Nick the Tile Man

It all started with my grandfather who arrived in America in the 1900’s. He lived in Brooklyn New York where he worked as a tile setter. Things were rough in those days and my father was the oldest son of nine children. At age 16 my father had to quit school to work with my grandfather to help support his large family. As time passed on, my father and grandfather worked as tile setters and started installing tiles for the train subway stations being built throughout Brooklyn and New York City. As my father grew older, he was approached by a man who had an idea of selling hot dogs and fries by the beach in Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. He wanted his restaurant to be outstanding from any other hot dog place so he hired my father to install tiles on his walls, floor and ceiling of what is known today as the Original ( first store) Nathan’s of Coney Island. That tile job lasted over 80 years until super storm “Sandy” destroyed the entire area. Not too bad for a tile installation job that lasted all that time! My Father Nick Senior, the original Tile Setter from Brooklyn New York. When my father started repairing tile and installing tile at age 16, there were no showers yet! As time passed, shower bodies were installed, giving the home owner the option of taking a bath or shower. The problem with a shower is water splashing all over; and the steam vapor from a hot shower forming water on the walls and ceiling. This situation caused mold and mildew to form on the ceiling and walls around the tub area. So dad had an idea. He would lower the ceiling above the tub area and install tiles on all the walls going up and around the tub and on the ceiling in the tub area. This would make it easier for the home owner to clean the bath tub area after each shower and prevented mold and mildew from forming on the plaster painted walls. Dad was a great man in the tile repair and installation business but he never wanted to work behind a desk. He was an hands-on person who loved to take his artistic abilities and convert a bathroom into a showcase beauty. So now I come along, a third generation tile repair man. I learned from the best and I have my father’s tile repair and installation artistic abilities. In order to have knowledge, you have to learn knowledge from a source. That is the difference between a handyman and a tile repair specialist. I’m Nick the Tile Man, originally from Brooklyn New York and now living in Queens New York.