Specialist Installers — Miami-Dade
Porcelain and stone slabs up to 5×10 feet. Zero lippage. Seamless floor-to-wall continuity. The installation technique that defines Miami luxury interiors — executed by the team that built the process.
The jump from standard tile to large-format slabs is not incremental — it is a different discipline. A 60×120 inch porcelain slab weighs over 150 lbs, flexes during transport, and will crack if the substrate has even minor voids beneath it. Full mortar bed coverage must exceed 95% or the slab will fail under point loads. Most tile contractors in Miami have never installed a panel at this scale. AP STONE INC. built our workflow specifically around large-format execution, investing in the suction cup lifting frames, laser leveling systems, and large-panel notched trowels that this work demands.
Every large-format slab installation in Miami begins with a substrate assessment. In Miami-Dade, we are dealing primarily with concrete slab construction — post-tension in most newer builds, conventional pour in older homes. We measure flatness with a 10-foot straightedge before any material arrives on site. If the floor is not within 1/8 inch over 10 feet, we skim coat or grind before proceeding. This step alone eliminates the most common failure point: lippage that appears months after installation as differential substrate movement telegraphs through the tile joints.
Once the substrate is confirmed flat, we lay out the slab run dry — no adhesive — to verify the pattern, veining direction, and cut lines. For book-matched or continuous-vein layouts, this visual dry run is essential. Only after the layout is approved do we begin setting, using large-format thinset applied at a minimum 3/8 inch notch with back-buttering on every slab. A clip-and-wedge leveling system is inserted at every joint and checked with a digital level throughout the set. Lippage tolerance is held to 1/32 inch on smooth-finish slabs.
The materials and techniques we employ work across the most demanding applications in Miami luxury residential and commercial construction. Open-plan living areas in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove estates benefit from uninterrupted slab runs that visually expand the space. Master bathrooms in Brickell and Edgewater high-rises frequently incorporate floor-to-ceiling slab walls — the same material transitioning from the shower floor up the surround wall without a threshold or change of plane. Outdoor pool decks and covered terraces in waterfront properties demand large-format porcelain for its near-zero porosity and resistance to salt air. We handle all of these environments with the same precision-first approach.
Why AP STONE INC.
Vacuum lifting frames, large-format leveling systems, and oversized trowels — tools bought for this specific work, not improvised.
10-foot straightedge measurement and skim coat correction before any material is set. The step that eliminates lippage before it starts.
Every slab run is laid out without adhesive first so you approve the veining direction, continuity, and cut placement before we commit.
Post-tension slab protocols, moisture vapor testing, and flexible adhesive selection for South Florida's concrete construction norms.
Bilingual team available throughout the project — from estimate through final inspection.
"We had the entire ground floor done in large-format Calacatta porcelain. The result is stunning — perfectly flat, razor-thin grout lines, and zero lippage. Three other contractors quoted us and none of them even mentioned leveling the slab first. AP Stone did it without being asked."
Carolina M.
Coral Gables — Full Floor Installation
"The floor-to-wall continuity in our master bath came out exactly as I had seen in the design magazines. Same slab material from the floor up the shower wall — no threshold, no visual break. I didn't think it was possible in a Miami condo. AP Stone made it happen."
Roberto A.
Brickell — Master Bath Slab Feature
"Our architect specified 48x96 slabs for the lobby. Two other contractors turned it down. AP Stone walked the space, came back with a detailed plan, and executed it perfectly. The lobby looks like a five-star hotel entrance."
Elena V.
Aventura — Commercial Lobby
Request a free consultation and substrate assessment from Miami's large-format slab specialists.