Tiling your floors is never an easy job. It requires patience and can sometimes be very time-consuming depending on the type of tile you choose, the shape of the space in which you’re installing tile, if you’re doing it yourself, and how much experience you have.
Tiles can be a great way to reflect your style and personality. Many who live in small apartment rooms or have small space might feel that tiling won’t work in smaller areas, but that isn’t always the case. By choosing the right size and style of tiles, you can create interesting, yet cohesive designs in your home, or even small business.
How Do Tiles Bring Out The Beauty Out of Your Home?
Have you ever wondered why celebrities invest so much money on tiles? – The reason is that suitable tiles elevate the beauty of your home to a whole new level. Tiled flooring, and even walls and backsplashes, can enhance architecture, draw the eye upward, or even direct the eye away, making a space seem larger than it is.
Tiles can be neutral to blend in with a space, so that the pops of color can be more easily traded out with fixtures and accessories. Whites and creams are great for making a space seem more open and bright and will often blend in with lighter walls to give the illusion of having a larger space. Darker colors are often chosen for flooring to hide dirt and to make a room feel grounded. Either way, choose a grout to match to help the tiles blend in to the design seamlessly.
On the other hand, you may want your tile to be an art piece or a focal point in your space. Colors can evoke warmth, coolness, or harken back to a different era. The wonderful thing about tiles is that they can help tell the story of your style, for example, bringing in the blues that remind you of your favorite Greek vacation, or a modern avocado green that points to your mid-century modern style.
Love hardwood floors but dislike the maintenance? Did you know that tiles come in a wide array styles that mimic the look of hardwood? Add the upscale natural look of wood without the upkeep it requires.
There are tons of ideas and examples out there!
Measure and Select Your Tiles Carefully
There are many handy tile measurement tools online to help you determine how much to purchase. You can multiply the room’s length by its width to get the total square footage, but depending on the style you choose and the layout of your space, you may need to purchase extra tiling to make the pattern flow correctly.
Tiling is often sold in batch numbers, not unlike yarn and fabric. This is important to note because if you are purchasing the tile, you’ll want to make sure they’re all from the same batch so you can be certain they’ll wear the same over the years and so that the colors will match where the tiling meets. You may need to purchase extra tile up front to compensate for errors, broken tiles, and saving some back for future repair.
Choose the Right Size Tiles for Your Project
In general, smaller tiles look better in smaller spaces, and larger tiles will fill a large space better, though there can be exceptions if the look is designed well. Larger tiles will require less grout and will look cleaner and more contemporary. Smaller tiles will look busier, which is not necessarily a bad thing! Ideally, you want to choose tile that will flow well with the layout of your space.
Smaller tiles can be fussier to work with, but larger tiles may require more complicated cuts to fit around fixtures such as toilets, plumbing, and cabinetry.
Tile Installation
There are heaps of tutorials and DIY instructional videos on installing tile yourself. You’ll want to make sure you are learning the correct method for the type of tile you’ve chosen, the location of the tile (Will it be on a floor or a wall?), and how the tile will be used (Will water be running over the tile? Will it be in a high-foot traffic location?). You’ll also want to be sure you are following the correct steps for specific products, ie purchasing the correct brand and size spacers.
When to Hire a Professional
Tiling a space can be frustrating, but very rewarding. Always take your time to review designs, learn about materials, and follow best practices. If the process of choosing and installing tiles for your home, restaurant, office, or other space seems daunting, you can always call in a professional. Classic Construction & Restoration, Inc is staffed by experts in remodeling and restoration! Let the pros talk you through design and do the hard work for you– quickly and correctly! Learn more about bathroom remodeling, or see our client work!
Call (972) 437-0909 today or contact us through our site to learn how Classic Construction can help you with your tiling needs for residential, commercial, or multifamily buildings.