DON'T GET FLOORED BY FLOOR TILES

Tiling is always a popular floor covering due to the attractive natural looks available coupled with the ease of care and maintenance. Tiling also works well in areas with high foot traffic as a result of its durability, and really comes into its own in wet areas and those prone to becoming dirty. The design options are countless with a wide range of size, texture and colour choices available.

The first considerations when choosing floor tiles are the practical aspects including the level of usage and the environment. Will they be in an area of high usage and what tiles are most suitable (for instance in a kitchen textured tiles might be more suitable to provide extra grip and need to be harder wearing)?

There are three main types of floor tile: porcelain, stone and ceramic glaze. Generally speaking ceramic glazed tiles are most cost-effective as they are made up of a “biscuit” base and a thin hard glaze but as a result they are not as hard wearing. If you are tiling a kitchen or near a back door you would be well advised to invest a bit more in porcelain or stone tiles that will stand up to heavy traffic.

Another consideration is porosity, not only of the tile surface but also of the tile backing. This influences where a tile can be used, for example, in a totally submerged floor such as a walk in shower, the tile must be waterproof and must not be porous. The same applies if a tile is to be used outside.

If you have an area that requires a good level of grip, particularly important in areas that get wet, you may want to consider choosing textured tiles with rougher, less polished surfaces. Alternatively you can choose a smaller tile such as mosaic where the grout joints and tile edges themselves provide extra grip.

Working through some of the practical issues first also has the benefit of helping you narrow down your choices after-which you can make a decision on style, colour and size of tiles. Large tiles are becoming increasingly popular and can give a really stylish finish – they also make a space look bigger than it is, especially if you use a lighter colour. If you don’t have an even substrate, or you are considering large tiles, you may want to consider BAL’s “pourable plywood”.

If you are tiling a kitchen or bathroom have a look at our Kitchen and Bathroom tiling guides which will help with your decision as well as highlighting other areas you need to think about such as waterproofing for wet areas. You may also want to check out our guide to Underfloor Heating to add a bit more warmth to your tiles.

Our best tip when choosing tiles is to nip down our showroom in Glasgow or Greenock and have a look at our huge selection of tiles catering for every taste. NEVER choose tiles without seeing them in person first – be aware that not all retailers supply the same quality of tiles as Cosmo Ceramics – what looks great online might not be as good in reality. Our knowledgeable staff will also be more than happy to offer you some free advice to ensure your project is a success whilst our new tools and accessories shop has everything you need if you are fitting the tiles yourself.

Good luck.