An incredible variety of tiles is available on the market today so choosing tiles for your home renovation project or for your brand new home can be an overwhelming one. To ease your dilemma and to help you arrive at a sound decision here are the seven points you must consider carefully when streamlining the available choices in tiles.
- For Indoor or Outdoor The very first point you need to keep in mind is whether the tile is for the indoor or outdoor use. Tiles to be used for outdoors need to be more robust and should pass the necessary safety parameters with regards to frost, thermal shock resistance, and slip. The type of outdoors such as lawns, pools, poolsides will have different selection criteria.You can be more relaxed when selecting tiles for indoors as there are fewer constraints. So you can choose tiles based on aesthetics.
- Durability Ceramic and porcelain tiles are the most popular ones as they are high on durability. Ceramic tiles are classified using the PEI scale and are rated from 1 to 5. While PEI 1 shows least resistant to abrasions, PEI 5 shows most resistance. When choosing tiles for the floor you need to be extra considerate as these are more prone to wear and tear. On the other hand, most tiles would hold good for use on walls. If you are choosing tiles for your home where the traffic would be minimum, you can go for PEI 2 or greater tiles. For heavy traffic areas like kitchen or entryway PEI 3 or greater would be the most recommended ones. For a classy look, you can also go for natural stone. Besides, there are new materials on the market to accentuate the look of your ceramic, porcelain or natural stone tiles. For instance, you can use glass, metal, and mosaics to create custom designs that best match with the theme of your home.
- Size of the Tiles Tiles are available in various sizes from a tiny 3/8″ to amazingly large tiles of 5’X 10′ sizes. Large tiles are in vogue these days as these have a visually calming effect and make space appear larger. Large tiles are also easier to install and are being highly preferred for walls and floors. However, make sure to use large tiles in spacious interiors to get the right effect.
- Size of the Room If the size of the room is small, tiles of lighter hues and softer textures are suggested to make the room feel bigger. For larger sized rooms, you can enjoy the liberty of choosing bigger tiles in bold colors. Gloss tiles in lighter hues are suggested for areas that receive little sunlight as these tiles reflect more light.
- Color When taking a decision over the color of the tiles, take a moment and think about the feel you aspire in the room. So, if you want a serene and calm space go for lighter colors and if you want to achieve a vibrant playful look go for bolder colors. You can also go for a feature area in your kitchen or also in a bathroom. Backsplash tiles are in trend in kitchen and bath area. You can use them to create a focus area or to merely to complement other features of the room.
- Pattern and Texture You can choose between matt or polished finish in tiles depending on your personal preference. Textured or matte finished tiles are less slippery and are therefore preferred for flooring especially in bathrooms, kitchens, and entryways. Polished tiles, however, look more attractive and are preferred for their aesthetics. Besides, people who keep a busy life and have limited time for home cleaning activities usually opt for glazed tiles as these are easy to clean. No glaze natural terracotta tiles that have no glaze require radically alterent staining.
- Grout Grouts should be chosen carefully as the color of the grout can radically alter the look of the tiles. A grout in contrasting color gives a dramatic appearance and emphasize greatly on the lines and design of the tile. However, if you are looking to achieve a clean, subtle effect, go for a grout color that matches the tiles. Make sure to seal the grouted areas perfectly as this prevents staining.
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