Ceramic Tile Sizes and Shapes

Since most of the tiles sold for home use were white, almond or gray, the usual trend in ceramic tile with regards to color was to stay as neutral as possible. While white and almond are still the most commonly used tiles, people are now experimenting more with color, with tile colors today not only becoming warmer and brighter, but clearer and cleaner as well.

The most popular tile sold nowadays is still the 4 1/4″ square wall tile. However, there is a growing trend towards the use of larger tiles, like the 8″x8″ tiles, 10″x10″ tiles and even 12″x12″ tiles. It is difficult to install bigger tiles at home because the required underlayment has to be very even and level. Small one-inch tiles called mosaic tiles are also generally used, with different colors mixed to create borders, patterns or pictures. Mosaic tiles are usually available in 12″x12″ or 12″x24″ sheets that make them easier and quicker to set.

Buying Wholesale Ceramic Tiles

Wholesale basically means the sale of goods in large quantities, and you can get tiles at a much lower cost by buying them wholesale than buying them in small quantities. It is recommended to buy ceramic tiles wholesale for all rooms during the construction of your home. Another method is to buy the tiles together with a friend or relative who also needs them; this way both of you will get the discounted wholesale rates for the tiles.

Ceramic wall tiles are polished in a great assortment of shades, styles and sizes. A design that best fits a persons style and color preference can be chosen. Time should be taken to check for displays and see what will be most appealing to personal taste. Once a particular tile has been selected, determine the number of tiles that need to be purchased. A simple method to do this would be to measure the height of the wall and compute how many of the chosen tile size will be necessary to fit from the floor to the ceiling. Count the half or part of a tile as a whole piece. Repeat the same procedure with the width of the wall. Increase the number needed for the height by the number for the width and this will yield the total number for the wall. Do the same procedure for the other walls. Make adjustments for allowances on doors and windows, and for the addition of other adorned tiles.

Selecting floor coverings

Ceramic floor tiles, quarry, terra cotta, marble and slate are also produced in many designs. Select the one that best suits personal taste and preference. Take time to look around before considering a certain tile type. Sizes of these tiles are usually from 20cm to 33cm square. Floor tiles are denser than wall tiles and some of them can even be used either indoors or outdoors. A lot of designs are fit for use on countertops as well as the floor. They are strong enough to survive severe usage, blows, heat and cold. Marble, as an example, would not preserve its look for long if used regularly cutting board.

Glue and cement

Long-staying tiles depend to a great extent on the glue used to join its undersurface together. A careful selection for the type of adhesive to use in a particular location should be done. On wall tiles it would be best to use a commercially prepared wall tile adhesive or the kind that is water resistant. The ordinary and less expensive kind is fit for use in almost all dry locations. It can withstand some water splashing or some condensation and is therefore suited for a well ventilated kitchen or bathroom, and also around the bath or basin if the family is inclined not to overfill the walls.

Tile Cutter

A tile cutter is probably the most important tool required for the repair and replacement of ceramic tiles. A tile cutter is easy to use. Its main function is to hold the tile in a frame as a cut line is scored on the tile by a small wheel. When the tile cutter handle is pressed, the tile is neatly cut along the scored line. For thicker tiles, it might be necessary to score it several times. Before using the tile cutter, it is recommended to oil the guide bar and scoring wheel. When the scoring wheel eventually gets worn out, it should be immediately replaced so the cutter is always able to make nice clean cuts.

Tile Nipper

A tile nipper is generally used for irregular cuts. A glasscutter or utility knife is first used to score a cut line on the tile then the nipper is used to nibble off small bits of tile until what you need remains. To keep the nibbled pieces small, it usually helps to score gridlines on the areas you need removed. Using a tile nipper involves a lot of patience, so go slowly and carefully, as taking off pieces that are too big will make you go beyond the cut line and cause you to start over with a fresh, uncut tile.

Using a tile nipper tends to leave jagged edges on the tile, so it is recommended to use a tile nipper in less visible areas or in areas that will be covered with trim, like around plumbing fixtures. It is also a good idea to wear some kind of eye protective gear while using tile nippers, as small and sharp pieces of tile usually go flying about when cut, which can cause potential eye damage.

Notched Trowel

A notched trowel is considered to be one of the most important tools where tiles are involved, as they are used to spread and comb adhesives. The trowel has two sides that either have “V” or “square-shaped” notches, which provide its unique look. V-notched trowels are used for setting mastics on vertical surfaces, while square-notched trowels are used for thin sets on horizontal surfaces. The notched trowel also comes with different notch depths, and it is recommended to use notch depths that are at least two-thirds of the thickness of the tiles to be used. Another type of trowel, the margin trowel, is a helpful tool for scooping out adhesives and grout as well as spreading adhesives in narrow places.

Characteristics of Vinyl Tiles

Vinyl tiles are easy to maintain, warm on the foot and can decrease noise. Vinyl tiles are notably practical to use in the kids’ rooms. There is a wide variety of designs that exists on rolls and tiles. You can choose a genuine wooden block design, marble finish, brightly colored or pastel shades. Vinyl tiles are available in two-, three- and four-meter widths, from 1.4 to 3 millimeters thick.

Smaller vinyl sheets and tile flooring are tough on the feet, but are very durable. Spongy vinyl is denser and more comfortable but easily damaged by tedious rubbing. Lino is a hard piece terrazzo like vinyl, but much more difficult to mount. The need to call for a professional fitter is necessary to place this kind of vinyl tile.

Changing Old Vinyl Tiles

No worry should be necessary in replacing the vinyl floor covering, especially if you want to save up on more work in taking out the present flooring. It is now possible to put new vinyl coverings over the present one by using a flat wood panel to cover the top of the present floor.

A lot of individuals hurt their backs when eliminating old tiles when they do not even have to do this anymore. Primarily, know how even the present coverings are. Essentially, begin at the middle of the room and drive the panel to the edges. If the floor has no big fissures between the floor and the panel at any given point, then the floors are even enough to place the wood well on top. Be sure to buy an under-panel that will provide some padding between the present vinyl flooring and the new coat finish. This will also provide more height to any spot that may be slightly uneven. When the work is finished, it will not be recognizable anymore. Others would not even notice that less time and effort were spent in the replacement of the old floor covering with a new one.

While the regular white, gypsum-based composition of each tile is not vitreous, the surface becomes water and stain resistant due to the glazing process. For locations constantly exposed to water or freezing weather like showers, floors and exteriors, it is recommended to use vitreous or impervious tiles, which can be further enhanced by water-resistant backing, adhesive and grout.

Colors and Finishes

Most wall tiles come in color ranges of calm whites and creams, soft pastels, glowing reds and intense blues. Custom colors are also available, so if you can’t find the color you want, you can order it from your dealer. For finishes, glossy, matte or textured surfaces are available, with glazes having a metallic, crackled or brushed look instead of the usual flat color.

Some wall tiles have surfaces that are rough enough to be used as countertops, while a majority of tiles come with soft glazes, which are usually not a problem when used on backsplashes or tub surrounds. Some wall tiles suitable for light-duty bathroom or bedroom floors are the ones with a Mohs hardness rating of 5 or higher. It is important to note that the shinier the glaze, the easily it can be scratched.

Designs

Design of commercial wall tiles usually work by utilizing the simple concept of squares. Even the most basic of tiles can be used to create complex designs by mixing and matching different colors to create endless contrasts and custom patterns.

Some tiles have an entire line that comprise matching floor tiles, countertop tiles and bathroom fixtures with appropriate border and trim pieces. Some of these lines even have matching ceramic soap dishes, towel bars and other accessories for a complete, coordinated look.

However, never tile over a wallpapered surface or any other surface that could separate from the base wall. Also make sure that any loose or flaking paint on the wall is completely removed, particularly water-based paints. Do not use a paint stripper for removing wall paint as it might leave unwanted traces. Use mechanical methods for roughening up the wall surface instead and then clean and dry thoroughly. It is important to keep in mind that the surface beneath can affect the finished job.

Tiling Walls

When tiling the walls of a home, it is important to note that most walls are not perfectly vertical, so use a plumb bob to make a vertical line as a guide to ensure that your tiling is done at right angles to the base. It is also a good idea to arrange your layout in such a way that you won’t be filling in several centimeters of tile at the top when starting against the wall using a full tile at the base. For tiling around windows, try to keep the cuts to the back and the returned tiles in line with the rest of the wall tiles. An excellent method of hiding these external corners is to use tiling trim moldings, which are made of metal or PVC and available in a wide variety of colors. Despite most people having the least confidence about it, tiling around windows is actually one of the easiest things to do.

Straight cuts are generally made by first marking a cut line on the tile with a thin felt pen and then scoring that line with the wheel of the scriber or breaker. The jaws of the cutter are then used to simply break the tile along the scored cut line.

Complex Tile Cuts

Tile nippers are used when only small bits of tile need to be removed. The tile is first scored as usual then the nipper is used to nibble portions of tile away. When using a tile nipper to take off portions of tile, remember to use small bites only. It is also advisable to smoothen the jagged, cut edges with a carborundum file or stone.

To cut a hole in the center of a tile, various methods can be used. Beaumont tiles have been proven to be the best type used by most handymen, and the hole is drilled with a masonry bit of a carborundum rod saw blade, which is afterwards used like a fret saw. Other methods involve using an angle grinder with a diamond or carborundum wheel.

The first and most important step is scraping out all the grout from the borders of the tiles that you want to remove. This can be done by using a sharp utility knife or a razor blade mounted in a special holder. If the grout is soft, it can be scraped out easily, and since hard caulks will soften with heat, you can make the task easier by using a heat gun at a low setting or even a hair dryer. When all the tiles are free of grout and caulk, lightly tap on the tiles to see if any are slightly loose, particularly tiles that are loose due to some water seepage. In fact, this deterioration in the walls behind the tiles is the frequent cause of most regrouting or recaulking jobs that unexpectedly turn into small renovations. These loose tiles can be most likely found near tub corners or places with moisture, and locating one will make the rest come off easily.

To remove the tile, gently but forcefully push a thin putty knife 2″ to 3″ wide between the first tile you want to remove and its surrounding tiles, breaking any leftover grout that seals them together while moving around the edges. Each tile should be forced open away from the wall, with the tile corners easier to chip. You will also need to break the tiles if the wall is mortar.

Despite all the care and patience you can muster while working, there is still a probability that you will break one or more tiles. Keep in mind that working too quickly will ensure tile breakage in one form or another. If breakage does occur, dont despair. Instead, use this as an opportunity to be creative, by using replacement tiles in another color that complement the existing tiles, or you can choose from a wide selection of available tile designs to come up with a unique tile pattern.

Check first if the tile joints are clean and free of dust, mortar and foreign matter. Use a rubber float to apply the grout to the floor or wall tile joints. Make sure that the joints are completely filled by forcing a maximum quantity of grout into the joints. The finished joint should be smooth with no pinholes, voids or low spots. For worry-free installations, it is also recommended to hire professional tile setters for these types of jobs.

Excess Grout

For excess grout, allow the grout to set firmly in the joints before using the rubber float to carefully scrape or plow out the excess, avoiding to gouge into the filled joints. Dampen the entire the area with a minimum amount of water and let it stand for about one minute. Use one side of a lightly damp sponge to clean the face of the tile and then turn it over on the next pass. After two passes, rinse the sponge thoroughly, soak it again with clean water and repeat, until the excess grout has been completely removed.

Finishing the Job

After the grout has hardened in the joints, wipe off any remaining dry film on the tile surface by finishing or polishing with a damp terry cloth or similar pad. A good amount of waiting time would be around 90 minutes, after which tiled floors and wall areas can be used.

It is important to note that the amount of grout required will depend on the tile size, depth, and joint width. One unit comprising 10 lbs of grout will cover around 100 square feet of standard 8″ x 8″ paver tiles, with joints 1/4″ wide and 3/16″ deep. For 6″ x 6″ tile with similarly sized joints, one unit of grout for about 85 square feet will be needed.

Some tiles are inexpensive while others are not. A dull-looking, shaded tile that is not glazed may cause the light brown hue color to tarnish after some time. In addition, a group of tiles in a particular area, like the kitchen floor, cannot be expected to be as durable as it should be. In such an environment, it is best to use ceramic or quarry tiles (those that are made of hard-wearing unglazed clay) or the fully-enameled or vitrified type.

In the bathroom floor, there are many good tiles that are suitable. However, tiles with glossy polished surfaces are not advisable because they may become slippery and eventually cause physical injuries or falls. Tessellated tiles on sheets of paper are one of the best options. However, in overly soaked places ,it is best to avoid the type with paper or linen fabric fixed onto the bottom of the tiles because the adhesive gum used in making them is not always porous.

The primary thing to do in solving the problem is to check the makers information regarding the recommended adhesive product to use. Most likely the manufacturer spent many years in determining the most applicable product or gum to be used on their tile.

Expert tile workers are the best persons to ask about this because they are the ones who are very familiar with the work as well as with the materials. They are more familiar with tiles than the BCRA Company, the BSI or any other experts in this field.

Frontage preparation is important. Facade clean up should not be neglected to ensure proper fitting of tiles. Kitchen oils and bathroom foams affect tensile strength and will surely cause disintegration or collapse. Consequently, the chief cause of collapse is the tense tiling on the corners.

It is a known fact that all structures undergo some degree of pulling, which may be due to movement on the earths surface. Rigid placement of tiles on these areas will exert forceful fissures and destroy the walls. Grout may keep them together, but will be released from the wall, in time. The tiles will sound dull and will have plenty of small gaps. It is safe to allow about 6mm around the perimeters of the walls and then cement them. The cement is firm enough to hold the movement on the ground.