Choosing Floor Tiles For A Great Floor
If you are looking for a great floor covering then why look not into installing a nice ceramic floor tile. Of course there are many different tiles to choose from, including Travertine which are actually cut from stones instead of fired like a ceramic. Either way, a tile in the entryway, kitchen, bathroom, or outside on the patio or walkway can really take your d?�cor to the next level.
When choosing a floor tile the first thing to determine is whether the tile is designed to placed on a floor. Thin tiles which are not designed to carry any weight are manufactured for walls. They do not have the thickness or strength characteristic to be used as flooring. Be sure the ones you pick out are floor tiles, or if it is for an outside project such as a patio or walkway you will want to use a paver. Pavers are extra thick tiles which can handle an irregular surface underneath.
Another consideration is that the tiles be the proper size for the area you plan to cover. Small tiles look good as backsplashes or on the walls of showers but they tend to look too “busy” on a floor. For a floor you will usually want a tile of at least 8″ by 8″ square with 10″ by 10″ and 12″ by 12″ quite popular. Remember, you will need to add grout between every set of tiles and the smaller the tile the more grout lines. Also, the job will go a lot faster if you use 12″ tiles instead of 6″ or 8″ because each one you lay covers more area.
If you are looking for cheap ceramic tiles then you can often times find great bargains but be sure to find out why they are on sale. If it is because the tiles are being closed out then be sure you buy an extra box or two. You always want to have extra for measurement and cutting errors, but you also need to think about the possibility of needing to replace a broken tile down the road. If the tiles are no longer available you will be forced to patch the floor with something that doesn’t match or you will need to retile the whole floor. What a pain.
One other tip that a lot of people forget about is to mix two different colors or styles. Often times a DIY person will get the whole floor laid with one tile color and then realize it is really boring. By adding a border, or intermixing different colors and textures you can be sure to have a tile floor that people will remember.