Set Your Own Bathroom Floor Tile Now For Fun and Profit!
Ceramic has proven to be one of the best bathroom floor coverings around. Bathroom floor tile must first of all be water resistant and safe to step on and walk across when your feet are wet. Ceramic floor tile can be corrugated to allow good traction. Using small tiles with raised grouting around these or grouting that is barely below the tile face increases traction and makes the entire floor safe.
The most water resistant ceramic bathroom floor tile will be one that has been double-fired by the manufacturer. Tile is fired in a kiln to harden it. Single-fired ceramic tile is much softer than double-fired tile. It is also more vitreous, that is, absorbent, than double-fired tile. Since you intend to protect the floor beneath your tile, double-fired tile should be your choice. These tiles have a glazed appearance which is quite attractive.
Ceramic floor tile comes in a myriad of colors and designs. Single color schemes allow you more choices when selecting shower curtains, drapes, rugs and towels. Light colors, such as pastels, beige, greens, and blues, are more versatile, easily combining with a variety of bathroom accessories. Setting one-color bathroom floor tile also goes quickly as there are no pattern matching requirements. This matters if you’re paying someone to set it for you. Don’t let the cost of installation be your over-riding concern though. If an intricate pattern adds more value to your home, you’ll be compensated when you sell your home for the additional expense and could even realize a good profit from it.
Hiring a handyman to install your bathroom floor tile might be the most inexpensive way to get another to do it, but you could also install the tile yourself. Many hardware stores give classes on installing tile, but you could also learn how to do it on the net. As well as finding detailed documents on setting tile, you can also find many internet videos that will take you all the way from design to grouting. You can also find many books on setting tile at your local bookstore, or inexpensive ones at used bookstores. The techniques for setting tile has been the same for decades now.
Undoubtedly, the most difficult task in setting tile is cutting the tile to fit around pipes, curves like those of the toilet and bathtub, and corners. If your floor is not perfectly dimensioned, so that just laying the tiles next to each other covers the entire area, you’ll also have to cut tile to fill those areas a tile is too large to fit into. Careful measuring and marking is the trick here. After a few tries, you’ll get the hang of it. You might buy a few extra inexpensive tiles to practice with first.
Setting floor tile can take several hours and more for drying. The work is not grueling, although cutting may require some strength. You have to be quick enough to set the tile before the mortar dries, but if you’re prepared, that too should present no difficulty. And once you’re done, the rewards are enjoyable. You’ve exercised not only your muscles, but also your artistic abilities. Choosing your own design and setting the tile is an art form anyone can enjoy, and something that lasts for years. Whether you do it yourself or have someone do it for you, an attractive bathroom floor tile setting can increase your home’s value, both for you and a potential buyer.