Update Your Home With Tile

As the weather cools, we usually turn our attention from our outdoor rooms to the indoor ones.  One popular way to update a bathroom or kitchen is with tile.

While ceramic tile is an appropriate choice for any floor in your home, it is especially suited for high traffic areas such as entryways, bathrooms, kitchens and hallways.

There are four things to consider when choosing a ceramic tile— size, shape, color, and finish.

Size
Ceramic tiles range in size from mosaics to large squares. Typically the larger tiles look great on larger floor areas while mosaics are commonly used in bathrooms. The smaller tiles require more grout lines, which helps make wet areas less slippery.

Shape
Shapes include square, rectangular, diamond, hexagon, octagon, triangular, or round. Some people have shapes custom made and mix and match. Almost any combination of shapes is appropriate for floors.

Color
Floor tiles are made in every color imaginable, from white to black and every shade in between. There are also natural tones available in slate, granite, marble, and other natural stone tiles.

Finish
Ceramic tile is simply shaped and heated clay that comes with a glazed or unglazed finish. Glazed tile is more water resistant and is easier to clean than unglazed tile, but it also tends to be more slippery when wet so it should be avoided in main entranceways.

If you’re installing a ceramic floor yourself, there are some things to beware of before you get started:

→ Proper backing
Never use particleboard, flake board, or masonite and always be sure that the surface is dry and clean.

→ Spreading the adhesive
Read up on the manufacturer's instructions for drying time so you don't spread any more than you can work with before it hardens. A rule of thumb is only spread enough mortar for 30-40 minutes work.

→ Setting the tile
Gently twist the tile into place, never slide it in, and always use spacers to maintain consistent lines.

→ Laying the tiles
Always lay the tiles row by row, cutting the tiles as needed when you get to the end of a row.

→ Cutting tile
Measure accurately with a tape measure and allow for the 1/8" grout line.

→ Grouting
Use a rubber-faced float or squeegee to lay in the grout although a large sponge and your finger works just as well. Sometimes an old toothbrush can come in handy to help work the grout into the joints. Be sure to avoid bubbles or gaps and scrape off the excess grout immediately.

Hats off to you if you undertake this project on your own. It can be a tricky job so be sure to make accurate measurements initially. Drawing a plan on graph paper, before you get started, can be an enormous help.

When you’ve chosen a tile and are ready to buy, always order 10 percent more material than you think you’ll need, to allow for mistakes and damaged goods. There is nothing worse than having to go back to the store, in the middle of the job, only to find that the color glazing varies from shipment to shipment and you can’t get an exact color match.