Apartfrom being practical and durable, the kitchen floor tile can also be the sourceof a bold or subtle design statement. The kitchen area in itself receives an
incredible amount of foot traffic floor on a daily basis; in the end, this
might cause your kitchen floors to suffer an incredible amount of wear and
tear. In order to counter this and maintain the aesthetic value of your
kitchen, here are some factors that should inform your kitchen tile choice.
I. The
Variety of the tile: Tiles come in all manner of makes and each tile
has it’s pros and cons. Consider this:
Ceramic Tile: These
tiles are made from clay. They draw their strength from the heat treatment they
go through. They come in a wide variety of colors and are low maintenance.
Porcelain Tiles: This is
kind of ceramic tile. This tile is naturally built to hold out against heavy
foot traffic (common in kitchens, bathrooms, hallways…).
II. Durability:
Porcelain tile is more hardwearing and suitable for indoor and outdoor use. On
the other hand, ceramic tile is more susceptible to chips.
III. Affordability: Ceramic
tile tends to be more affordable than Porcelain tiles.
IV. Tile
Usage: Ensure that the tile you opt for was primarily intended for
use on floors and no other surfaces e.g. walls. A little trick that could help
you out on your selection would be to touch the tile. If it feels extra smooth
to the touch, it might be slippery underfoot. Ceramic tiles work well on walls
and interior floors, while porcelain tiles work both in an interior and
exterior space.
V. Cleaning
and Maintenance: Are the
tiles you opt for going to be easy to clean, or are you going to break your
back trying to get that stubborn stain out? Additionally, are they easy to
maintain? Or will they chip at the slightest wear?
VI. Color: If the
tile is too dark, it might show off dust especially in the presence of direct
light e.g. Sunlight. Conversely, if the tile is too light, it might show off some
stains.
The list
of factors to consider before setting out on a tile job is exhaustive, but we
hope we made the selection process less stressful; if only by a slight.
Whilst
ceramic tiles are only recommended for interior walls and floors, porcelain tiles
are a more popular choice for floors that anticipate heavier traffic; we’re
talking kitchen floors, hallways and commercial applications as they are
increasingly resistant to scratching and chipping.
Leave a Reply