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Mark Christensen

@tarkustile

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Owner/Craftsman, Tarkus Tile. Since 1999.
We love what we do and we do it well.
Salt Lake City, Park City, Utah County
Award winning craftsmanship

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This one’s all done. Such a fun, challenging and gratifying project for some wonderful people. I’m grateful to have been trusted with it. ✌🏻

@susantaggartdesign
@bluebirdrenovations by @tarkustile

I’m not really into making edits and stuff but I am into tile and curves and this is definitely one of the funnest things I’ve ever made. I need more jobs like this one. Send em all my way ✌🏻

#prephardtileeasy #tiles #lovewhatyoudo by @tarkustile

Well, Vegas was fun. I don’t particularly like the Vegas scene but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we had a ton of fun. I was so glad to have my wife and 4 of my 5 kids there to support me and hang out with. Along with my dad and his wife who drove clear from Wisconsin, and many friends. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and to those who have always showed up for me through thick and thin. And thanks to my good pal Angie who made the plaque. It’s so awesome and I was stoked to get a handmade piece of her work. It was rad to meet Will Richardet also and see what a cool guy he is. And wouldn’t you know it, we ended up talking about mud jigs. A man of my heart for sure.
I’m humbled by this experience and if anything I hope it inspires others to never give up on yourself. Don’t ever think you aren’t good enough or strong enough or brave enough for anything that comes your way. Put yourself out there and do your best always. Don’t worry about what anyone else has to say about it. Just be you. Thanks. ✌🏻 by @tarkustile

Hope you all had a great Halloween. My kids were all doing their own thing and my wife volunteered to go chaperone somewhere so I left a bowl of candy on the porch and spent 7 straight hours yesterday cranking out a big proposal that I’ve been putting off for a few weeks. It was actually a pretty enjoyable evening for me. And it always feels good to get those things out of the way. It’s a cold and gloomy November here today. Got me in a mood for some gloomy autumn tunes.
Anyway, since I’ve been on the topic of lighting nooks and miters this week. Here’s another mitered nook I did a few years back. This one was tedious and fun. Handmade zellige tile, on a herringbone, on a ceiling and mitered into a 2.5” wide nook. Don’t threaten me with a good time. We installed 3cm slabs in the top of this one to make it a tad easier and cleaner. These have been pretty popular lately and I always underestimate how much time they’re going to take.
But, whatever.
Then I got this wild idea what we should miter all the returns while we were at it. Speaking of pet projects. I don’t know how I always get myself into these scenarios but I seem to be drawn to them. Again and again. Law of attraction I guess. Life gives you what you put your energy into. Lotta work but I think the result was worth it. This is where the dewalt saw really shines for miters imo. When you get into the small and tedious handmade miters, cutting wet on a rolling saw tray is really just the cleanest and easiest way.
Hope everyone has a good Sunday and gets a needed recharge to get back after it next week. ✌🏻

#zellige #miters #november by @tarkustile

Happy Halloween everyone. I post this pic every year. This is my Ollie back in 2013. The first (and only) year that I was put completely in charge of the kids costumes because mom was recovering from surgery. I was pretty proud of my handiwork and he thought it was awesome.
Thankfully my days of trick or treating are behind me, at least until I get some grandkids. After 24 Halloweens as a dad, I’ve done my time. My kids are all older and doing their own thing with friends now so I’m just chillin. Hope you all have a good one ✌🏻

#dadlife by @tarkustile

Today was interesting. I think maybe I needed a little humble pie and a few other lessons. And I feel like I got exactly what I needed out of it. I tend to get so caught up in everything that I forget to slow down and appreciate how good I have it. Today helped me to do that and I’m really grateful. Thanks for watching. ✌🏻 by @tarkustile

Here’s some ceiling discussion and tips. I actually love doing lids. I enjoy the challenge. I like that I don’t have to mess with shims and spacers. And I just like putting some extra love and care into an area that often gets overlooked or not even noticed at all.
Tomorrow I’ll get back to my lighting nook.

Thanks for watching ✌🏻

#prephardtileeasy by @tarkustile

Worked on a pet project today. Money is important sometimes. But it’s not the only thing that’s important. At least not for me. Expanding my experience is what really keeps me motivated day in and day out. In tile and in life. Some food for thought today as I geek out a little. Thanks for watching. ✌🏻 by @tarkustile

I was trying to calculate exactly where I’d be on the commute when it turned. And I was freakishly accurate.

If you’re gonna be a dad you gotta be willing to do cool dad things. It’s just the way it is. ✌🏻

#dadlife by @tarkustile

I use silicone sometimes. When I absolutely have to. Like this time when I installed 3/4” thick basalt directly onto a stainless steel hot tub shell with epoxy mortar on the shore of Flathead Lake in Montana. There is 100% chance that this thing will expand and contract and flex and move so I did everything by the book.
And working over a heavily textured and thirsty natural stone outside on a 95 degree day, you bet your ass I used tape. You’d be an absolute fool not to. Believe me, I tried. Not smart. I dreaded this day the entire job. But in vain. It ended up going pretty smoothly and turned out to be super fun. Thanks for watching ✌🏻 by @tarkustile

A few weeks ago I posted my blue tile collection. I was feeling blue that day and it seemed fitting. Well here’s the green tile counterpart. I’m not sure what green feels like. Springtime would maybe be more fitting for this one. But as I look out the back door this morning all the greens are turning to yellow and brown. I love this time of year. The days are getting shorter and the temps are getting colder and it always sets the tone for the coming struggle of winter. Primal instincts drive me to try to prepare for the long season. I appreciate the perspective that fall and winter bring. It makes spring and summer that much sweeter.
But green tile. I love it. Some of these installs are pretty old. I think green was popular long before blue was in the tile design world. Anytime I get to work with bright and bold colors I enjoy it. We do so much white and gray and beige so a splash of color really breaks up the monotony and keeps it fun.
The last pic was a green and white checkered marble sunroom floor that I did in 2001, shortly after my wife and I got married. The clients were an artsy and eclectic family who lived on Maple Lane in Provo. I was into making art out of old tile scraps back then with my free time (which I had way more of before I had kids and other adult responsibilities). I offered to make a centerpiece for the sunroom and they obliged and asked for a maple leaf. They even paid to get my name and date engraved on a tile over in the corner. I think I spent more on epoxy mortar for that floor than I actually charged for the whole thing. But at the time I didn’t care. It was all about the craft and the experience. But yeah, give me more green tile jobs. Send em my way. I love it. Have a relaxing Sunday everyone ✌🏻

#greentiles #green by @tarkustile