Julie-Ann
01-12-2009, 07:08 PM
These are some key factors to consider when choosing tiles for your home,
Budget
The first factor to consider is budget. You want to get the best value for your money. The difficulty is if you spend too little you may regret not buying a better quality tile. But you also have to be careful to watch the budget as there are some very expensive but beautiful tiles available.
Size
There are so many different sizes available now but these are a few things to consider when choosing.
Your builder may have specified a size for you to use. If you choose another size they may refuse to allow it or charge you a small fortune to have them laid. Builders prefer you use a 200x200mm tile as it is easy to cut and lay.
Larger tiles in a small room can make the room look larger, whilst smaller tiles can make a space look busy.
Larger tiles are usually more expensive to have laid. The larger the tile the more preparation goes into their installation. They may require a larger saw and the layout to get a slope for the water to run can be tricky to achieve.
Grade
The 1 to 5 tile rating applies only to one aspect of tile: visible surface abrasion resistance, which means how readily scratches show on the tile's surface.
Grade 1: This is the weakest of all ceramic tiles. It's only suitable as a wall tile.
Grade 2: This is best for light traffic only. Again, great for wall tiles, but it will also work where foot traffic is light.
Grade 3: Grade three is the most common in residential building, and perfect for light to moderate traffic. This makes it a good choice for residential kitchens and residential flooring, and all areas that receive lighter wear.
Grade 4: This is a good choice for residential uses, such as tile floors but it can also take the heavier abuse of light commercial foot traffic. This is the grade I choose when doing renovations for clients.
Grade 5: This grade is used in high traffic commercial areas such as shopping malls and airports.
Vitrified or porcelain tile are extremely strong and good brands are almost non porous. They are often used for shopping centres and malls but are also excellent for domestic use.
Also look at the base of the tile. Ideally you want the base of the tile to be a similar colour to the glaze on top, so if the tile is chipped a bright orange base doesn’t show on a cream colour tile.
Colour
When choosing the colour of the tiles consider the adjoining rooms and what the colour of their floor coverings are. Also, the style of your home and how much light the room gets. Are your walls going to remain the same colour or are you thinking of repainting? What colour is the furniture and drapery in the room? Lighter colours will make a room more open. Whilst darker colours will make a room feel more cozy.
When choosing the colour of the grout consider if you want it contrasting or similar. Personally, I prefer a grout to blend with the colour of the tile.
Texture
Lastly, consider the texture of a tile. A glossy tile will be more slippery when wet but a tile with deep impressions can be harder to clean
The edge of the tile varies as well. Rectified tiles are becoming very popular. This is where the edge is very square. These tiles when laid show less grout but they are also more difficult to lay and so more expensive to lie.
Final tip - be sure to purchase extra tiles in case one or a few break. This can happen during installation or at a later time.
Budget
The first factor to consider is budget. You want to get the best value for your money. The difficulty is if you spend too little you may regret not buying a better quality tile. But you also have to be careful to watch the budget as there are some very expensive but beautiful tiles available.
Size
There are so many different sizes available now but these are a few things to consider when choosing.
Your builder may have specified a size for you to use. If you choose another size they may refuse to allow it or charge you a small fortune to have them laid. Builders prefer you use a 200x200mm tile as it is easy to cut and lay.
Larger tiles in a small room can make the room look larger, whilst smaller tiles can make a space look busy.
Larger tiles are usually more expensive to have laid. The larger the tile the more preparation goes into their installation. They may require a larger saw and the layout to get a slope for the water to run can be tricky to achieve.
Grade
The 1 to 5 tile rating applies only to one aspect of tile: visible surface abrasion resistance, which means how readily scratches show on the tile's surface.
Grade 1: This is the weakest of all ceramic tiles. It's only suitable as a wall tile.
Grade 2: This is best for light traffic only. Again, great for wall tiles, but it will also work where foot traffic is light.
Grade 3: Grade three is the most common in residential building, and perfect for light to moderate traffic. This makes it a good choice for residential kitchens and residential flooring, and all areas that receive lighter wear.
Grade 4: This is a good choice for residential uses, such as tile floors but it can also take the heavier abuse of light commercial foot traffic. This is the grade I choose when doing renovations for clients.
Grade 5: This grade is used in high traffic commercial areas such as shopping malls and airports.
Vitrified or porcelain tile are extremely strong and good brands are almost non porous. They are often used for shopping centres and malls but are also excellent for domestic use.
Also look at the base of the tile. Ideally you want the base of the tile to be a similar colour to the glaze on top, so if the tile is chipped a bright orange base doesn’t show on a cream colour tile.
Colour
When choosing the colour of the tiles consider the adjoining rooms and what the colour of their floor coverings are. Also, the style of your home and how much light the room gets. Are your walls going to remain the same colour or are you thinking of repainting? What colour is the furniture and drapery in the room? Lighter colours will make a room more open. Whilst darker colours will make a room feel more cozy.
When choosing the colour of the grout consider if you want it contrasting or similar. Personally, I prefer a grout to blend with the colour of the tile.
Texture
Lastly, consider the texture of a tile. A glossy tile will be more slippery when wet but a tile with deep impressions can be harder to clean
The edge of the tile varies as well. Rectified tiles are becoming very popular. This is where the edge is very square. These tiles when laid show less grout but they are also more difficult to lay and so more expensive to lie.
Final tip - be sure to purchase extra tiles in case one or a few break. This can happen during installation or at a later time.