Saturday, 13 October 2012

Proper Care Of Broken Ceramic Tiles For Your Home Flooring Design


If you have a floor with ceramic tiles, you can cherish its beauty and elegance for many years. Though ceramic tiles can last for many decades, they are not indestructible. Chance of breakage and chipping spoils the look of the surface. But, the damaged tile is easily removed without causing damage to the surrounding tiles. These floors develop cracks if a heavy object falls on them with great force. And the crack accumulates dust and dirt. The look of the floor spoils with one broken or cracked tile. If the floor in question is in the kitchen, then there is a chance that even grease and oil gets accumulated. Cleaning such cracks is difficult and the only option left is to remove the tile and replace it with a new one.

Often, getting the same coloured ceramic tile is not possible. The colour and pattern may have been discontinued by the manufacturers. During the process of first installation, buying a few boxes more makes sense. Replacing the broken or chipped tiles with the same coloured or patterned one will not change the look of the floor. Do this process with finesse and skill. Do this on a leisurely day, when no other distractions are present. See that you allot some time for the removal and replacement. Locate the replacement tile in advance and clean it properly. Buy the necessary adhesive and grout, to match the replacing tile. Repair and replacement needs some skill. If you have saved tiles from earlier installation, then the replaced tile will merge smoothly with the rest of the floor.

To begin the process, find the necessary tools to remove the broken one. Start by cutting away the surrounding grout carefully around the damaged tile. Take ample time and do this process with precision. Sudden jerks or movements can cause the neighboring tiles to chip or crack. Once you remove the grout around the tile completely, use a cold chisel and a sledgehammer to lift the damaged one. You can also use a rotary tool with a cutting attachment to make an 'x' on the surface. Use small chiseling strokes to remove the ceramic tile in small pieces. This way you can easily remove the damaged tile. Take proper care while using the tools. Use protective gloves and goggles while working with the tools. Chips and bits of the ceramic tiles fly around and can cause damage to the eyes and hands. So experts recommend the use of protective gear while working.

Once, you remove the old tile; place the new one in that space. Apply grout according to the manufacturer's instructions around the joints of the new one. Putty knife is a good tool to use for this process. Remove any excess grout and wait for a few minutes. Use a damp sponge to remove the excesses. Place the ceramic tile in place of the old one and wait for 24 hours. Do not disturb the floor, during the drying process.

Monday, 20 August 2012

Wet Room Flooring: Designs and Types

Wet rooms are common in many parts of the country because of their attractive designs. It is a barrier free or water proof bathroom. People who have small houses and rooms find these units ideal because of their ability to save on space. People who want to add another bathroom in their homes can use these bathrooms because they cost much less than installing a complete bathroom. These wet room flooring types may increase a room's space, if some other bathroom fixtures such as wall mounted toilets and mounted showers, are added to the room. These fixtures can increase a room's aesthetic value if the right flooring is installed. There are several types of floors in the market that any person can choose from.

Granite tiles: These are the best choice for anyone with such a bathroom. This is because they come with an extra antibacterial surface. Granite slates are also extremely durable because of their hardened surface. Granite floors for
wet rooms require minimal sealing at the grout lines. They are also waterproof, making them ideal for such kinds of rooms.

Vinyl floors: These floors are also ideal for such rooms because of their durability and traction ability. The perfect traction ability of vinyl floors minimizes the risk of slips and falls. These floors are warm and make the bathing experience worthwhile. Their water proof qualities minimize the effects of leakages to the underlying surfaces. They are also less expensive than tiles.

Slate tiles: They have a high traction, thereby minimizing the chances of slipping and falling. These tiles need a lot of maintenance, so the owner may incur many costs in the end, though it provides superb quality
flooring.

Porcelain and ceramic tiles: These tiles have waterproof qualities and are inexpensive. They come in a wide variety of patterns and designs to choose from, enabling the owner to maximize on his interior designing.


With all the
wet room flooring options, there are some points to consider before installing any flooring and fixtures. First of all the floor level should be even. This will allow future users with disabilities or knee problems to have easier access to the room. Before purchasing any floor material, a buyer should consider the warranty period of the flooring material. This will allow a homeowner to have a refund in case of problems during installation. You should make sure that the shower tray is available in different sizes, so that people of various sizes can use it in the future. A buyer should make sure that he gets the right membrane to cover all the grout regions. Doing so will make sure that any future leaks are minimal or eliminated. Ensure that the tiling thickness corresponds with the drainage. A homeowner should also consider buying frameless shower doors, which enhance the room's beauty.

Thursday, 3 May 2012

Flooring Designs Make Ordinary Rooms Extraordinary

When you walk in a home, it is often the personal touches that really make it stand out to you. Special details that have been incorporated into the home's design and construction make it even more noticeable and special. These details can occur in many places in a home, from crown moldings and tray ceilings, to custom mantles and flooring designs. The latter can add a wonderfully elegant touch to a home and accent the usage of any room, including foyers, kitchens, and even laundry rooms. Many homeowners get design ideas from reading through a flooring review, and then implement those ideas. Two popular materials to use for floor designs are hardwood flooring and ceramic tile.

Hardwood flooring usually involves installing an area of flooring with a different finish, and in a pattern that offsets and contrasts the running pattern that is being installed in the rest of the house or room. This can be an entirely custom look for which you can get ideas from reading a hardwood flooring review, but unless you can do the work yourself, you should be prepared to pay for this service. The installation is not easy, especially since it interrupts the pattern of the rest of the room. Additionally, buying only a small amount of a contrasting hardwood may also prove expensive, since hardwoods are usually sold in bulk.

Another option for a decorative floor design is to use ceramic tiles to create a pattern. These are usually used in a bathroom or kitchen, or even a laundry room, but can make an especially beautiful statement in an elegant master bathroom. By browsing through a tile flooring review, you can find tile ideas to suit nearly any decor style and area. By using color, texture, and pattern, something as simple as ceramic can be turned into a work of art. This provides a priceless personal touch to a residence, and can be well worth the added installation and material expense, not to mention the time to create the design. These touches can take an ordinary room and turn it into a high-end room, and can make an ordinary home extraordinary.

Monday, 26 March 2012

Marble Flooring Designs to Amplify Home Beauty

The right kind of flooring blended with beautiful interior decorations adds to the décor of a home. There are a variety of flooring options available today at different price rates. Apart from ceramic tiles, marble is considered one of the best options for flooring. There are many types of marble flooring designs that bestow an aesthetic appearance to a home.

Unique marble flooring designs

Most of the interior designers opt for marble as the best flooring choices due to its innumerable properties. It is a natural stone which is quite similar to granite but with a number of essential features. Known for its immense strength and durability, marble is used for many purposes such as flooring, table tops, kitchen walls and bathroom walls.

Marble flooring designs include marble tiles of mainly three types which are-honed tiles, polished tiles and sand tiles. The honed tiles have a matt finish as it is not polished deeply. The polished marble tiles are glazy and have a shiny appearance. To acquire an antiqued appearance, marble is mixed with sand to form smooth tiles.

It is difficult to find marble pieces of the same type as each piece is unique with different patterns and veins. The virulent designs of this unique flooring are quite popular as it is known to accentuate the appearance of any room.

A huge variety of marble flooring designs can be found in many of the online stores which include the Forest Brown antique finish, Zebra black, Rain Forest Brown, Forest Green, Onyx Gold, Royal Green and so forth. The Lavender blue marbles are another popular variety which is commonly used for swimming pool floors. The Oak wood design is yet another beautiful variety of flooring designs.

Innumerable flooring and Tile designs

The unique and distinctive marble flooring designs have fascinated people since years. marble has been in use for flooring as it is both strong and durable. But now its use has increased manifold as there are many different types of designs available even in the online stores.

Marble flooring designs include tiles of different sizes and shapes. The marble tiles are inclusive of two varieties mainly the glazed and the unglazed varieties. The glazed variety is available in different types which include satin, dull, matt and gloss. These tiles are water stain resistant as it is glazed and smooth. It can be found in different colors such as pink, green, blue, white and black. Though white marble is more popularly and widely used, other contemporary colors are also used today.

With a variety of bathroom tiles designs found in the online stores, most of the people today prefer to use marble tiles in bathrooms and kitchens. Glazed tiles of different colors and shapes are used extensively for bathrooms as it is resistant to water stains. Wide varieties of designs and patterns of these tiles are available online.

Flooring of homes is chosen on the basis of color, design, texture and size. However, while choosing marble flooring designs, it is important to consider the functionality in addition to style.

Saturday, 4 February 2012

Five Flooring Design Tips

Tip #1: If you're laying tile flooring and want to make the room look bigger, use larger sized tiles (18 x 18 or larger) and lay them on a 45 degree angle (diamond pattern). What this does is draw your eye to the two widest points of each tile, giving your flooring the illusion of a larger space. And the larger sized tiles have less grout lines to look at so your flooring doesn't look as 'busy' across your a larger area as say a 12 x 12 would.

Just keep in mind installing tile on a 45 uses more tile because there are more cuts to be made.


Tip #2: If you want a clean, contemporary look, ask your installer to use the narrowest grout lines possible, either a 1/8 or 3/16 and for natural stone 1/16. Larger grout lines give a more rustic, earthy look. And higher gloss (polished) tiles are contemporary whereas heavily grooved and rough give an aged, worn look.


Tip #3: To give your flooring another illusionary trick, lighter colors give the room a more spacious feel while darker colors give it a cozier, smaller feel.


Tip #4: There are many flooring patterns available so don't hesitate to use them! Too many shoppers I met would obsess over what flooring everyone else is doing. This is your home, not anyone else's and you should get the floor that makes you happy. Don't be afraid of not looking like everyone else. That's the whole point! if you want to differentiate a room, then lay different flooring.

Tip #5: I'm a big fan of using matching or contrasting inserts to transform the flooring into a masterpiece. But not many really can create a room. You know, these deco pieces, listellos and natural stone inserts may cost you a couple hundred dollars all up but they give your room an unsurpassed look. Now I strongly recommend when doing these special flooring designs to only hire a certified flooring installer. DON'T TRY and do them yourself unless you really know what you're doing. I've seen it too many times.

For example, for every insert, you need to make 4 cuts, one for each connecting tile. These cuts need to be pretty much right on, otherwise any unevenness will flash at you right away once its installed. And if you insist on doing it yourself, just remember two very important words: wet saw and diamond blade!

Sunday, 15 January 2012

Ceramic Tile Floor Designs

Using various ceramic tile floor designs has become quite common among the people to decorate their homes. The market is flooded with the number of ceramic tiles and even some people, love to customize their designs also. However there is simply no dearth of the designs available in light to fascinating attractive colors.

The best part of using ceramic tile floor
designs is that it is very convenient and reflects your creative side and your eye for appreciable designs also. Although the use of the ceramic tile is bit tough and requires investment, people love to use it as it makes their entire house beautiful and floors very attractive and comfortable.
So, if you have made up your mind to use the tiles then you should make detailed list of the items you may be required while using tiles. If you are hiring some interior professional who can guide you on this critical and important issue, you need to pay attention to their recommendations about its use. The interior designers are well versed with its use and they will check for all greater details which can be used to give your home floor an effective and exciting look. They will help you in identifying the ideal design and shade you are looking for. Apart from this while laying the design of tiles flooring, they will make an optimum use of the available space in your room and even in the corners. So, it is advisable that if you are not a professional by yourself then try to seek a professional help to make your home floor even better.

However, as far as the selection of the tile designs is concerned you can take care of this part. You can choose from a number of colors and designs available in the market. You can visit the stores and can select a design and color. You can also ask for the details at the store which will show you the latest trend going on. If you have specific design in your mind then you can share with the tile manufacturer and can transform your imagination on tiles.

Another most effective method is to look for the designs and colors online. You can visit certain websites which will help you in getting the right kind of tile floor designs. This is the most important and widely used method. Using online facilities you can get different colors, shades and designs and will be able to use it effectively. Another thing is that while looking for ceramic tile floor designs you should also check the quality. You know that ceramic tiles can be used for longer period only and it can not be hanged at short intervals. So, the quality of these tiles should be very good and strong.