- Second-Generation · Est. 2020 · O'Fallon, MO
About Tile Gurus Tile Done the Right Way in St. Louis
Second-generation craftsmanship. Premium materials. Work you
won’t have to redo.
Tile Gurus LLC is a high-end tile installation company based in O’Fallon, Missouri, serving homeowners across St. Louis County and St.
Charles County. Founded by Landon Modglin, a second-generation tile setter with over 20 years of hands-on experience, the company
specializes in custom tile flooring, shower installations, large-format panels, and precision tile work. All projects use premium Laticrete
systems and carry a minimum five-year warranty.
Tile Done the
Right Way
Tile Gurus exists because Landon Modglin grew up watching the trade done right — and then spent years watching other people do it wrong.
He started setting tile at seven years old, working alongside his father, who has more than 40 years in the trade. By the time he was a teenager, he could float a wall, waterproof a shower, and lay a floor that would still look right a decade later. Not because anyone gave him a certificate. Because his dad wouldn’t let him leave the job site until it was done correctly.
He founded Tile Gurus in 2020 with a straightforward idea: use the best materials, do the work the right way, and stop pretending that cheap shortcuts are acceptable just because the customer can’t see them under the tile.
"Cheap shortcuts disappear under the tile - until they fail. We build it right the first time."
Landon Modglin
How Tile Gurus Started
Landon didn’t choose tile. Tile chose him. His dad has been in the trade for over 40 years, and Landon was on job sites before he was old enough to drive. By seven, he was helping. By his teens, he was installing. By his early twenties, he was running his own jobs and seeing the same problems over and over.
Bad waterproofing. Cheap materials. Installers who snapped a chalk line in a corner and started laying tile without ever measuring the room. Showers with one layer of membrane that would fail in a few years. Floors with visible tile imprints because nobody bothered to skim the backs. It wasn’t that these installers were bad people — most of them just didn’t know any better. They learned one way and never questioned whether there was a better one.
Landon knew there was. He’d been doing it his entire life.
He formed Tile Gurus LLC in 2020 at 22 years old. The business was built on a simple principle: every job gets the same standard of work, regardless of size. The same waterproofing system. The same thinset. The same attention to layout and symmetry. The same warranty.
He’s since added specialized training in Dekton panel installation, joined the union, and built a reputation strong enough that The Tile Shop — one of the largest tile retailers in the region — added him to their installer referral list based purely on the quality of his work.
"You get what you pay for. Cheap tile work gets replaced. Quality tile work gets admired for decades."
Landon Modglin
What We Believe
Premium materials are not optional
We use Laticrete systems on every job. Our thinset costs four times what the cheap stuff costs. Our waterproofing is double-layered and water-tested. Our grout is waterproof. The materials that go under your tile determine how long your tile lasts. We don't compromise on this for any reason.
Every tile gets the same attention
We skim the back of every single tile before it's set. We plan the layout of every room before we start. We check for symmetry, measure for cuts, and make sure you don't end up with thin slivers in your doorways. This isn't extra — this is how the work should be done.
Waterproofing is not a shortcut
Our showers get a double-liner system: old-school rubber underneath a modern topical membrane. We water-test before tiling. Most installers use one layer and hope it holds. We build two layers and guarantee it will. Lifetime warranty on every shower pan.
If you're not happy, neither are we
We don't argue about whether something looks right. If a tile bothers you, a grout line is off, or a layout isn't what you envisioned, we tear it out and fix it. No charge, no pushback.
“If you don’t like it, I tear it out and make it right. No questions asked."
Landon Modglin
Honest pricing, not cheap pricing
We will always be upfront about what a job costs and why. We'll show you tiered options from good to best, explain the difference in materials, warranty, and longevity, and let you decide. We are not the cheapest bid. We are the bid that lasts.
"Our clients don’t choose us because we’re the lowest bid. They choose us for exceptional tile "work, meticulous detail, and lasting quality.
Landon Modglin
The trade deserves respect
Tile work is physically demanding, technically precise, and undervalued. We take it seriously. Our team is unionized with full benefits. Our tools are high-end. Our training is ongoing. This is not a side hustle — it's our craft, and we treat it that way.
What Makes Tile Gurus
Different
01
Double-liner waterproofing on every shower
Rubber liner underneath a topical membrane. Water-tested before any tile goes on. Lifetime warranty on shower pans. Nobody else in the area does this as standard practice.
02
Hand-skimmed tiles
Every tile gets skimmed on the back to remove kiln dust and powder. This improves the adhesive bond dramatically and prevents separation over time. Most installers skip this step entirely.
03
Full layout planning before installation
We measure the room, dry-lay the pattern, and calculate cuts for symmetry. No chalk-line-and-go. You see the plan before a single tile is set.
04
Premium Laticrete products only
We don’t use the $15 bags from the hardware store. Our adhesives, grout, and waterproofing are professional-grade systems that carry 25-year to lifetime manufacturer warranties.
05
Large format capability up to 12 feet
Most installers max out at 4-foot tiles. We handle panels up to 12 feet, including Dekton an engineered surface that’s harder than porcelain, UV resistant, and scratch-proof.
06
Mud floating for historic homes
St. Louis has thousands of pre-1900s homes with original concrete and plaster walls. We rebuild those walls using the same traditional technique they were built with a dying art that only a handful of installers in the region still know.
07
Owner on every job
Landon is not a manager who sends crews. He is the lead installer on your project. You work directly with the person doing the work.
08
5-year to lifetime warranties
Our minimum warranty is five years. With our recommended Laticrete system, you get up to lifetime coverage. The industry standard is one year.
09
FlowFX drains with customizable grates
Professional-grade linear drains instead of the $15 builder-grade alternatives most installers use.
10
Satisfaction guarantee
If you’re not happy, we tear it out and redo it at no cost. No argument, no ego.
Meet the Owner
Landon Modglin —
Owner & Lead Installer
Landon Modglin is the owner, founder, and lead installer at Tile Gurus. He’s been setting tile since he was seven years old, learning from his father, who has over 40 years in the trade. He’s a second-generation tile setter who grew up on job sites before he ever had a business card.
He founded Tile Gurus in 2020 at 22. Now 27, he combines traditional techniques — hand-floated walls, double-liner waterproofing, hand-skimmed tiles — with modern training in large-format panels and advanced material systems. He recently completed specialized Dekton panel installation training and joined the union.
Landon is the person who shows up to your home, assesses your project, explains your options, and does the installation. There is no sales team, no middleman, and no gap between who you talk to and who does the work.
"I may be younger than some expect, but I grew up in this trade. I’ve been doing tile since I was seven, learning a craft my family has practiced for over 40 years."
Landon Modglin
Outside of Work
Landon grew up in the St. Louis area and still lives in O'Fallon, Missouri. He recently got engaged to his partner after a mountain hike in Breckenridge, Colorado, and they're planning a small ceremony in Puerto Rico. When he's not on a job site, he's at home with his four cats and one dog.
Why You Can
Trust Tile Gurus
20+ Years of Hands-On Experience
Landon has been working with tile since the age of seven. His training wasn't a weekend certification course — it was two decades of daily work under a 40-year veteran of the trade. He learned mud floating, waterproofing, substrate prep, and precision installation the way they used to be taught: by doing the work until it was right.
Insured and bonded
Tile Gurus carries full general liability insurance and is bonded. You are protected from start to finish.
Unionized
Landon recently joined the union. His team receives full benefits. This matters because it signals a standard of training, fair labor practices, and a commitment to doing the trade the right way — not just the profitable way.
Referred by The Tile Shop
The Tile Shop — one of the largest specialty tile retailers in the region — added Tile Gurus to their installer referral list based solely on the quality of Landon's work. A salesperson saw photos of a custom shower installation he completed using their materials and added him to the list without Landon even applying. That referral relationship has since generated consistent leads every month.
Warranty coverage that speaks for itself
Five-year minimum on every job. Up to lifetime with our recommended Laticrete product system. Lifetime guarantee on every shower pan. Most tile installers in the St. Louis area warranty their work for one year. That gap tells you everything you need to know about the difference in materials and installation quality.
"I won’t install materials I don’t trust. That’s why our work carries a minimum five-year warranty, with some systems backed for 25 years to lifetime."
Landon Modglin
Proudly Serving the
Greater St. Louis Area
Tile Gurus is based in O’Fallon, Missouri, and serves homeowners across St.
Louis County and St. Charles County. We travel up to approximately 70 miles
for quality projects.
St. Louis County
St. Louis, Clayton, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Chesterfield, Ballwin, Creve Coeur, Ladue, Town and Country, Wildwood
St. Charles County
St. Charles, O'Fallon, St. Peters, Wentzville, Lake St. Louis
What We Won't
Compromise On
Some things are not negotiable for us, regardless of budget or timeline:
01
We won’t install cheap materials
If a client insists on the lowest-cost products available, we’ll usually decline the job. We have to put our name on every installation, and we won’t attach it to work we know won’t last. We’d rather lose the project than build something that fails in three years.
02
We won’t skip waterproofing steps
Every shower gets our full double-liner system. Every pan gets water-tested. There is no ‘budget waterproofing’ option. Water damage is not a problem you can fix cheaply after the fact.
03
We won’t rush a layout
Planning the tile layout is where the finished product is designed. Skipping it saves an hour and costs you the entire look of the room. We plan every layout before we start.
04
We won’t hide behind a crew
Landon is the lead installer on your project. The person you talk to is the person doing the work. If something goes wrong, you know exactly who to call.
Work We’re
Proud Of
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has Tile Gurus been in business?
Tile Gurus LLC was founded in 2020 by Landon Modglin. While the company is six years old, Landon’s experience goes back more than 20 years. He started working alongside his father, a 40-year tile veteran, at the age of seven. The business is built on decades of hands-on trade knowledge passed down through the family.
What makes Tile Gurus different from other tile companies?
We use premium Laticrete systems exclusively, double-liner waterproofing on every shower, hand-skimmed tiles for better adhesion, and full layout planning before installation. Our minimum warranty is five years — most competitors offer one. We also handle large-format panels up to 12 feet and traditional mud floating for historic homes.
Is Tile Gurus licensed and insured?
Tile Gurus is fully insured and bonded. Missouri does not require a specific license for tile installation. Landon is unionized and his team receives full benefits. His experience comes from 20-plus years of hands-on training under a 40-year veteran of the trade — not a weekend certification program.
What materials does Tile Gurus use?
We use Laticrete installation systems on every project. This includes premium thinset, waterproof grout, double-liner waterproofing membranes, and crack-proof underlayment. These products cost significantly more than what most installers use, but they deliver dramatically better warranty coverage and long-term performance.
Does Tile Gurus offer free estimates?
Yes. We visit your home, assess the space and substrate, and provide a clear estimate with tiered options from good to best. You’ll see exactly what each product system costs, what warranty coverage it includes, and what the timeline looks like. No pressure, no hidden fees.
Who is the best tile installation company near me?
The best tile installer is one who can explain their waterproofing system, show you the materials they use, tell you their warranty terms, and walk you through their layout planning process. Ask for detail photos of past work — not just finished rooms, but close-ups that show precision. If they can’t answer these questions clearly, look elsewhere.
Does Tile Gurus serve areas outside St. Louis?
We serve homeowners across St. Louis County and St. Charles County, including St. Louis, Chesterfield, Clayton, Kirkwood, Ladue, O’Fallon, St. Charles, and surrounding communities. We’ll travel up to approximately 70 miles from our O’Fallon base for quality projects. If you’re not sure whether we cover your area, just call or text.
Want Tile Work Done
The Right Way?
Call (636) 297-5165 or request your free estimate. No pressure, no scripts —
just a real conversation about what your home needs and how to do it right.