A ‘Birth of Venus’ replica for your bathroom, an ocean scene with dolphins playing about for your kids’ bath, a self-designed mouthwatering backsplash for the kitchen, … YES, every design, motif and pattern is a possibility with the recent improvement in ceramic tiles and edging designing.
Actually, a lot many unbelievable designs have been added to the already existing array of colors, sizes and styles in ceramic tiles and edging and today it has become the most preferred flooring and walling option.
Ceramic tiles (the glazed variety in particular) have always been a hot favorite among homeowners as a wall covering option, especially in areas, which need some kind of waterproofing.
Gain the knowledge to make your home a better living space for your family and yourself, "Do It Yourself Tips" is a by-weekly newsletter loaded with valuable Home Improvement Tips & Tricks. Simply fill the form & click on "Sign Up!".
Then with the improvement in manufacturing techniques, a slip-resistant feature was introduced in ceramic tiles and soon it became a popular flooring option. Trim tiles or edge tiles were added to the ceramic tile lines later on to further enhance the elegance and beauty of tiled areas.
Your Options In Ceramic Tiles And Edging
With so much versatility in ceramic tiles and edging, you can now add an extra dimension to your home décor. For a house of your dreams all you need is imagination, a good choice of colors, inventive arrangement of differently shaped body and edging tiles.
Ceramic tiles are available in a wide choice of sizes. Although the most popular size is the 4 ¼” square wall tile. These days, people are also showing an inclination for larger wall tiles measuring 8x8 inches, 10x10 inches and even 12x12 inches.
Anyway, when you are doing it on your own, you should always start with the smaller tiles. Proceed to work with bigger tiles, only when you have mastered the art of underlayment and tile setting.
The best choice for floors is undoubtedly the tiles with abrasive slip-resistant finishes. They are available in both high-gloss and matte finishes. Unglazed, porous tiles are best suited for living room walls.
When it comes to colors, neutral shades have always been favorites; but in recent times combo-patterns, meaning mix n’ match of bright and bold colors with whites and almonds are in fashion. In fact, you will have enough choices to experiment and evolve on your own unique arrangements and patterns!
There are specific edging tiles for creating borders and accents known as the bullnose tiles. These tiles usually have rounded-edges. Double-out bullnose tiles with two rounded edges are used for finishing off the corner of a tile section.
You can also choose to work with small one-inch mosaic tiles if you are intending to create borders, patterns or pictures.
Installing Ceramic Tiles And Edging
Installing ceramic tiles and edging is not a Herculean job. All that is demanded of you is precision. Whether you are doing the floors or the walls, you will need to clean the surface to strengthen the bonding of the tiles to the surface. Follow it up with marking lines with the help of levels and chalk.
After the entire area has been marked, spread ample adhesive over the surface (floor/wall) with the help of a trowel. Thereafter, place the tile with the straight edge and the centerline as your reference. Next, lay a beating block on the tile and pound it gently with a mallet to firmly bond it to the surface. Move about the entire wall or floor area until you have covered the full area. Finally, apply grout to block the tile joints. Polish the tiles when the grout dries.
You should ideally be using a tiled area 24/36 hours after finishing the job.
by Manuel Kupka
