The Complete Guide to Choosing Tile Flooring for Homeowners
Finding the right tile flooring for your kitchen or bathroom requires knowing your options. Here is the complete guide to choosing tile flooring for homeowners.
Did you know that house sizes have increased by 74% since the year 1910? Whether your home is very large or very small, choosing tile flooring remains an important issue. You might decide to install tile throughout your entire house or you might decide to localize it to the kitchen and bathroom.
Whatever the case, there are many types of flooring to choose from and it can be difficult to make the choice if you don't know where to start. Keep reading and learn more about what you should consider when choosing tile flooring for your home.
Stay Within Your Tile Flooring Budget
Some people get so excited about the idea of buying new tile floors that they end up forgetting all about their tile flooring budget. This is the last thing you want to do. If you start going over your flooring budget, you might regret getting new flooring in the first place.
You will have to set your budget depending on how much of your house you plan to tile. Of course, the larger the area you plan to install tile, the larger the budget you will need to have. If you are only adding tile to the kitchen and bathroom, you likely won't need to spend all that much money.
But if you want to install tile in your entire house, you will need to expand your budget by quite a lot. You may also need an extra large budget depending on what kind of tile you plan on getting. For example, ceramic tile is very affordable and stylish.
The Details
You will find that the majority of bathrooms and kitchens use ceramic tile. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns, so you shouldn't have any trouble matching it with the rest of your home. This is not to mention that ceramic tile is relatively durable, although it may eventually crack or chip after several years of use.
Vinyl tiles are also very affordable. They can even mimic different materials like stone. If you decide on these tiles, you can shrink your budget by quite a lot. On the other hand, if you want to splurge, you can take a look at real stone tiles, porcelain tiles, and even marble tiles.
These tile floors are especially stylish and luxurious but they are also very expensive, so it is best to have a big budget before you opt for them.
Choose Durable Tile Flooring
The last thing you want is to choose tile flooring that will start to chip and crack as soon as you buy it and get it installed. You should keep in mind that some types of tile are far more durable than others. Others, on the other hand, are quite fragile.
In particular, wall tile is much more fragile than floor tile. Some people don't know this and decide to install wall tile for the floor. While the result might look stylish, it won't last long.
This is because wall tile is usually only one layer thick. Floor tile, in contrast, is often two or three layers thick. As you can imagine, if you intentionally or accidentally install wall tile for your floor, the floor will soon start to crack and chip even if you are very careful with it.
What You Need to Know
There are even certain floor tiles that act the same way. For example, some very cheap tile options made out of ceramic may be very thin. There are also some terracotta tiles that are similar.
These tiles tend not to last long even if you install them in areas that don't receive a lot of traffic. Different tile sizes can also play a role in the durability of your tiles. For example, very large tiles may be more likely to crack than smaller tiles.
For the best results, you will want to choose options for flooring that will stand the test of time whether you're choosing tile flooring for bathrooms or anywhere else in your house. Tiles made out of stone are often the most durable. For example, limestone, granite, and marble are all very sturdy and are quite resistant to scratches as well.
Ceramic tiles are also durable and ideal if you are on a tight budget.
Choose the Right Tile Floor Installer
You might have the perfect tile picked out for your floor, but if you don't hire a good tile flooring installer, the result likely isn't going to be that great. You also might find the result is not ideal if you try to do the job yourself. Many people try to install their own tile floors in an attempt to save some money, but this is often a bad idea, especially if you don't have any experience installing tile floors.
If you don't know exactly what you're doing, your tiles will end up crooked and they won't be sealed correctly. As a result, your floor will be more vulnerable and it won't look as good as it should. Instead, always choose a professional tile flooring installer for the job, preferably one with good customer reviews.
That way, you can rest easy knowing that your tile floor will look great once it's installed.
All About Choosing Tile Flooring
Choosing tile flooring can be difficult but it doesn't have to be impossible as long as you know what to look for. First, you should always choose tiles that fit your budget. Once you do that, you will want to choose tiles that are durable.
Finally, don't forget to choose a good tile floor installer for the job. To learn more, reach out to Eagle Flooring West and contact us here.
