Meet Chris Sullivan | Independent Tile Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Sullivan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
A large percentage of “professional” tile installers only know what they’ve seen others do. There has been a serious lack of education in the tile industry. There are specs and rules to go by , but most guys (and girls) out there don’t know what they are, or even that these rules exist. Let alone where to find them. We are fortunate to live in a day and age where information is easily accessible, although it is not all reliable. I learned a lot at a National Tile Contractors Association event (where I immediately joined the association) about proper installation and the liability of doing it wrong. A couple months later I learned even more at manufacturers 2 day training event. After finishing this training I changed everything that I was doing. I try to do everything by the book and feel like this has elevated me to the top of my trade. I felt like I already had the skills to do creative and beautiful work, but now the real beauty is below the surface where no one will ever see it. Like so many things in life, its all about how you set yourself up. The prep and planning can make all the difference. When a custom tiled shower is properly prepped, planned and executed there should be nothing to look at basically, nothing odd or out of place. Nothing that looks like an afterthought or any near misses, and certainly no cracked corners or discolored grout for the life of the shower. When done properly no water will ever get into the assembly and that means no yucky moldy corners. Ever

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Tile work is functional art. Not necessarily something you purchase and hang on the wall (although a lot of my work Is on the wall) but there is a noticeable difference between artistic tile work and utilitarian tile work. Having an eye for balance and focal points is something I feel like I’ve been blessed with. Being able to think ahead and see where lines need to line up or what has to be finished in which order so that you know where the next section has to finish to, or how far to carry a certain tile to line up with something coming from another direction can be a crucial decision. I’ve been in the flooring trade since I was a teenager, so I have had plenty of chances to hone my “layout” skills. I often say ” I don’t want to get finished and wish I had started differently” there have been plenty of failures over the years to teach me that lesson. Tile used to be installed in places because it had to be due to water exposure or high traffic patterns. Today tile is being used as a luxury designer item and it takes great care to properly handle and cut it and even treat the cut edges or apply decorative trim to hide or accentuate the cut edge. Knowing how to properly deal with different situations like these sets an artistic tile installer apart from the pack. There is always a way, you just have to figure out what it is. There is a booming hand crafted mosaic tile industry that I would love to break into. That may be my next level. For now I will continue to be considerate of every aspect of my installations, from artistic balance to functionality so my clients will love their new tile project forever.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are a lot of great places to go hiking or caving along the front range so we will definitely have to make it up to the 6th Ave caves for some spelunking. I’ve always wanted to check out Castlewood Canyon State Park so we will go and check that out. On the way home from there I know a great pizza joint, Walter 303 is an amazing place to eat and hang out. Another great day trip would be to go to Beuna Vista and catch a white water rafting tour. Mt Princeton hot springs resort is right around the corner and would be a great way to relax after some hard hitting white water. While in that part of the state we would have to go and see Guffy Colorado, it’s a one of a kind little town. On the way back we could stop at “Paradise Cove” for some cliff diving. I really love all the outdoor things to do around here, but if my best friend came to visit we would probably spend a lot of time in my basement making music

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We all use social media, and unfortunately it seems like it’s normally used for negativity. I found a rare exception. Global Tile Posse, a Facebook private group for the tile industry that is aimed at educating people and elevating our industry. One of the main admins Jason McDaniel is an inspiration and a mentor. He’s not only is an excellent example of quality craftsmanship and professionalism, but makes a point of not letting people bash others work, and encourages people to help each other and support them in their efforts. I’ve probably learned more about the tile installation industry from GTP than anywhere else. There are several other groups similar, but a lot of “trolling” and bashing happens online as I think we all know. We actually have a very strong local group known as Colorado Tile Crew that very closely resembles the Global Tile Posse with a lot of member interaction and local meetups. I could list a number of large manufacturers who have really stepped up the training game in our industry and some awesome manufacturers reps who will make time to make sure installers aren’t out there doing stupid stuff. Schluter, Ardex, Laticrete to name a few. There are organizations such as National Tile Contractors Association ,Tile Council of North America, Ceramic Tile Education Foundation dedicated to the continued education in the industry. There are some real innovators out there who have recently developed products and systems to make it easier to do top notch work Rodkat makes custom order foam shower pans. Chase Twitchell makes easy to order and use bonding flange drains called Flo fx. There must be a dozen more making new tools and systems for recessing a shower floor ( Rapid Recess). I wish I could name them all

Website: customtileworkbycls.com

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