Does tile get you excited?
I love tile; tiled bathroom walls, showers and floors. Tiled kitchen flooring; tile in the entry. How about tiled patios? There a million types of tile, and they look great almost anywhere.
- Porcelain and ceramic tiles. Porcelain tile is made by pressing porcelain clays, which forms a tile that’s dense, impervious, fine grained and smooth. Glazed porcelain tile is very hard and damage resistant. They work well in any residential and light commercial application.
- Non porcelain ceramic tiles are made from a red or white clay that is fired in a kiln. They’re suitable for light to moderate traffic and have a higher water absorption rating than porcelain tile. No recommended for the bathroom.
- Porcelain & ceramic tiles have wear ratings, indicating the best locations to install them. They are called PEI ratings.
Natural stone tiles:
- Slate – A fine grained rock composed mostly of micas, chlorite and quartz and is best suited for floors, walkways and roofing. It’s a dense, very tough composite that’s typically available in blacks, grays and greens.
- Marble – Each block of marble has unique colors and veining with a richness of depth and intensity. It is a softer stone than granite; it is most often used in bathroom walls and flooring, tub decks, fireplace surrounds; not recommended for kitchen areas unless the stone is honed and sealed.
- Limestone – Form of marble that is less dense than marble or travertine. Best uses are for structural walls, entry walls, floors, fireplace surrounds, vanities and shower walls.
- Travertine – Type of limestone; it is a form of marble that is less dense than high-grade marble. Best used in the same locations in the home that limestone is recommended for.
- Granite – Dense grained, hard stone. Some granite has a salt and pepper look, others look more like the grain in marble. Should be sealed periodically to maintain it’s beauty.
- Glass tiles. Highly recommended in the shower, for ease of mai
ntenance. Glass reflects light, making your space brighter. Can be made from recycled material, so is more earth-friendly. Glass tile is also popular for kitchen backsplashes. It comes in an unlimited number of colors.
There you go! Do a little more research and make your selection!
