If you are thinking of renewing your house, then opt for ceramic tiles for flooring. It will surely change and enhance the look of your house. The following passages give more information on the same.
Flooring is an important part of any home decor. Whenever we try to explain our dream house to someone, we begin with the flooring and why not? After all, it defines the characteristic of our house. Many people use a variety of tiles for this purpose. They can also be used to cover walls and roofs. They are also widely used in toilet and bathrooms to cover floors and walls. They are manufactured from ceramic, metal, glass, wood, stone, etc.
Out of these, ceramic ones are most commonly used ones, as they are available in various designs and are inexpensive and durable compared to others. They also need less maintenance, so they are amongst the most favorite and preferred type. Their cost depends on their quality, design, and pattern. The average glazed ceramic tile costs USD 12 – 25 per square foot, whereas unglazed ones cost USD 5 – 10 per square foot. Now, you can calculate the cost as per the square foot area of your house.
Patterns
There are various ceramic tile design ideas that you can use for home improvement. As mentioned earlier, the two popular styles are glazed and unglazed ones. You can create different flooring designs by combining both. Given below are some of the popular patterns to make your home decor look distinguished.
Crackled Glazing Tile
As the name suggests, this one has hundreds of random cracks in it. This kind gives the royal Victorian look to the house. There are various other patterns that you can use to create different time periods.
Brick Wall
These are rectangular in shape and resemble bricks. You can make amazing brick walls in the house by using this kind of tiles. They give a unique style statement to your house. They are also available in different sizes and various brick color shades so that you can choose the one that is compatible to the interior decoration of your house.
Wooden Effect
There are ceramic tiles that resemble wood. Having a real wooden flooring can cost you a lot and this is where wooden style ceramic tiles come to the rescue. They are inexpensive but give the same effect as wooden flooring. They are available in various wooden shades and sizes that give an elegant and rich look to your house.
Apart from these, you can make your own patterns, such as creating abstract designs with different geometric shapes of ceramic tiles, or you can use ceramic crystals to create a mosaic on the wall or floor. With these patterns, flooring installation will certainly be very exciting.
Cleaning
There are certain dos and don’ts that need to be followed to increase the shelf life of your ceramic tiles. Cleaning them regularly will keep them new for years to come, and you’ll definitely feel rewarded for your wise investment decision.
DOs
- Sweep regularly with the vacuum cleaner, especially the tiles with textured surfaces.
- To get the shining effect, mop them with a damp cloth.
- Clean them only with grout and tile cleaners recommended by the manufacturer.
- Clean the stubborn dirty spots with sponge or a clean cotton cloth with the help of recommended cleaners.
- Use mild electric polishers or scrubbers to clean the textured ones.
- Use walk-off mats to avoid dirt accumulation on the tile.
DON’Ts
- Avoid using cleaners that contain strong chemicals, as they cause scratches on the tile and reduce the shine.
- Do not use cleaners that contain bleach or ammonia, as the tiles can get discolored with frequent use of such cleaners.
- Avoid cleaning glazed ones with oil-based cleaners.
- Avoid using a vacuum cleaner with a beating bar, as it makes the tiles dull and causes scratches.
Ceramic flooring can be made attractive by choosing wisely from endless variety of glazed, mat finish, and textured options. With the above information, you know how to transform your dream house into a living reality!