Article by Annie Deakin

As you turn your house into a home, there are many areas which you consider remodeling. One of the most obvious and easiest choices is the walls, but there is only so much that a new coat of paint can accomplish. Why not think out of the box and look for a way to change the entire character of your house from the ground up? Use floor tiles to alter the character of your room for years to come.

There is hardly a room in your house that won’t benefit from the use of floor tiles. They are extraordinarily durable and are therefore a great solution for high traffic areas. You might want to put them in your basement or rec room.

They are also beautiful in an entryway. Floor tiles are easy to keep clean because they present smooth surface that brooms and mops love. This is why they also work well in kitchen and bathrooms. Because they are so fashionable, you might even want to consider installing floor tiles in places that you normally wouldn’t consider, such as a bedroom or living room. Because they look so nice with area rugs you can still capitalize on all the good points of floor tiles while creating soft space to sit.

Stone tiles are many people’s favorite options for floor tiles. Stone tiles are irregular in size and shape and so never give you the same look twice.

Once you pick your stone, you will be guaranteed a certain hue, but not necessarily a uniform color. The mottled look is very forgiving if you don’t have the time to clean your floors every day.

However, when you do, just wipe over your tiles with a broom and mop. Even a Swiffer works well. After your stone floor tiles are installed, you should have them sealed to prevent any permanent staining. Approximately every five years for the life of your floor you should continue this sealing process. It protect the mortar as well.

If you would rather a brighter look, try glazed ceramic tiles. These are another unique option because you have the chance to choose your pattern as you lay down the tiles. Ceramic floor tiles are squares of glazed porcelain or terracotta that have been glazed in bright colors.

Whites and blues are the most popular, but you can find literally every color of the rainbow. If you feel that all that color might be overwhelming on your floor, you can use the glazed tiles to accent plain porcelain tiles. As you make your choice, you might be happy to know that glazed ceramic tiles have been used by people stretching all the way back to classical times. The Greeks and Romans would create mosaics with small glazed floor tiles. Today, most people wouldn’t choose to do their entire floor in a mosaic, but again, small glazed tiles in a pattern or picture can serve as a nice accent piece. There are so many ways that you can use floor tiles to bring your unique style into your home.

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Article by Annie Deakin

While people may rarely consciously notice the floors of your house, they will feel something is not right if the flooring is shoddy or doesn’t go with the rest of your décor. People with elegant tastes aren’t satisfied with the standard industrial beige wall to wall carpeting that is mindlessly installed in so many homes and apartments these days. It is functional, but it is also generic. Instead, a person who craves uniqueness should consider installing floor tiles.

Floor tiles look good in many rooms in your house. They wear well in high traffic areas like entry ways. They are easy to keep clean in messier areas like your kitchen or bathroom.

They can add class anywhere, and as long as they are coupled with an appropriate area rug, floor tiles can even be found in the bedroom or the living room. Floor tiles have been a popular choice for thousands of years for these very reasons.

You will find archeological evidence of floor tiles being used in Troy, Mohenjo Daro, and Crete as well as all over the Greek, Roman, and Byzantium worlds. Even today, the inheritors of those cultures still use decorative floor tiles in sacred spaces like mosques and churches. There is just so much that you can do with floor tiles.

If you are really going for an extraordinary look, consider finding one special place in your entryway that you can have a mosaic pendant. A mosaic is created by arranging small glazed ceramic tiles to create a pattern or a picture.

It is truly stunning when finished and gives your home a one of a kind look. Creating a mosaic is a very labor intensive project, so start with a small accent piece before you decide if you want your entire floor done in mosaic tiles.

Your flooring can be bright and colorful if you use larger ceramic glazed tiles as well. They made of fired clay or terracotta and wear quite well. The best part is that they are glazed in bright colors to liven up your kitchen or bathroom. You can install glazed tiles as a border for regular ceramic tiles or you can do your entire floor in this bold manner. Just make sure that you seal your tiles with a non-slip surface treatment or you may find yourself sliding all over the place if they get wet.

If you consider yourself to be more a natural type, you should install floor tiles made out of stone. Natural stone tiles are most often found in slate and granite. Limestone is also occasionally used, but as it is a softer stone it will show traffic patterns sooner than other varieties. Natural stone floor tiles fill your room with irregular shapes and variegated colors. They also hide dirt and stains and so are great for entryways. If you use them in your kitchen, make sure that you seal your stone tiles so the mortar doesn’t degrade. Any of this floor tile options will turn an ordinary room into an extraordinary room.

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Article by Jack Griffith

Natural Stone Flooring – Add Durability and Lasting Beauty to Your Space

If you’re considering a remodel, whether large or small, you may want to take a close look at natural stone flooring.

Natural stone flooring can add lasting beauty to your space, be it bath, kitchen or living areas. Stone flooring is strong and durable. After all, some of the oldest buildings still in existence were made of stone – can you see how well it lasts?

Natural Stone Flooring Is Available in Many Styles and Textures

It used to be that only the wealthy could afford to have stone in their homes. Stone was difficult to mine, and so required many man hours to pull the stone pieces from the earth.

After it was mined, there was the extensive and labor-intensive shaping process where the stone was cut into tiles or tumbled to smooth rough edges.

Today mining practices for stone are much more efficient, allowing production costs to be reduced and placing natural stone flooring within the grasp of almost anyone.

What Sizes Are Available in Natural Stone Flooring?

Natural stone flooring is available today in many styles and textures. You can find flat tiles in sizes like 12 x 12 inches, 13 x 13, 16 x 16 and as large as 18 x 18 inches.

If you’re looking for something more varied and unique, you might consider pebble tiles. This is a new product made recently available.

The pebbles are small, hand-selected stones that are glued to a wire mesh. The wire mesh makes it very simple to place the piece on the floor or wall with thinset, so even the do-it-yourselfer will find this attractive. Once the thinset cures, about 24 hours, then you simply grout the little pebbles like traditional square tiles.

The result is a modern, crisp feel that will be sure to wow your friends and neighbors!

What Types of Stones Are There?

Natural stone flooring tile is available in granite, limestone, travertine, slate and marble.

The more commonly known large square tiles are always popular.

In addition, you can choose natural mosaic or glazed mosaic tiles which are small flat stones with crisp edges, moon mosaic tiles which are small, completely round stones, “sliced” pebbles which are small oblong stones, or natural, glazed or polished pebble tiles which are simply little stones in various colors.

Natural pebble stones look just like the stones you might see at the bottom of a running stream.

If you opt for these type of tiles, the pebbles are hand-selected and applied to mesh backing so that the stones “fit” like puzzle pieces. This makes installation a breeze!

Whether you like a small or large tile look, you’ll be sure to find what you’re looking for.

What Are the Advantages to Natural Stone Flooring?

Actually, there are several advantages.

The first is quite simply that your home will look elegant and up-to-date with natural stone flooring.

Another advantage is that stone is highly durable. Stone does not absorb spills, and clean up and maintenance are easy.

Natural stone flooring can increase the resale value of your home. After all, stone flooring has been the epitome of “opulence” for centuries!

Stone tile is also slip-resistant, naturally, so safety is improved in your home. There is no sealant or conditioner required to maintain your natural stone flooring, and stone is naturally resistant to stains.

Stone is versatile, and flooring is just one application. If you’d like to modernize a room, simply tile one (or more) walls. Try a stone tile wainscot. Add a stone tile border. Accent a specific area, like perhaps a counter top or backsplash with tile.

Let your imagination run wild, because stone tile can make your ideas shine.

Where Can You Find Natural Stone Tile?

Actually, many retailers offer stone tile. Your local home improvement stores will carry a few lines of stone tile, but to find the greatest variety you’ll want to look online.

Many stone masons and stone specialty retailers will provide a large selection of their products online so you can decide which look and color you prefer as well as get a good idea as to what it will cost.

Bear in mind that if you do buy from an online retailer, shipping costs can be a major factor in determining your budget. For example, one sheet of the wire mesh natural stone pebbles can weigh as much as 5 pounds.

Ask the retailer if they offer shipping discounts. Some retailers will ship free if you place an order of a certain size.

Whatever your choice, you’ll find that natural stone flooring is a great way to improve your home’s look!

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