Tips on How to Install Bathroom Tiles

February 12, 2011 | Author: admin

Bathroom tile installation is a job that most homeowners can handle themselves. Bathroom tile is easy to clean and they look nice. Tiles can handle the moisture in the bathroom without becoming worn or discolored like paint or wallpaper. They also come in many colors and styles.

To find out how much you should purchase, you will need to measure the width and the length of the space that will be tiled. Then you will need to multiply these two figures to know how many square feet you should buy. If you are going to install tiles for the bathroom floor and the wall at the same time, you will need to buy wall tiles as well. You will also need grout, adhesive, spacers, sponges and a float. To cut the tiles, you will you need to buy a smaller hand-held tile cutter, or rent one. The rented tile cutter is much easier to use.

Find the midpoint of the wall or floor, mark the center line and start tiling on this line and work your way out. This way, it will not be the center of the room if you need to cut and piece. Place the adhesive, and then push down the tile into place. Utilize a spacer between the tiles.

Once the tiles are set, take away the spacers and make a mixture of grout. Spread the grout using a float into the spaces between the tiles. Use a sponge to remove excess grout. Since grout causes extreme drying to the skin, gloves should be worn when working with it or you may end up with cracking in the skin. Once the task is done, you must wait at least a day or two before allowing any contact with the wall or floor.

Carefully clean the tiles to eliminate any dust that remains. If the color of the grout changes, it can be cleaned with a cleaner designed for that issue. Bathroom tiles are durable and resilient. Your newly tiled bathroom will look beautiful for a very long time.

Posted in Bathroom Tile | Leave a Comment

Tile Kitchen Backsplash: Ceramic vs. Metal

February 3, 2011 | Author: admin

Kitchen backsplashes are more than functional, these days a kitchen backsplash can also be a work of art. Backsplashes protect your kitchen walls, but they also serve as a beautiful compliment to your kitchen décor. There are many options for backsplashes, ranging from tile to metal, in a variety of surfaces, hues, and themes. With all of the great ideas, sometimes the most difficult part is deciding which one to install.

One of the most popular backsplash ideas for a kitchen is ceramic tile. A tile backsplash is not only highly durable, but beautiful. The tiles come in such a wide variety of colors and textures that it is difficult to imagine that if you look long enough, you won’t find the exact tile to complete your kitchen in just the way you want to. You can even find kitchen tiles to create hand-painted pictures.

However, there are several things to be aware of when shopping for ceramic tiles. The first is that the nature of a backsplash exposes it to food and grease from cooking surfaces. A porous or unglazed tile will often become discolored or stained from these exposures.

A glazed tile will solve these problems, as the glaze becomes a barrier between the potential staining agents and the tile backsplash. Another thing to pay attention to while shopping for tile is if there are any special tools or instructions that will be needed for installation or cutting the tile.

Ceramic Kitchen Tile Mosaic

Metal is another popular choice for backsplashes. Metal is generally easily cleaned and still can offer a large amount of good design options. Metal is also widely used as accent tiles. Stainless steel is frequently used for a modern look, or in restaurants as they can be used frequently and harshly and still withstand beautifully.

When looking into metal backsplashes, bear in mind that it may take longer to find exactly what you are looking for as there are fewer carriers of metal tiles. Also, while metal withstands cleaning and heat very well, it is also easier to scratch or dent. If you are using a metal other than stainless steel, such as zinc or brass, it will need to polished. These same metals also may show oxidation through time.

One further note, metal tile tends to be far more expensive and somewhat more difficult to manage than ceramic tile. However, both will create a useful backsplash that will be a fantastic touch to your new kitchen.

Posted in Kitchen Tile | 5 Comments

Glass Kitchen Tile

January 27, 2011 | Author: admin

Glass kitchen tiles will provide a beautiful appearance to your room. It is believed by many that these tiles will provide a kitchen the most appealing appearance, compared to any other type of tiles.

These tiles are extremely hard and they are non-porous solid tile. Glass tiles come in a large variety of sizes, starting as small as one inch by one inch squares. The extensive variety of shapes and sizes, allows the installer to create large and small designs within the overall job.

Glass kitchen tile is recommended for backsplashes and decorative accents in a kitchen. They are not typically recommended for flooring or counter surfaces because they are a more expensive tile choice.

Although it is not commonly recommended to use glass tiles on flooring, some glass is suitable for residential floor traffic. In order to use it for a flooring surface, you must first have the tiles rated before it is installed.

These tiles are considered the most beautiful choice because they contain the largest variety of color. The colors can be anything natural or unnatural in appearance, and they usually contain a high gloss finished appearance.

Glass tiles can also be mosaic in design, allowing a home owner to have a beautifully decorative accent included in their kitchen. Glass tiles are not porous, which makes them resistant to mold, mildew, and other stains.

Glass Kitchen Tile

This type of kitchen tile is extremely easy to clean and maintain when used as backsplashes or decorative pieces within a kitchen area. These tiles also reflect light, giving the appearance of a much larger space. Some homeowners also find these a very eco-friendly choice because, when compared with ceramic tiles, glass tiles take half the amount of energy to produce.

These tiles may be beautiful, but they require extensive expertise to install. Due to this factor, a glass tile project is not typically one you can do by yourself. Glass tiles require an experienced professional to install them.

These tiles are rather expensive when compared to other types of kitchen tiles. The reason a professional will be needed, is because these tiles are extremely hard to cut. Another reason is, most glass tiles show grout, so a grout job that is not good, will show horribly on the surface.

Glass kitchen tiles will cost between seven and thirty dollars per square foot. These tiles are able to be scratched, and the scratch is very obviously shown.

Posted in Kitchen Tile | 5 Comments

Installing Floor Tile: Process and Tips

January 20, 2011 | Author: admin

Installing kitchen floor tile is something that can be done in one weekend! Make sure you have selected enough tiles to completely cover the floor and use a tile saw to cut out any spaces for accent tiles you may want to place throughout.

After everything is planned out and all your materials are gathered, you are ready to lay the tile. Make sure the floor surface is clean and level. Then you want to lay down a backer board.

When laying down the backer board, make sure the edges are very close to one another and secure the backer board with screws. Using chalk, go from corner to opposite corner in an X shape to find the center of the room. Use the center point as a starter for laying the tiles.

Kitchen Floor TileMix the mortar, and use a mortar trowel to apply the mix to the back of the tile. Using the X center point in the middle of the room, begin to line up the tiles. Continue off in any direction towards the outside walls, being sure to use spacers between every tile to make sure spacing is consistent.

After you finish laying down all the tiles, let all of the mortar dry for at least twenty-four hours. Next, remove the spacers and apply the grout. Clean up the excess grout with a wet sponge and then let the grout dry, polish the tiles with a soft cloth and your finished!

Some things to remember are the smaller the tile, the more work you are going to have to do. Some tiles are small and connected by a mesh backing. You do not need to remove this mesh before installing. It is made to keep the kitchen tiles in place and spaced perfectly so you do not have to worry about all of the small details!

Posted in Installation | 10 Comments

Cleaning Kitchen Tiles

January 13, 2011 | Author: admin

Of all the rooms in the house, the kitchen is the most important and the toughest to keep clean. With kids and pets at home, it might get tough to keep the kitchen floor tiles clean. Cleaning kitchen tile can be a tiresome job if one does not know the simple tricks and techniques. Cleaning kitchen floor tiles requires some patience and effort to accomplish the task.

Floor tiles vary from one house to the other. All cleaners cannot be used on all types of floors. Marble kitchen floor tiles should only be cleaned using hot water and immediately dried with a dry cloth or mop. Ceramic tiles are widely preferred since they are hassle free to maintain. Any multi-purpose cleaner can be used on ceramic tiles for cleaning.

Bleach can also be used to eliminate any kind of dirt, grime, mold and germs from the kitchen tiles. However, it works well only on white grout. Leave the bleach on the kitchen tiles for five to ten minutes, and then clean it with a wet mop two or three times to remove any remains of the bleach residue.

Keeping Kitchen Tile CleanNatural cleaners like vinegar work well on grout and dirt. When diluted with some hot water, vinegar solution can be used to mop and clean the kitchen tiles with ease. Grout brushes can be used to reach into the corners and areas with mildew and mold. Using lemon juice or lemon based cleaners also work well in cleaning the kitchen tiles.

When using any commercial tiles cleaners, it is advisable to spray and leave the area untouched for five to ten minutes. Later, the whole area can be cleaned with a wet cloth or a brush to tackle the tough stains. It is important not to mix anything with the commercial floor cleaners.

Once the kitchen tiles look clean, it is easy to maintain them regularly. Keep a paper towel or wet wipes in the kitchen and clean the floor once every two days to avoid messy floors with accumulated dirt and food. These tips can help in maintaining a sparkling kitchen and floor tiles effortlessly.

Posted in Cleaning | 1 Comment