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Tile Style – An Introduction To The Various Types Of Floor Tiles Available – Part 01 – Ceramic Tiles

Finding the cheapest tile and best looking is not always the way to go when you decide to tile your floor. There are a number of factors which should first be taken into consideration before you rush out and buy something, so here I hope to explain and give you an insight into the various types of floor tiles available which could be most suitable for your skills and particular application.

Starting with the most basic and common of all, ceramic tiles are certainly a great all-rounder suitable for most indoor applications, be it either for floor or wall. Their popularity is defined by them as being an inexpensive and easy to work with option when floor tiling, but like all things they do have some drawbacks.

Ceramic tiles are basically made of compressed clay with a pattern added, which is then sealed topside with a hardened gloss film giving them a distinctive glaze. They are quite durable and resilient, however compared to other tile styles can be easily chipped and broken. This is easily seen by the use of a tile breaker tool which can only be used with ceramic tiles as a fast method of cutting them in straight lines. A wheel is used to score the glaze on the tile, and then with applied pressure can break it into two pieces. Very similar to cutting glass, and if you get a shard from a broken tile stuck in your finger you can find it just as sharp.

These tiles are impractical for commercial applications where they can be more easily prone to damage, but are ideal for use in the home, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Another drawback is there exact sizing. If you choose to pay less for low-end tiles, then you’ll obviously get poorer quality manufactured floor tiles. They could vary in size by up to 1/8” of a difference, and this discrepancy of dimensions can really throw your grout lines way off if you’re not too careful.

On the plus side though, they are lightweight to work with, very waterproof so long as the glaze has not been chipped thus exposing the bare clay, and they are very easy to wipe clean. An ideal tile to start with for the beginner in floor tile laying, and can be reasonably cheap to allow a window for error when tackling your first floor tile project.

For a FREE 74 Minute DVD on Floor Tiling and more information on how to lay floor tiles, visit Matt Seiling of Seiling's Floors website at http://www.seilingsfloors.com/free

Article Source: http://www.articlemotron.com

Ever wonder what type of tile you should use for your next floor tiling project? If not, you should. Choosing the right type of tile for your particular application is almost as important as the job itself. Whether you're doing the home improvement job yourself, or hiring someone else to do it, it's imperative to know what tile you need to use.

Known as "TilingGuy" on many sites and forums; Matt specializes in Floor and Wall Tiling. He has been happily married since 2006, has a young daughter with a second child on the way. Residing in Ontario, Canada, Matt loves all manners of activities including downhill skiing, where he's proud to claim "no broken bones yet!" He loves to rollerblade, bmx, and previously rode dirt bike before he bought his first home in 2003. Originally purchased as an investment to fix up and flip, Matt later fell in love with the house and decided to keep it, 7 years later, he and his family are still residing in it. His first book "A Unique Step-By-Step Guide: Making Floor Tiling Easier" is for sale at his website www.SeilingsFloors.com. He also has a 5 DVD training course on how to tile a floor, and a 22 week online course, also about floor tiling. He does 1 on 1 training with people that want to learn floor tiling as well. A book on wall tiling is in the works as well.