A Close Look at Floor Tiles: Types, Costs and Tips on Installation
Floor tiles have been favourite materials to complete the look on your floor. Whilst some homes favour the use of floorboards, some of you would rather make use of tiles instead. The good thing about floor tiles these days is the fact that you may get them in various shapes, designs, colours and sizes. This being so, you are assured to get better aesthetical value to your home. Of course, that is without sacrificing the functions of these floor tiles.
There are varied types of floor tiles offered in the market. Depending on the type, cost considerations differ as well. Even if the choice is yours to make, you must not overlook essential pointers on the purchase. To help you decide on the floor tiles to use in your home, look into the basic types of floor tiles and how much each costs.
Types of floor tiles and their corresponding costs
Aside from the usual quarry, stone and ceramic tiles for the floor, there are other types of floor tiles to include on your list. Basically the cost for each square foot of tiles is presented as follows: quarry at £2.09; ceramic from £3.05 to £9.15; and stone from £4.27 to £12.20. This does not include the installation cost though. For more information on other types of floor tiles, read along.
- Glazed tile. This type of floor tiles is subcategorised under ceramic tiles. It forms a glass coating over the ceramic tile output to provide better aesthetics to the surface. It also covers for the materials' porous features. These floor tiles are usually three-fourth inch thick and are the most popular amongst all types of tiles for the floor. A high-quality glazed floor tile costs about £.91 per square foot.
- Porcelain tile. This is yet another subcategory of the popular ceramic tiles. A lot of individuals usually associate the porcelain material to figurines and other house decors. However, such had grown in the market for floor tiles. This type of ceramic tile is derived from a thinner class of clay and is processed under higher temperature than that of the glazed tiles. Although this type of tile is popular for kitchen countertops and even wall coverings, it is more ideal for the manufacture of floor tiles. These tiles may cost in between £8.35 and £10.94 per square foot of flooring project.
- Terracotta tile. This type of floor tiles is favoured for its capability to create colour variations depending on the colour of the clay from which it is derived. Most often than not, you will usually see colours in the orange or brown hues. These floor tiles cost around £.61 to £1.53 for a square foot of a floor tiling project.
- Mosaic tile. If terracotta tile has the capability to follow the colour of the clays from which it is derived, mosaic tiles are types of floor tiles that are available in various sizes. It is usually two square inches but at times, you may have it in a round or hexagonal form. This type of floor tiles may cost from as low as £1.83 to £15.25 per square foot.
How to install floor tiles
Looking into the cost and features of the types of floor tiles mentioned above, you are now more than ready to begin the installation project. You always need to give high regard to the measurement of your floor areas though. This is crucial in determining the number of floor tiles to use in the entire project. The following rules are to be followed
- Check whether you have enough floor tiles to use in the project. A box of tiles you have purchased indicates the area that the entire box may cover. If your service providers made use of the metric measurement then you must also do the same in measuring your floor areas. Otherwise, you may encounter some errors in picking up the number of floor tiles to complete the process. The process involves multiplying the length by the width of the floor.
- Assuming you have taken the necessary measurements of your floors where your tiles will be overlaid, you may now proceed to the project proper. Installing the floor tiles involves a few things to consider. First, you must make sure that the floor is levelled before you lay down the floor tiles over the surface. If adhesives are to be used to stick the tiles on the underlying surface, then proper ventilation inside the room is required.
Of course, you should not forget about extras found on your underlying surface. You should remove any nails or tacks that may cause some cracks on your floor tiles. If you are laying the tiles over existing floorboards, make sure that the boards are not loose. Should you find some parts loosening up, fix them with the aid of screws. In this way, your floor tiles will look neatly as overlays to your floors.