So, you want to give a room (or two or three rooms) the beautiful touch of tile flooring, huh? Many people are allured to ceramic, porcelain, and stone tile floors, as these floors set a whole other mood for a house. Carpets are boring and certainly more durable than decorative. And it’s even difficult to be creative with wood floors. However, the possibilities for tile flooring seem endless!
As a result, it can be quite a task to shop around for the right tile flooring. Here are some simple steps you can take before taking those literal steps on your new, gorgeous floor.
Not just any tile will do
Before you start envisioning your new room, complete with tile, you have to find out what kind of tile suits it. The three basic kinds of tile are porcelain, stone, and ceramic. Ceramic is commonly used, as it is easy to install yourself, but stone and porcelain can be a lot prettier. You need to determine the durability of each type of tile before you decide upon the style and color. For example, if you think the floor will endure a lot of wear and tear, why not go with sturdy stone? The truth is, though, that you can find a variety of quality within every basic tile option you have. (There is some stone tile that will last longer than other stone tile.) So, think about how the room will be used. Is it a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, living room? Who will frequently walk through that room? By answering these questions, you can file down the many choices for tile.
Room for creativity
Once you’ve decided the exact type of tile that’s best for the room, you can go wild with your decorating ideas. Now is the time to let loose and inject a little creativity and imagination into your shopping. Fortunately, there are so many styles to choose from that you’re sure to have a good time picking out the right one! Do you want to buy tile that’s casual or formal? From there, you can choose glazed or unglazed tile. One reason people love tile floors so much, is there is a tremendous amount of possibility for style. Art deco, country rustic, and a slew of contemporary designs are all available. And remember, you don’t have to have every tile be just like the one over from it. You can get trim or jazz your tile flooring up with more distinct individual pieces. But be careful too. You don’t want to go too over the top and draw attention from your room to your floor. As well, you’ll want to think about the color schemes and furniture in the room. Will they change over time? Likely, that floor will be pretty permanent, so it’s best if it blends in with its environment, an environment that might be changing over time. For kitchens and bathrooms, you usually have a bit more freedom in choosing a pattern (as counter tops probably won’t go through much evolution).
What price will you pay?
It’s one thing to pick out the perfectly designed and constructed tile flooring for a room in your home. It’s another thing to pay for it. Because flooring, whether carpet, wood, or tile, is such an important investment for your home, it’s not cheap. And when it is cheap, it probably won’t last to long. Tile flooring is definitely worth budgeting for. Go ahead and spend as much as you can and make sure that you buy the tile flooring from a reputable retailer who also can help you install it properly. Before you go shopping for tile, even, it’s a good idea to measure the dimensions of the room you will be adding new floor to. This way you can estimate how much the tile will cost.
Remember, that while it may be tempting to just “do it yourself,” especially with ceramic tile, it’s probably ideal that you hire someone to install the tile flooring for you. It’s such a tedious and extremely important process that it might be worth the extra bucks. Because if you install the tile incorrectly, it can go to waste pretty fast. So unless you know what you’re doing, keep in mind that you’ll have to save some pennies for floor installation on top of the face value of the floor.
So, now that you’ve got a little guidance, what are you waiting for? While tile flooring is a significant and expensive investment, it also can be a fun one that will improve the look and value of your home.