Improve your Home Apperance

There are so many ways in which an individual or family can improve their home appearance without the need to break the bank. one of these ways is to install tiles and these usually come in different varieties and price range. When it comes to installing new ceramic, mosaic or marble tiles, there are basically simple guidelines or steps that you can follow through as listed below;

Plan for the type of tiles to install

This simple yet important step is often overlooked and underestimated however choosing the right kind of tiles for your new home is never that easy as one has to compare the prices, quality and size of tiles to install. Heavy and durable tiles often come with a high price tag attached to it and in a variety of colours and unique designs. This is true when it comes to Egyptian and Chinese tiles as they come in different price ranges to accommodate individual preferences in the marketplace. In addition to the quality and durability of tiles, tiles come in different standard sizes such as 60 x 60, 30 x 30, 90×90, etc. It must be noted here that the size of tiles to install in your home can either make you spend more or less as bigger tiles cover a large surface area and are likely to be thick and durable than smaller ones.

Check for Suitability of Tiles

This is another step that you have to take into account as different tiles have different designs and makeup to accommodate different uses of particular rooms such as bathroom, toilet, kitchen, bedrooms and living rooms. If you are not sure on the type of tiles to install in different rooms of your home, it’s important you ask professional tilers or retailers for guidance as they are likely to have more information on the particular type and suitability of each chosen tiles.

Measuring the size of the area to be tiled is also very important as that can really guide you on the number of boxes of tiles, a number of bags of tile fix, cement or grout to purchase. Note that every ceramic tile installation is not the same as different grout or mortar has to be used to cover a specific area e.g waterproof sealant/grout has to be used for the bathroom.

Seek advice from professionals

Always seek guidance from competent suppliers or contractors when coming up with a budget on the number of quantities needed for the whole project. Shopping around for the right tiles will save you some very much needed cash and the headaches of buying wrong ceramics. Another way of sourcing for the right tiles can be through local directories and internet or even enquiring from contractors themselves.  These are reliable sources to find the right suppliers near you and possibly pay them a visit.

Laying the firm foundation for tiles

This is probably the most important point to ensure long lasting tiles. Prepare the surface to be tiled such as floor, wall or other similar surfaces by levelling, filling, smoothing and priming. This ensures all uneven surfaces are smoothed out without directly affecting the lifespan of the ceramic tiles. Getting it right the first time will make you avoid the cost of retiling the same area twice or more.

Other additional items that you will probably need as you embark on your project is the use of the spirit level, tile spencers for maintaining the depth and distance between each tile and tile cutter/angle grinder for cutting smaller tile pieces. Safety goggles should be worn when its convenient( when cutting standard tiles into smaller pieces).

some precautions to take note is that laying tiles can be very messy and involving so always remember to seal off any working area until the tiles have dried up and ready for use.

Applying the grout

Once the tiles have dried up the final stage of the project is to fill up the spaces between each tile with grout which usually come in colour grey or white, wipe off any excess grout from the tiles using a cotton cloth or rubber trowel.

From the above guiding steps it can be mentioned here that laying of tiles is a craft that requires experience and simple technique put together. This can most certainly be done by anyone with a lot of time to spare or even over weekends. With a completed tiling project a house can drastically increase its value and most certainly attract real estate buyers with enough purchasing power.