06/05/2010

What to Look for When Purchasing Tile

Posted by The Flooring Expert under Bathroom Design, Ceramic Tile Countertops, custom floor designs, DIY, Do it Yourself, Floor Installations, Floor Maintenance, Flooring Choices, Granite, Green Flooring, Home Improvement, Kitchen Design, Limestone, Marble, Stone Flooring, Stone Flooring Maintenance, Tile Floor Installations, Tile Flooring, Tile Installations, Tile Maintanence | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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By Jordan Rocksmith

Picture of Bathroom Tile

Tile is a long lasting and effective product that can be used throughout your home. From countertops to flooring the options for where you can place tile are limitless. Tile is extremely durable and long lasting. You will easily find that it comes in many forms, colors, shapes and styles. Whether you are
remodeling your home, or constructing a new home tile should always be considered as a primary option.

Tile can be easily maintained and clean making it easier to keep your home sanitary. Tile is made of many different materials that consist of stone, marble, or a man made blend with sand, stone, color, and the compression of ingredients that create everlasting durability that easily suits everyday living.

Whether industrial, commercial, or residential tile is the product of today and our future.

When going to purchasing tile you can find it through a home improvement centers, contractors, or directly through flooring manufacturers.

When searching for tiles for your walls you want something smooth with a glassy texture that will be easy to wipe in-case something is spilled on the wall you can just wipe it up easily. Searching for flooring is different.

While searching for flooring you want to find the tile with the highest quality. When seeking tile for your floors it is good to look for tile that has more slip resistance than others. Slip resistant tiles are made with sand causing a bit of a rougher surface, they are still easy to clean and wipe up. Sand tiles are safer for your home, especially in areas such as the bathroom or kitchen. Tiles that are made with sand can last 20-30 years longer than most of the other tiles you may find today.

Tile is truly the flooring of the future so if you want to set your house up for increased value install tile today.

About the author:
Kelly and Glenn’s (http://www.tileoutletwilsonville.com/) specialty is Granite Countertops. Also offer one of the largest selections of Tile in the area.

 

04/09/2010

Considering Porcelain Tile Floors

Posted by The Flooring Expert under DIY, Flooring Choices, Home Improvement, Kitchen Design, Tile Floor Installations, Tile Flooring, Tile Installations, Tile Maintanence | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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Considering Porcelain Tile Floors? How to know whether they’re top quality

By Harry Worthington

If you have considered upgrading to tile flooring, you are probably overwhelmed with the options when it comes to porcelain tile floors. With so many different brands to consider, not to mention the huge variation in the price of different tiles, it can be difficult to determine which tiles are truly of top quality.

Price may not necessarily mean top quality so looking deeper into a few aspects of the tile can really help determine which tile is the best. Keep in mind that while top quality is important, it should be used as a way to help pick the right tiling after finding choices that work with the décor you have chosen, as well as fit in your budget.

Determining tile quality by looking at the wear rating The first thing to consider when
looking at the quality of porcelain tile floors is to look at the wear rating. The ratings come from the Porcelain Enamel Institute which tests tiles and assigns a wear rating based on how the tile fairs in their tests. The rankings are one through five, with one being considered not usable for flooring and five being tested to withstand constant abuse of even the heaviest foot traffic in a commercial or industrial application. Most
porcelain tiles are rated as a five, but there are a few varieties that do not, so it should be checked and verified that the tile has been tested and does score a four or five on the
PEI scale.

Determining tile quality through observation there are a number of other factors to look at when comparing different tiles from a quality perspective. While most porcelain tile floors are going to wear well, finding tiles of the utmost quality requires a careful look at the product out of the box. Looking at the tile, the tiles should look like they all match. If there is a pattern, it should be consistent across a number of tiles, as should the colour. If possible, sample tiles from different boxes to insure that they are consistent.

The next thing to look carefully at is the flatness of the tile. The best way to do this is to look down the edge of a tile and see how straight the line is. If the tile bows out, the tile will have more lip to it, which may or may not be something you desire. The lip is what you feel when you run your hand across the tile.
Proper grouting can mask some of the lip, but the tile shouldn’t bow too much, as it will look like it wasn’t installed properly, more than being lower quality tile. Finally, the tiles should be of a consistent size. By laying out three rows of three tiles from a representative sample, you will be able to see if they are the same size more easily than comparing single tiles. The sample should be square.

At this time, inspecting the tiles for cracks in the finish or glaze is easy to do as well. The cracks will appear to look like lizard tales and even the best tile will have an occasional tile that is missed. However, if a number of things are wrong with the tile, it is probably best to find a different one for your project.

About the author:
Are you looking to improve your home with Porcelain Tile Floors? If so then why not contact Porcelain Tiles, this company can help you. For more information on this company please visit the website at http://www.porcelain-tiles.co.uk/

 

04/04/2010

How To Tile A Bathroom

Posted by The Flooring Expert under custom floor designs, DIY, Do it Yourself, Floor Installations, Flooring Choices, Home Improvement, Limestone, Marble, Stone Flooring, Tile Floor Installations, Tile Flooring, Tile Installations, Tile Maintanence | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
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By Vishal Sagar

Introduction To Bathroom Tiling

Bathroom-TileThere’s almost an unlimited choice of colors, patterns and textures of bathroom tiles. Bathroom tiles are the obvious choice to line the bath or shower area, but most people leave it up to the professionals. This does not need to be done as a bathroom that can be tiled by anyone in a weekend even someone without any previous tiling experience.

Tools For Bathroom Tiling

Before you start your tiling you will need the following tiling tools for bathroom tiling; Tile cutter, Tile saw, Grout spreader, Spirit level, Tile nibblers, Adhesive spreader, Tile cutting jig, Gauge stick (hopefully home made).

For a final touch to make your bathroom tile project look a little better you should carefully smooth off the border edges where cut with a tile sander Preparation For Bathroom Tiling.

Before you begin your bathroom tiling project, you MUST make sure the walls are clean and dry. You need to make the wall surface as smooth and flat as possible, to do this you will need to remove all flaking paint and any wallpaper that may be on the wall. Once you have your wall prepared you will want to make a start on plotting your tile position, to do this we recommend making a gauge stick to help you plot tile positions on the wall. Use a piece of wood laying several tiles along side it with a spacer between each tile, and mark off each tiles and spacers position along the stick. For more details on making a Gauge Stick please see our page Tile Layout & Preparation.

Setting Out Bathroom Tiles

Setting out the walls will depend a large amount on the size and shape of your bathroom ultimately. Work out where your bottom line of tiles will be going, mark it out and nail a temporarily thin guide batten to the tiling wall, making sure it follows the mark. To ensure your mark and guide are perfectly horizontal you should check them with a spirit level. Measure into the center of the wall and add another mark for this, now on each side of this center mark set out rows of tiles using your gauge stick. You may need to reposition your bathroom tiles by moving them half a tiles width to the side if the ceramic border tiles measure less then half a tiles width. Once this is done you need to get your vertical line up which should be done the same as the horizontal line, using a guide batten and a spirit level to make sure they are level, once level temporarily nail to the wall. If you have to tile around any object you should make that your starting point as this will help to keep the surrounding tiles to an equal size. By objects we mean things such as a window. As above you should use the temporary batten guide to position your row of tiles above the window. Remember, all cut tiles should be placed at the rear of the windows reveal.

For a final touch to make your bathroom tile project look a little better you should carefully smooth off the border edges where cut with a tile sander

About the author:
Vishal, representing TMEsolutions, is the webmaster for Thetiledepot, The UK’s leading Stockists of floor tiles, wall tiles and other tiling material.

 

12/28/2009

Fabulous and Inexpensive Ceramic Tiles

Posted by The Flooring Expert under Ceramic Tile Countertops, DIY, Do it Yourself, Floor Installations, Flooring Choices, Home Improvement, Kitchen Design, Real Estate, Tile Floor Installations, Tile Flooring, Tile Installations, Tile Maintanence | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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By Jacob Oramy

Ceramic tiles have emerged as the most popular, versatile and beautiful tiles options available to the homeowners today. These tiles are available in wide range of sizes, colors and designs. Whether you intend to set a new bath or remodeling a traditional look for your kitchen, you can always have a handy option of fitting a ceramic tile. It works equally well for flooring, countertop, backsplash or wall.

In simple terms, Ceramic tile is a mixture of clay which has been shaped and heated at high temperatures which results in its hard body. This hard material is then left untreated or it may receive a glazed wear layer. In its most basic form, ceramic tile is clay with colored glass coating packaged in a box.

Selecting ceramic tiles can be fun at the same time confusing. The market is flooded with several varieties, patterns, and colors of these tiles. The entire house, especially the bathroom and kitchen dramatically transforms with the installation of these tiles.

The first step is to choose the right kind of tiles. It is recommended that you consult a tile installer or a retailer and get the right combination of looks, durability and even price for a particular season. There are myriad tiles available in the section of ceramic tiles; this means that you will definitely find the right kind of tiles available for your bathroom or kitchen. You need to consider certain before you visit a ceramic tile store, like you should be aware of tile size that you are looking for, the color, texture and even the budgetary concerns. Having a good outline of what you require and you are looking for will help you to streamline your choices easily.

Once you have decided upon the tile of your choice, your next step is to weigh the installation aspects. Kick start the installation procedure with a clean, stable and a firm leveled surface, apply the mortar, lay the tiles and then let it dry properly. The tiles should be left to settle for at least 1 day is most. However it is important to remember the fact that the drying time depends on the characteristic and size of the installation. As the mortar gets completely dried then you need to apply the grout. Grout is the substance that fills the seams between the tiles and it also prevents the dirt and the moisture to get in between as well as beneath the tile and further it increases the life of the tile flooring, countertops and even walls in the restroom.

Ceramic tiles are an excellent material for tub and shower walls. It can withstand excess moisture, is easy to clean and maintain and durable enough to endure a lifetime of hot, soapy soakings. Still, tiles need some care and maintenance. Tiled walls are only as strong as the thin grout joints between the
tiles. Once the grout starts to soften and crack, it hardly takes time for water to seep in and damages the mortar and drywall behind the tile. The best way to abstain from major wall repair is to re-grout any joint when the first crack or stain
appears.

About the author:
Jacob Oramy is a renowned writer who has written several articles on different interior designing techniques and his articles also gives light on the various uses of kitchen’s interior, Ceramic tiles, Granite tiles, Bathroom tiles and Mosaic tiles.

 

12/21/2009

DIY – At Home Projects Anyone Can Do

Posted by The Flooring Expert under Bathroom Design, Ceramic Tile Countertops, DIY, Do it Yourself, Home Improvement, Kitchen Design, Real Estate, The Holidays, Tile Flooring, Tile Maintanence | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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By Annie Deakin
When money is tight but your home still needs attention, there are plenty of ways to make your home look like a million bucks while spending less than a hundred. You don’t even need a lot of talent. If you have some simple, common tools and some time, you’re on your way to a TV-worthy DIY remodel.Two areas in a home that will always add value to your property are the kitchen and bathrooms. Keep these in pristine up to date condition and you’re doing yourself a favor. The other rooms, in all fairness, look great because of furniture and decorations which, when  taken out, leave a pretty stark space. And that’s OK. Baths and kitchens, however, look good because of what needs to stay: vanities, lighting fixtures, tiles, showers, tubs, faucets.

Focus on the bathroom first. It’s probably smaller, and a good place to ‘practice’ if this is your first time doing anything more involved than hanging a curtain rod. If you have vanities/counters that need some updating, frequently a coat of paint will work wonders. If you’re really brave, you don’t need to settle on plain old paint. Use a texturizing agent meant for walls. Decals, stencils, and sponging can add details that your neighbors will be envious of.

Even a new faucet is easy to install, and you can find beautiful choices for reasonable prices. Your local home store probably has written instructions to remove the old one and install the new one. Don’t get nervous – this is really easier than you can imagine.

Now is not the time to learn how to lay tile, but you can still improve the look of the tile you have. You can buy kits to fill in chips and even tint the filler to match.

Is the grout dark and moldy? You don’t need to spend time and aggravation trying to clean it. Just re-grout over it. You can buy grout pens in a variety of colors and paint over the grout you have. This is quite the invention! It works on floors, walls
and even inside showers.

Any room can benefit from the addition of a chair railing. They add character and provide a basis for breaking the room into two or more colors. These are ideal in bathrooms where you might want paint on the top and tile on the bottom, or just two different colors of paint. Chair railings need nothing more than a few nails and the correct measurements to put up. It’s amazing what a simple strip of wood can add to the ambiance of a room.

Tired of that old wallpaper but you hate the thoughts of steaming it off? Don’t bother! Paints nowadays can cover anything, including a layer of paper. Pull off any that is hanging and then use a sander (you can rent one) with a medium  grade sanding tool (ask where you rent this). Sand the paper till the wall is smooth. Rinse off with pain water, let try, and paint! (Don’t forget to add a chair railing!)

About the author:
Annie is an expert furniture and interior design writer. Her current area of specialism is bathroom cabinets, coffee tables and wooden garden furniture

 

12/10/2009

Benfits of Tile

Posted by The Flooring Expert under DIY, Do it Yourself, Flooring Choices, Home Improvement, Tile Flooring, Tile Installations, Tile Maintanence | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
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Author: http://www.bensontile.com

Custom Tile Experts

The benefits of tile are easily annunciated for there are many. Tile is the most common type of flooring used in both bathrooms and kitchens in the developed world. This has been true for some time because its surface is virtually impermeable.

Another great quality of tile is that it requires minimum maintenance. With carpeting you really need to vacuum at least once a week to keep dust and mold spores from developing within the inner rug fibers. It takes weeks to months for any noticeable type of bacteria to form on the surface of tile
(assuming you do not clean it at all). With a simple dry mop you can clear the tile surface in minutes to leave it sparkling clean. This leads into another important point. You never have to wax, oil, or refinish tile. If you keep it from getting dirty, it will maintain its alluring luster for decades. That something you can count on.

Tile continues to grow in popularity as a floor covering, with good reason. The following is a list of some of the benesits of tile flooring:

- Tile has a natural, handcrafted look that’s durable and easy to care for.

- Tile works well in areas with high foot traffic, and it’s especially suited to entry areas where water and dirt enter the house.

- Design patterns are limitless when using all of the possible combinations of size, texture and color.

- You can further expand your creative toolbox with hand painted tiles and colored grouts.

- By combining various geometric layout and numerous trim tiles your design options are practically limitless.

Benson Mosaics is your #1 source for all your tile needs in New York! They have the largest selection of tile you can imagine that is beautiful beyond imagining. Choose Benson Mosaics for all your tile remodel needs in Queens.

About the author:
http://www.bensontile.com is your #1 source for remodeling tile in your home!

 

12/08/2009

Porcelain Tile Vs Ceramic Tile

Posted by The Flooring Expert under Flooring Choices, Home Improvement, Tile Flooring | Tags: , , , , , , |
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By Thomasan Adison

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile is formed with the help of clays and other natural materials. During the formation process, the special clays are mined from the earth, shaped, coloured and then fired in kilns. Traditional ceramic tile can be naturally coloured and left unglazed like terra cotta, or they can have coloured or highly
designed surfaces which can be glazed (finished with a glass surface) either in a high gloss or matte finish. Most ceramic tile has either a red or white body colouration underneath the glazed, coloured top layer.

Porcelain Tile

Porcelain tile is an advanced form of ceramic tile and widely popular among home-owners. These tiles are composed of fine porcelain clays and fired at much higher temperatures than ceramic tiles. Due to this process porcelain tile become denser, less porous, much harder and less prone to moisture and stain absorption than ceramic tiles. For these reasons, most porcelain tiles work well for both indoor and outdoor installations. Porcelain tiles are also harder to cut due to their hardness and density.

Unglazed porcelain tile is homogeneous in terms of its through-body colouration. The colour goes all the way through from top to bottom, so scratches or dings are less obvious and contain better slip-resistance. Glazed porcelain tiles may or may not have the same colouration from top to bottom because of the top glazed layer. Glazed porcelain tiles assist seal the microscopic pores therefore are easier to maintain than unglazed tiles. Because porcelain can be prepared to resemble stone, it is sometimes a better alternative than Mother Nature’s natural products simply because it’s less porous and less prone to cracking.

On the contrary, not all ceramic or porcelain tiles are ideal for all residential and non-residential areas. Tile products generally are wear-rated from low to high. A large number of manufacturers worldwide do meet international standards. Because all tiles are not rated for taking floor traffic, it’s essential for consumers to choose a tile appropriate for their project.

Regardless of whether you select ceramic tile or porcelain tile for your decorating project you will find both types of tiles offer a variety of shapes and sizes in field tiles as well as some border and accent tiles. This will help you to obtain an almost unlimited amount of decorating options by mixing and matching different field tile sizes and shapes along with borders and accent tiles to really add pizzazz and charm to your decoration.

Rectified tile requires to be explained, because it is becoming more famous. Rectified tile is usually described incorrectly and is confusing for tile buyers; it is simply tile that has been grinded or sawed after firing to achieve a more exact tile size. A huge variety of tiles will vary slightly in size after being fired (both porcelain tiles and ceramic tiles it is up to 1.5% variation). By grinding or sawing the tiles after firing the manufacturer hopes to minimize the size variations from tile to tile. Although, at this time there are no set ANSI standards set for what the minimum variations are allowed for rectified tiles, it is strictly up to the tile manufacturer.

About the author:
Thomasan Adison is a well known writer, who has written various articles on several topics such as different types of tiles likes mosaic tiles, porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles, white tiles, travertine tiles, and he also focuses on the installation process.

 

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