|
I subscribe to TileDealer magazine, which is a great resource for
tile dealers such as Best Plumbing Tile & Stone. The
November/December issue intrigued me with their cover story "Choosing
Stone or Ceramic: Educate customers to choose well." I thought I would
build my blog off of that concept and help you, the home owner, choose
the perfect tile for your project.
The tile possibilities are
endless. There are stone tiles (the most popular being marble and
limestone), ceramic tiles (both machine made and hand crafted),
porcelain tiles (replicating stone, metal, wood and more), glass tiles
and metal tiles. So what kind of tile do you use for your project?
- Stone
- When choosing stone, expect the unexpected. Since it is a natural
product, there will be variation in color, texture and even size. Some
stones are more consistent than others, so make sure you... Stone
tiles can be used in any application, but require a bit more
maintenance. All stone should be sealed when installed. This will
protect the stone from absorbing any stains, and keeps it looking new
for a long time. Most sealers today are 10 year sealers, which means
that if you use the correct cleaning products, you won't have to
re-seal your stone for 10 years. Addicted to acidic cleaners? No
problem! They won't hurt the integrity of the stone, you will just
have to re-seal the stone more often. The trick to deciding when you
need to re-seal is easy. Simply put some water on the stone and let it
sit there for at least 2 minutes. Wipe away the water and see if the
stone changed color. If it did, it is time to re-seal. So as long as
you are willing to put in a little effort with your stone tile, you can
use it anywhere - kitchen backsplash, floor, shower walls, some of the
more dense stones can even be used outside! Stones are available in
small mosaics, 18"x18" squares and everything in between. They range
in price from $4 to over $30 a square foot (SF).
- Ceramic - Ceramic tiles, often referred to as wall tiles,
are timeless. They have been used for hundreds of years and are still
one of the most popular tile choices today. Machine made ceramic tiles
will be very uniform and tend to be less expensive (around $3/SF).
Since hand crafted ceramics are, well, hand crafted, they will have
some variation. This is part of the beauty of these tiles, as no two
tiles will be exactly the same. Hand crafted ceramics bring a warmer,
more custom look to a space, and range in price from $11/SF to over
$40/SF. Most ceramic tiles are made specifically for the walls and are
perfect for kitchen backsplashes and tub/shower surrounds.
- Porcelain
- Porcelain tiles are made to replicate all different types of stone,
weathered metal, wood, fabric, concrete and more. It is the most
sturdy tile available, and can be used in any application imaginable.
If you have kids running around that have a tendency to break things,
I would strongly recommend a porcelain tile. Since they have less than
1% absorbency, there is very little maintenance required with porcelain
tiles. The newest trends in tile are large format and planking, so
most of these porcelain tiles are available in rectangles and sizes up
to 24" x 24". There are many different ways to make porcelain tiles,
which causes the prices to range from $2/SF to over $10/SF.
- Glass
- Glass tiles are a great way to accent your bathroom or kitchen. They
are available in many different colors, shapes and sizes with the post
popular being 1"x1" mosaics. Most glass mosaics come mounted on a
12"x12" sheet to make installation a breeze, and can be cut into strips
if you just want to use them as an accent. While many glass tiles are
floor rated for light residential use, make sure you check with your
sales associate. If the glass is not dense enough, if may crack. No
one wants sharp cracked glass under their bare feet. Glass tiles range
from $25/SF to over $40/SF.
- Metal
- Metal tiles are mainly used as accents and come in a variety of
shapes, sizes and designs to match any style. Some companies have
solid metal pieces, while others are metal coated - this changes the
usage, so make sure your sales associate knows exactly where you are
planning on using your metal tiles. Metal tiles are generally sold by
the piece, and range from $2 to over $40.
The bottom line is,
no matter what your project, there is a perfect tile out there for you!
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me at marketing@bestplg.com .
|
