Choosing Tile for your Home – From Your Friendly Vancouver Mortgage Broker

Choosing Tile for your Home – From Your Friendly Vancouver Mortgage Broker

A nice tile floor can really spruce up your Vancouver home in so many ways. Tile is used mainly in the kitchen and bathroom, but can also be used for your entrance foyer, the outdoors or for another specific room. It’s not just for the floors but can be used for walls, counters, under cabinets, behind the stove, or as a splash guard.

Tile comes in all sizes, different materials, and glazing so you have a broad variety of tile selections to choose. You can create motifs and colour patterns that really offset and complement you home or room décor design.

Tiling is generally made from either some combination of clay, and other minerals along with solvents.

The first important thing to know that tile which is not glazed is very porous. You do not want to use unglazed tile which will be exposed to any form of liquid such as spills or the outside elements.

You can buy glazed tiles which have been waterproofed. Asides from being appealing to the eye, tile is also very hygienic, doesn’t absorb nasty orders, won’t contract or swell as temperatures fluctuate, and is very easy to clean. You can also buy tile which is slip resistant or can have a slip resistant coating added. You can also buy scratch resistant tile which would be ideal for a kitchen countertop.

Tile comes in variety of different materials and should be used according to the need. When you buy tile, make sure you tell the sales person the purpose of what and where you plan to use the tile so they can tell you your options so you don’t use the wrong tile in the wrong place.

Some of the materials which comprises tile includes quarry, porcelain, stone, glass, ceramic, vinyl, cork and even bamboo. The materials serve different purposes. Glass tiles for example should not be used for your floor but are better served as backsplash or for walls.

The price of tile can be quite expensive so make sure you measure the area in square footage so you can calculate the cost of the materials. Then of course, if you don’t plan to do it yourself as it does require a certain skill set to do it right, you will need to consider what a contractor will charge.

There are literally thousands of colours, sizes and style of tile so take your time in making a selection to get the look you want to express.

Porcelain tiles are considered the densest and also the most durable. They are also very strong and can resist chipping, scratching and won’t stain. Their only drawback is that they can be slippery, so be cautious where you plan to use this type of tile. Another drawback is the porcelain tiles tend to be pricy and will cost more than other ceramic tiles.

Larger sized tiles are much easier to keep clean. Small tiles use a lot of grout which can stain or become discoloured. The grout used for larger tiles will also have to be cleaned but there’s a lot les surface area so you can do the job quicker.

There are 5 classifications in how tile is rated, and that includes.

Group I – Okay for walls, but suitable for floors such in bathrooms where the foot and show traffic is light.

Group II – This tile is rated for general residential use but not recommended for kitchens, foyers and areas which have high-traffic.

Group III – This tile is considered the optimum pick for homeowners. These tiles are broadly rated and can be use for your kitchen or foyer, and even for a light commercially used area.

Group IV and V – These are the most expensive tiles because they are made extra tough for areas which see a huge amount of traffic along with wear and tear. This is the kind of tile you find in malls.

If you want to add dazzle to your home, then take it from your friendly Vancouver mortgage broker that buying new tile can add some real style to your home.