   Compare against your other surfaces

   Hold each tile next to cabinet doors, counter samples and flooring in the same light, and look at it from across the room as well as up close.

4. 4

   Choose grout and trim

   Pick grout color and type, plus edge trim, bullnose or metal profiles for outside corners and exposed edges.

5. 5

   Confirm quantities and order

   Add overage for cuts and spares, and ask about the expected arrival window if the tile has to be ordered in.

6. 6

   Pick up, deliver or install

   Take the tile to your own setter, or arrange installation of the tile you bought.

What changes the cost of a tile project?

The price of tile per square foot is only part of the total. These factors move a tile budget the most:

• Format and pattern: herringbone, chevron and diagonal layouts create more cuts and more waste than a straight lay.
• Tile size: large-format tile needs a flatter substrate and often two people to set; tiny mosaics take longer to grout.
• Substrate condition: removing old tile, patching drywall or leveling a slab adds labor before any tile goes down.
• Waterproofing: showers and tub surrounds need a membrane system, which is its own line on a quote.
• Trim and edges: metal profiles, bullnose pieces and mitered corners add material and time.
• Stone handling: natural stone needs sealing and careful cutting, and some pieces get culled for color.

Why choose this Los Angeles tile store?

• Tile beside everything else. Backsplash tile, counters, cabinets and flooring are shown together, so a kitchen or bath is chosen as one palette.
• Range of materials. Backsplash, mosaic, natural stone and porcelain tile, including the long-plank wood-look, hexagon marble and arabesque styles a Google reviewer used on a 4-plex.
• Sourcing help. Google reviewers say the team tracks down tile that isn’t in stock and matches other quotes within reason.
• Installation on request. Buy material only, or have the tile you picked installed; tile work replacement is one of the services reviewers mention.
• Residential and commercial. Homes, rentals and commercial spaces are all part of the work the showroom supplies.

Tile installation in Los Angeles: permits and who to verify

Swapping a backsplash or retiling a floor usually stays cosmetic. Rebuilding a shower pan, moving a drain or changing plumbing behind a wall is different: that work involves licensed plumbing, and in the City of Los Angeles, LADBS decides whether a permit is needed under LAMC §91.106. Check any tile contractor’s C-54 (ceramic and mosaic tile) license on the CSLB lookup at cslb.ca.gov, and a plumber’s C-36, before work starts. Adcom’s role is the tile, the setting materials and installation of what you buy; plumbing and structural changes belong to those trades.

Clients visit from all over the county. Older Pasadena homes often call for period-looking hex and subway tile, Glendale bathrooms tend toward colorful Spanish-style accents, and Santa Clarita families lean on porcelain plank floors that stand up to kids and pets. The Los Angeles service area covers the neighborhoods around the showroom itself.