American Tile Company

Tony certainly has a strong personality. Perhaps a little manic strong? He can be charming and agreeable when selling, but maybe a bit scary later.
There were objective problems as well, which did not pair well with the subjective.
He blew off our pattern, saying «I make up my own patterns.» His flippancy was either mastery or bluster, but after an hour (on the clock!) it was clear he’d never seen this pattern before.
When it turned out the smallest piece of the pattern had to be cut to accommodate the ½ spacing, he panicked. «WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CUT,» and stormed out of the house without explanation. I kid you not, a stone guy afraid of a saw.
He was clearly unfamiliar with distressed stone. He opined that «the way to do it» was to cut the pieces ever so slowly with a hand saw «or they’d break;» even did a sample piece… which turned out like a paver ruined with artificial slots. We showed him how to gently hit the edges with a hammer, and round the corners. Tony was in disbelief, so we did most of the edge work for him, which was a bit of fun. Broke only one, against all Tony’s know-​it-​all sneers.
As well, in this this rustic style, tiles are not laid flat but vary in height. Tony did not seem to understand this, even with several example floors of it right in front of him. He started putting in tiles in a cratered area, all lower. We pointed out NOT A HOLE but VARYING height. He’d put one more in too low (next to the other too low) and when we’d all howl he’d say «Hey, varying height.» Even stomped his foot on a low one a few yards away to prove his point. Yes, Tony; a few are low, but there are high ones as well! They can’t ALL BE LOW.
But the worst of it is that he walked off the job. He showed up on Saturday… after making mere cameos for days. His assistant immediately started loading up their stuff, where Tony marched in and stomped on a few more low ones, holding forth that, «See, there are other low ones, not just mine.» What was his game? I pointed out that there were high ones as well, and I was sick of talking about it. «Nobody speaks to me like that!» Whereupon Tony marched out the door in high dungeon. About then, his assistant had the truck all loaded up, right on dramatic cue.
Can you figure this? We couldn’t. Had he made another, more important client mad by trying to fit us in, and was forced to bail? Can he not handle simple correctives to his work? Why create a false «conflict» and storm off, instead of explaining his dilemma or honestly quitting if he were in over his head?
Bottom line, we were left in the lurch by Tony, and our new contractor had to tear up nearly all his work. (Actually, it was his assistant’s work, but that’s more than I want to write here.)
I think for a simple, vanilla tile job, where he can help with artistic selection, he would likely be fine. Anything out of his narrow experience, though, and he’ll FREAK. Or if you catch him on a bad day /​week.
In summary, then: Patterns schmaterns. EEEK, a saw is needed? What, me chip! High/​low BAH. False drama /​conflict. Walk off the job. Send a ridiculous bill as if successfully completed. That’s the Tony we got.
As scary as he can be, we thought about not posting this; but someone needs to review his Jekyll side (or is it Hyde?)
You have to give Tony high marks for chutzpah. He may be worth it, for the show. But if you want a serious tile guy and not a soap opera, perhaps not.
ADDENDUM:
As if to prove my point, Tony’s response.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
From: Tony Castillo
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2016 8:04 PM
I’m really upset that you would smear my reputation with not only words you’ve said about me but also adding pictures you had your handyman or other tile setter do.
[Nope: time stamp proves that picture was taken of Tony’s work before he quit.]
I’m going to really keep this short. You know I don’t like to get into problems with anyone but you’ve pushed the envelope too far. I know more than what you think I know. I will be more than happy to do that on a social forum if you’d like.
Please let me know ASAP as I will be to not only reply to your comment but go to other social networks and expose you. Like I said, I’m very friendly and easy to fm get along with but you have taken this matter way too far

If you are looking to have tile set anywhere in your home have Tony look at it He is a professional who will do the job right!
We had Tony and his crew in our house for five days doing a bathroom custom job and it turned out fabulous.
American tile company would be my first choice to come back and do another job.
As a homeowner I was encouraged to help with the design and we took our time creating a masterpiece!
Thank you, Tony.
Thank you also to Miguel and Alberto for their craftsmanship. You guys are the best. J. M. L.

If it was possible I would give Tony at American Tile 10-​stars! Tony’s level of skill, professionalism and customer service are excellent. He clearly has passion for his craft as evidence by his attention to detail and quality of his work. He consistently communicated with me during all aspects of the project –design, purchasing and installation. Tony went above and beyond to ensure timely completion of the job and was delightful to work with. Quite simply, I would recommend him to anyone without question. Kristi Petralia, Monterey

So glad we called Tony with American Tile Co! He and his staff do amazing work. They got the job done quickly and had great attention to detail. My husband is very picky and this is the happiest he’s been with any home improvement project we’ve done so far. Tony was able to complete the tile in our master bath, finish our job in the guest bathroom, and tile our entryway in three and a half days. Plus, they left the place cleaner than before they started. I felt very comfortable having Tony and Miguel in my home. Highly recommend!

Hiring a contractor is a leap of faith. When we met with Tony he impressed us as knowledgeable, competent, professional and willing to give us his honest experienced opinion. He quickly grasps your vision & then is able to gently & expertly help you realize it. His suggestions are spot on & he is happy to incorporate your ideas. His amazing work staff (Miguel is awesome) are highly aware they are working in your home & do their best to make it as comfortable as possible. They are always on time & do a great job of keeping the work area separate from the rest of the home using special dividing «curtains» of plastic with zippers. Tony is always communicating with you throughout the process — asking your thoughts & proving his expertise. He is insured & bonded. We would not hesitate to ask him back to work with us & in fact are doing so later this year. Our new master bath is just gorgeous & we know once Tony does our kitchen it will be exactly what we want, too. We are so happy we chose Tony and know he will do a fantastic job for you too.

He calls himself, «America Tile Company «…but I call him, Tony the Tile Man!
Tony’s goal is to please you with his quality work from start to finish. He came to my home before the project even started to give my husband and myself ideas. He did not hold back is professional expertise. He knows what he is talking about. He has years of experience and has been trained well. You can tell that Tony has pride of workmanship and he passes that level of quality work on to his worker, Miguel. He works clean and is aware of the importance to keep your home respected and tidy while it is under remodel. He answers your questions, your e-​mails and text’s literally within minutes. Tony was on time every day of my project. He uses quality materials. Trust is a huge factor when you have workers in your home. Tony earned that from day one. My husband and I struggled with our vision for our bathroom remodel. Tony saw the vision and took it to completion. Am I happy… You bet! Would I hire Tony again… Hands Down! Should you hire Tony? Without a doubt! When I would say, «Tony, I have a question for you about the job, he’d say, «and I have the answer»! I have done many projects at my home and working with Tony was one of the easiest and smoothest part of the remodel. Good, honest, quality craftsman are hard to find. Call Tony for your next Tile Project. You will not regret it.
Barb Briley

All I can say is BEAUTIFUL WORK!!! The owner is extremely knowledgeable and professional. He helped me every step of the way with choosing the perfect tile for my home. I was also happy with how clean they were while working in my home. There wasn’t dust all over everything. I would absolutely recommend this company if you want beautiful tile work!