The Floor Barn Tile Shop specialists are here to provide you with tips or things to consider when you look at purchasing your new tile floors. Tile is one of the most common floor surfaces in a home, especially in the wet areas of the home like the bathroom, kitchen, dining, laundry and entry areas.
Tile comes in many different styles and made from different materials, each with their own pros and cons. Here some items to consider for your tile shop:

Material – probably the most important and most overlooked factor for you to consider when you tile shop is the material the tile is made of. Most people are aware of the name Ceramic Tile, which is of course made of ceramic. Ceramic Tile is the most popular tile, however closing in quickly is Porcelain Tile. The porcelain additive allows the tile to be baked at a higher temperature which makes a stronger tile. Porcelain's popularity has led to greater production which has brought down the overall cost and is pretty much in line with Ceramic tile now.
Another product to look at when you tile shop is a Natural Stone Tile. Natural stone is made of products such as travertine, marble, granite, quartz, etc… Natural stone is very elegant and is timeless, however it is porous and requires maintenance, such as periodic sealing. 

Size – tiles come in many different shapes like square, rectangle, plank, mosaic, etc…. The most popular sizes are 12×12 or 13×13 tile which works well in many different rooms and applications of the home. If you are installing tile in a small room like a guest bathroom, then the 12×12 size is a must, however if you are installing tile in a much larger open space such as a kitchen/dining combo area, then feel free to tile shop for a larger size like 18×18 or 20×20. It makes the room feel bigger and there are smaller grout sizes. Another thing to consider in regards to size is that typically a tile shop will charge more for installation of a larger tile than a smaller tile. 

Cost – then of course, there is always that darn budget that must consider when you tile shop. Tile prices vary depending on the quality of the products. The average tile purchase price in our retails stores in Arlington and Burleson, TX are about $2 a sq. ft.

I know for most people, their many consideration is the cost of the tile, and it should be an important factor, but it shouldn't be the only factor. Please consider the other factors to make sure that your tile shop experience is a successful one.

by Brian Heltzel
The Floor Barn
http://www.floorbarn.com
817-426-3900
brian@floorbarn.com

Google+: View post on Google+

Leave a Reply