So you have decided you want to use tile for your next home or home improvement project. Which one is the right one to use? How do you make sure you get the best tile for your needs? When choosing tile for your project, there are a few factors to consider that will help guarantee your success. So hold on tight and enjoy your ride.
Strength: The last thing your want is to get a great looking tile on your floor, start walking on it, and have it crack and crumble beneath your feet. To avoid this you need to know the break strength of your tile. Tiles used for floors must have break strength of greater than 250lbs. to be used safely.
Wear: The wear rating of tile lets you know how strong the tile’s glaze is. The glaze on some tiles can wear out after years of being walked on. The range for wear rating is 0 (for decorative type tile) all the way to 5 (heavy duty tile).You will want a tile with at least a three for your floors, and possibly even higher if you are putting the tile in an area with lots of traffic such as an entryway.
Grip: No one wants a floor that is so slick you fall every time you step foot on it. The slip resistance of a floor is measured by a fancy word called coefficient of friction or C.O.F. for short. This coefficient ranges from 0 to 1. To avoid taking a dive when you step out of the shower, make sure the bathroom tile has a COF of .6 or higher. This is considered slip resistant, so still be careful.
Size: Size does matter. While the most popular sizes of tile have been 13x13 for floors and 8x10 for walls, the new sizes are 16x16 for floors and 8x12 for walls. So why is bigger better? Bigger tiles make your room look bigger. So if you are trying to turn that David of a room into a Goliath, go for the larger sizes. You can even mix up sizes to create a truly unique look.
Color: Surely I’m not going to tell you what color of tile you should choose, right? Of course I won’t.I will give you some helpful hints though. If you want to hide some dirt and add warmth to your space, go with darker colors. Lighter ones will help the space look bigger. Neutral colors will allow changing your accessories without changing your floor. Just remember that whatever color you choose will likely be with you for a long time. Also remember that the shades do different slightly from box to box. Keeping this in mind will help you pick a color that has variations you can live with.
So remember when tiling your home you should think about the strength, wear, grip, size, and color. Don’t be intimidated by the array of choices out there. Does your research, relax, and enjoy the process. What you will end up with is a product that adds style to your home and a smile to your face.
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