Tile Flooring Installation
If you are looking for a type of floor that has a little personality with it, tile flooring could be a great option for you. Tile comes in all different colors, patterns and finishes and which you choose to have installed, is completely up to you. Tile makes for great flooring because it is extremely durable, handles water and spills well and is relatively easy to care for and maintain. If you would like a tile floor installed, let us be the ones to do it for you!
Prepping For Installation Prepping for tile flooring takes a little bit of work. Unlike wood boards and vinyl floorings, tile does not need to sit and acclimate to your climate conditions. However, tile needs a further step that other flooring types don’t need. Tile needs to be taken out of its packaging and, if it’s non pattern tile, randomized so that color variations are blended in and, if it is pattern tile, the pattern needs to be sorted out so that when installation occurs, we know the pattern being installed. Prepping should also include mixing up thin set mortar for applying tile. Installing Tile The first step to tile installation is to spread mortar on the area of floor that we are installing tile on to. This step can be difficult because using not enough mortar will result in the tiles not setting correctly and using too much mortar will result in tiles being uneven. Once that is done, tiles are place in the mortar. We use spacers to keep all tiles an even amount of part, which will be filled with grout in a following step. We always start with a center tile and work our way out from there, making sure your pattern stays in place. Grouting Once tile is laid out, and your pattern is as you want it to be, the next step is to grout your tiles. Grouting is an important step because grout is what holds your tiles together. Mortar adheres your tiles to the floor, but grout helps the tiles bond to each other. This helps the tiles to stay in place and, the grout acts as a barrier which blocks out moisture from getting under the tiles and pushing them loose. Grouting is a lot of work, but it is an important step in a solid tile floor. Care and Maintenance One of the great things about tile flooring is that these floors are relatively maintenance free. Depending on the tile type that you use, most are water resistant, so they can be swept, vacuumed and mopped clean. This should be done regularly to keep the tiles clean and from staining. Regular cleaning will also help grout to stay clean. If a tile begins to crack or chip or break, we can usually cut an individual tile out and replace it with a similar tile. In this way, we can make sure that your tile floor will be as good as new for years to come. |
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