Summer is a great time to renovate your home and make it modern and comfortable. You can do some things yourself such as painting the cabinets, freshen up the walls, etc. But when it comes to flooring, here you should consider some important points, in order to have long-lasting and high-quality tile for every room in your home.
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Things to Consider When Choosing Tile
Before you start, think about the style of your home. You can check out some online magazines or home renovation websites to visualize what you want your home to be. In this case, you should pay attention to the tile size, room size, color, etc. Sometimes it can be challenging to understand where to start and what to consider. But don’t worry, as we have collected the essential things in this guide to focus on while choosing tile.
Tile Hardness
One of the most important features worth focusing on is the tile hardness (the Moh’s scale).
But wait, what is tile hardness or Moh’s scale? It helps us measure the material’s ability to withstand wear/foot traffic and even scratches. The ratings are from PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute) and they have passed through laboratory testing. So, according to PEI, tile hardness has 6 different stages:
PEI 0 / Wall Tiles only: These tiles are to be kept high and dry. Thus, it is only suitable for walls
PEI 1 / Light Footfall: These types of tiles can be used not only for walls but also for worktops and floors subject to rare footfall. To clarify, these tiles can be suitable for the rooms where you only wear light and soft footwear like slippers.
PEI 2 / Moderate Footfall: Corresponds to the areas with normal foot traffic. In other words, it is appropriate for all rooms in the home, besides the kitchen, entryways, and other spaces with high foot traffic.
PEI 3 / Regular Footfall:Appropriate for almost all spaces of the home including kitchens, entryways, etc.
PEI 4 / Intense Footfalls: These tiles are ideal solution for residential use, as well as for offices and bars.
PEI 5 / Heavy Footfalls: These tiles are very tough. It withstands enough high traffic. So, it can be suitable for the areas with high levels of foot traffic such as airports or shopping malls.
Tile Durability
In terms of tile durability, you have three options: stone, porcelain, and ceramic. They all have advantages and disadvantages that you should consider. Among these 3 options, porcelain is a special type of ceramic, stronger, harder, thus the most durable of the three.
Porcelain is water and frost-resistant. Moreover, it is also resistant to scratches or cracks. In addition, porcelain can be both unglazed (full-body) or glazed. The latter is with a top layer which provides the wanted color, texture, and pattern. On the other hand, the unglazed porcelain is almost the same without the top layer, which makes it look more natural.
Style
The style of the tiles depends on your preferences and priorities. Here you should consider the size, pattern, and color of the tiles. Perhaps, the most difficult is to choose the right color for your home. The right-colored tiles can even open up your space, while wrong-colored tiles, on the other hand, can close it off. Similarly, the right tile sizes for the floor can give an illusion of a bigger home. So, if your room is big, consider choosing bigger tiles like 100*100cm or 80*80cm in size. But if your room is small, opt for medium-sized tiles like 60*60cm or 45*45cm. In addition, it is also worth noting that the matt tiles are the best house flooring tiles as they are less slippery, and glossy tiles are the best for walls.
Cost
The style, durability, and hardness are important while choosing tiles, but the overall cost also matters. The cost of tile is usually measured by the square foot. However, on average, the labor costs for tile installation range between $4-$32 per square. Flooring installation costs between $4-$14 per square foot and the countertop and backsplash installation costs between $25 to $32 per square foot.
Note: Make sure to buy 5-10 extra tiles, in case you miscalculated or have some cutting hindrance.
Maintenance
Finally, maintenance is another important part of choosing the right tile for your home. If you plan to do the job yourself, consider buying ceramic, or metal tile. Keep in mind that the installation of glass tile, cement tile or porcelain tile can be tricky. So, in this case, it will be better to call for a professional.
Next, you should pay attention to the quality of the tiles. Because maintenance depends mainly on the quality. Make sure that the installed tiles do not have cracks and holes. On the other hand, this will help you do the regular rodent control in your home.
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