Tile Floors Archives - Page 6 of 9

Tile Floors
October 19, 2017

Keeping Your Grout Clean

Tile is an ever-popular choice in home decorating. Tile makes a good addition to just about any room in your home.

But when you install tile throughout your home, you’ll also have to select grout to go along with it. And that can cause worry in many homeowners’ minds.

Grout can be tricky to clean without wearing it away. It can discolor and begin to fade. It can turn from white to yellow, making it look like you haven’t cleaned in a while. And what about sealing?

Cleaning grout doesn’t have to be difficult. All you need is a little elbow grease and a few tools at hand: scrub pad, hot water, a multi-purpose cleaner, and safety razors.

Using the safety razor flat against the tile, remove any layers of soap that are usually found right below the soap dish. Spray multi-purpose cleaner to the grout and use the hottest water you can stand to scrub away any stains.

Work in sections, scrubbing and rinsing as you go. By doing this on a regular basis, you should be able to retain grout close to the original color. If there is any missing grout, it’s a good idea to keep a little extra grout for small repairs. If you don’t have extra on hand, find some as close as possible to the original color of the existing grout. Finally, seal the grout with a sealer when it’s clean.

Grout lines should only contain grout. If you substitute with caulk, mold will grow in the grout lines. Caulk should only be used at the joints where the tub and wall, or where two walls meet.

If your tile shifts and appears to be popping out or is out of position, it may be a problem with the way the tile was attached. Knock on the tile with your knuckles. Do you hear a rattle or a hollow sound? The tile has pulled away from the backboard, and there is a bigger problem than missing grout.

If a lot of grout is missing, it may be time to bring your grout back to life. A layer of grout should be removed, and the section should be regrouted. Do not use premixed grout. Instead, use only dry grout that is mixed with water before installation. This will ensure a long life and high quality work that will be durable too. Be sure to seal whatever work you do to ensure your work lasts.

Flooring, Tile Floors
August 12, 2017

Floating Floors – How About Tile?

If you’re looking for a convenient approach to DIY flooring, you’ve probably stumbled upon floating floors.

In general, a floating floor is any material – wood, laminate, or ceramic – that is not attached to the subfloor. Individual pieces are attached laterally to themselves.

This doesn’t mean the floor is structurally unstable. Floating floors are installed in millions of home and work perfectly well.

Floating floors usually use a “click and lock” system that allow you to connect the pieces by the sides. You link them one after another and slide them into place. They work well for wood and laminate products; not so well for ceramic and porcelain tile.

There are new products that are entering the market that offer the ease of snap and click with the beauty of tile. The benefits include:

Zero mortaring
No spacing problems
No waiting for mortar to dry
An easy base to install and rest the tile on

The biggest disadvantage is the ease of cracking. Mortar provides a solid base for the tile. Without that, hollow spaces can exist and allow the tile to crack easier. It also doesn’t take away some of the installation processes.

You still need to grout the tile
It cracks easier, especially when it involves heavy objects such as refrigerators
Limited colors and styles

It all comes down to knowing your space.

Tile has the possibility of lasting for years, decades in some circumstances. If you install it properly, it can offer timeless beauty for years to come.

Tile pros have no problems handling mortar; it’s something they do every day. They know how to regulate the flow across the room, how to properly space the tiles, and how to complete the finishing work for a strong flooring choice.

What questions do you have about adding tiles to your home?

Flooring, Tile Floors
June 9, 2017

Choosing Tiles With Your Pets In Mind

Love tile? Love your pets too? There’s a perfect choice for you.

When you have pets, you probably find yourself cleaning up messes frequently. Of course, their unconditional love makes it all worthwhile. Still, if the messes become more frequent and you see the flooring surface continue to decline over time, it can add stress.

Which is why many turn to tile for both the ease and beauty.

Not only are tiles one of the most practical surfaces you can use in a home with pets, but they also resist scratches, and are non-absorbent, meaning they are great from puppy to elderly stages with easy clean up in most cases.

Materials like carpet stain easily. And once those stains soak through to the backing and the padding, it can take a toll on longevity of your flooring choice. With cats, often cleaners won’t remove all the scent so that you may have your fluffy friend returning to a spot over and over again.

With no fibers, there’s no worry of staining and continual cleaning. It’s as easy as wiping it up.

Even wood floors or laminate can absorb moisture, which eventually leads to warping or discoloring. And repeated moisture in wood or laminate can cause swelling and staining, which is more easily scratched and dented.

Using tile is a practical choice for pet owners. Because they are easy to maintain, they will look good year after year. Porcelain tiles can last decades. Even natural stone tiles like slate can last indefinitely if properly sealed after installation.

What are the best places to install tile?

How about the mudroom? If your pet goes in and out regularly, it’s important to have flooring that’s easily wiped up on rainy or snowy mornings when they track in mud and debris.

The kitchen is another great place to lay tile. Pets invariably spend a lot of time in the kitchen with you. They often are the center of your home, leading in all directions. And with an entrance to your backyard, they may often wander in and out all day long. If you place water and food bowls in the kitchen, moisture will be a part of your daily life. Tile can handle all of that with ease and grace.

Have a pet in your home? Maybe it’s time to consider how tile could benefit you.

Flooring, Tile Floors
June 6, 2017

How To Select Just Right Tile Sizes

Walk into a flooring center with many different sized tiles on display, and you’re likely to fall in love many times over. There’s so much to choose from!

But falling in love with a look and feel in the store is different than loving it for years on your floors or your walls. What you loved about it may soon translate to being annoyed or even hating it once you live with it every day.

Determining tile size depends on a few factors. Your desires and personality come into play at the top of the list. Additionally, floor space should also be a factor too. Here are a few tips to help you make a decision you’ll love.

Let the size of your room dictate the size of your tile

One of the most basic rules in laying tile is to let the size of your room dictate the size of the tile you install. So a really large area – perhaps a kitchen or great room – could handle really large format tiles. A medium size bathroom would work well with a medium sized tile to suit the surrounding area. And a petite hall or entryway, backsplash, or closet would work well with smaller tiles, such as subway tile or mosaic.

Don’t forget about grout

Tile isn’t the only thing to consider. Tiles can be placed close together, or spaced wider apart with grout lines showing in between. The more grout lines you have in place, the busier a floor may look. This can have a tendency to make a small room look a little chaotic. Moving up to a medium sized tile instead can reduce grid-like appearances and give a smoother, cleaner look.

Consider the functionality of your room

In the bathroom, you may have a lot of tight corners to cover, angles to blend in, and appliances to work around. A larger tile may need a lot of cuts to fit into place, giving the room a cut up look if a lot of larger tiles are continually cut down to size. Even in larger bathrooms, smaller tiles may work better, especially if you’re working a lot of decor into place.

Color matters too

Don’t just stop with the color of your tiles, consider grout color too. You can make your room look larger by using a similar color with both tiles and grout, so the look blends together. This makes the grid display disappear, and you’ll have a more seamless look and feel.

Grout adds traction

Safety and bathrooms go hand in hand. Which is why you’ll often find mosaic tile laid into place in a bathroom. Grout provides better traction and less slipping, so using it in a place already prone to slippage can improve the safety of your room. And because it’s easy to find tiles that blend together, using different sizes, types, and styles throughout the space can create a dramatic look sure to please even the pickiest decorators.

What tile size is best for you? Stop by today and start considering your options.

Flooring, Tile Floors
June 2, 2017

Cleaning Tips For Your Porcelain Tile

Are you as tile-crazy as we are? Nothing is more beautiful in your home than newly installed porcelain tile. They come in beautiful colors, lots of sizes, and plenty of styles and patterns. You can create a look that’s uniquely your own, one you’ll love for years to come.

But it’s easy to worry about keeping them clean, especially if you’ve never installed porcelain tiles in your home before. Do a search online and you can find “horror stories” abound.

Envisioning a bright, clean atmosphere is how you start. Watching them be installed adds to the excitement. But the moment you drop a glass of wine, or the dog tracks in a pile of mud, things head south quickly.

Cleaning porcelain tile isn’t like cleaning other surfaces. Porcelain tiles are fired at higher temperatures than other ceramic tiles, which creates a stronger surface structure. Porcelain tiles are also created with a unique set of ingredients, making it extremely water resistant. Because of this, porcelain will absorb very little moisture, helping it become more stain resistant, as well as keeping it cleaner on the surface level from dirt and grime.

However, it still requires a regular maintenance routine to keep it looking it’s best.

Daily Upkeep Is Easy

Depending on the size of your family and your normal routine, maintenance is easy. Use warm water to keep your tiles looking their best, avoiding any harsh chemicals or cleaners. If you catch most spills immediately, warm water works every time.

Keep Dirt Away

If loose dirt or debris is spilled, use a soft broom or mop to brush it away. A vacuum may be the perfect way to remove unwanted dirt. If dirt is caked on, using a nylon-grit brush and scrub slowly to penetrate all the way through.

Stains

If a happen to get a stain, use a mild cleaner diluted with warm water and scrub per manufacturer’s guidelines. Avoid oily cleaners with can produce an oily layer over your porcelain tiles.

Avoid Acid

Adding acidity into your cleaning will only remove color from your grout. And in severe cases, acid can also penetrate the tile and reduce the surface level of the tile, which in turn makes it more difficult to clean.

If you have any questions, the best place to start is with your flooring representative. We can offer advice on how to keep your porcelain tiles looking their best for many years to come.

Flooring, Tile Floors
April 4, 2017

Porcelain Tile For Indoor and Outdoor Use

Today’s homes are being reimagined right before our eyes. Sure, we like our space indoors. But here in Colorado, we value our outdoor space equally. And when the weather warms, and the sun shines longer into the evening, we want to be outdoors to enjoy the fresh air.

That means many homes are creating entertaining space that leads well beyond the four walls that make up your home. The kitchen opens up and extends into outdoor kitchen space, often including gourmet appliances that match in functionality and design.

No more small grills sitting in the corner of the garden. Instead, you’ll find running water, refrigerators, even grill tops and warming ovens. So, of course, we want the look and feel from inside our homes to continue out to the outdoor space as well.

That means a continuous look from top to bottom.

Porcelain tile may be the perfect starting point.

If you choose the right porcelain tile, you’ll have a tile with a texture that creates slip resistance. It’s perfect for your outside living space that is subjected to water from sprinklers, rain, and snow.

But even though the texture is perfect for outside, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a high quality look that’s perfect for inside too. The tile is beautiful for any room in your home. It’ll make a statement anywhere.

Porcelain tile comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. We often recommend a larger tile to be used as the kitchen flows into outdoor entertainment areas because of the functionality. Larger tiles mean less grout. It creates a very elegant design when viewed in larger spaces.

Is porcelain tile the perfect option for your indoor/outdoor layout?

Tile Floors
March 25, 2017

Subway Tile In Glass, Travertine, Marble, and More

Think subway tile only comes in ceramic? Think again. Because of its increasing popularity, subway tile comes in all kinds of materials, colors, shapes, and sizes. And because of it, you can create any design you’ve been dreaming of.

Subway tile gets its name from being the decor choice on subway platforms. These ceramic tiles were durable, easy to care for, and easy to replace. And while they are fairly standard in color and size, as people started bringing them into their homes, the changes became more significant.

Like glass. Traditional subway tiles are standard 3×6 in size. But they’ve grown (and shrunk) from there to provide a wonderful range of textures and looks. You’ll find clear glass, texture to give the impression of a linen design, or muted color to blend into the surroundings. Glass brings a bit of shine and shimmer to any location you choose to install. We love how you can use it sparingly to add punch to a room, or install it from floor to ceiling for a clean look and feel.

Subway tiles can also be created from travertine. Travertine has been around for centuries and looks great wherever it’s installed. So why not mix it up with a subway theme? And while many people choose to stick with a theme and install a solid wall of travertine, we also like mixing it with other tiles – like glass. Sticking with a color theme and hue will ensure they work well together, giving you a look you’ll love for years.

If durability and elegance are high on your wish list, look no further than marble subway tiles. These elegant tiles are generally polished, and look great in showers, tubs, or backsplashes. You can also use them to build intricate mosaic or designs. Your imagination can run wild when implementing this high quality look to any room in your home.

Want something more cutting edge for your urban home? Why not bricks? Bricks have low maintenance and can give you a traditional appeal that perfectly matches your urban decor. Not only can you use these on the floor, but they can run up the wall and become your main feature.

What subway tile will you choose?

Flooring, Tile Floors
March 4, 2017

Why We Love Mosaic Tile In The Bathroom

Have a small bathroom and looking for ways to make it appear bigger than it really is?

Consider mosaic tile.

Mosaic tiles are mostly made from pieces of stone, colored glass or other materials, and are small, flat, roughly square pieces. They are frequently used in design in many rooms in your home, including kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and home bars or wine cellars.

While they are versatile and stylish in many applications, one of our favorite areas is in the bathroom. If you use mosaic tiles the right way, they will make your small bath look bigger and liven it up with a fresh, modern look.

Use Them To Accent

Choosing paint isn’t the only way to put focus on a wall; use mosaic tile to brighten up a wall too. In a small bathroom, there usually isn’t a lot of space to work. Getting fancy and building in vivid colors or intricate patterns won’t be as costly as it could be in other rooms of your home. If you start with a white foundation under the tiles, it will help keep your final design lighter and brighter. Also, consider amplifying natural light and mirrors to complete the look.

Build In A Border

A border is another effective way to make a room look bigger. It also adds style and class anywhere you choose to incorporate it into the design. To keep the project budget friendly, cover large areas of the bath with less expensive, larger tiles. Then use mosaic tiles to add a border to make your eye flow from one area to the next. You’ll see this a lot in showers, where a small border is used about eye level, to add a pop of color and accents to a neutral color.

Build A Backsplash

A backsplash can take as much or as little space around your sink and vanity as you desire. Choose horizontal glass tiles to bring out the color of your room. Or go more neutral and expand the design up the wall. The tile will catch your eye, and you’ll have less time processing and analyzing the size of the bath.

Turn Tiles Vertical

Instead of planning your layout with thin, rectangular glass tiles running horizontally, why not run them vertically instead? Orienting a tile pattern vertically emphasizes the height of the space instead of the width. It can help lift the size of a compact bathroom by drawing the eyes upward. Start with a dark floor leading to a light ceiling. Then use the glass tiles to continue the trend upwards, using more dark tiles closer to the floor. It doesn’t always take color to turn things from boring to Wow either. Even hues of black, white and gray come together to form elegance and sophistication.

Mosaic tiles are one of the most popular, eye catching materials you can incorporate into your interior design. If you’ve always wanted to experiment and were nervous about covering a large area of your home, start small instead. A small bathroom is the perfect place to refocus your attention on the beauty of the room.

Flooring, Tile Floors
February 19, 2017

How To Clean Tile Floors and Grout

Want an easy floor to clean and maintain? Chances are you’ve considered tile. Tile is one of the most versatile flooring choices available, which is probably why tile flooring has been used in homes for centuries.

In most cases, tile floors are easy to clean and won’t take up much time in your daily chore list.

Sweep your floors once a week.

Vacuum your floors once a week.

Mop your floors with warm water once a week.

Wipe up all spills immediately, even excess water.

With just these few simple rules, your tile flooring will maintain its look and feel for years to come.

But sometimes simple cleaning isn’t enough. Sometimes your flooring needs a little bit more to maintain its looks. It might be easier than you think.

But before you head to your local big box store to purchase a cleaner, you might want to consider these choices instead.

Vinegar and Water

Mix equal parts vinegar and very hot water. The acidity in vinegar acts as a degreaser and can remove those spots of grease you may have in your kitchen. After you mop your floor with the vinegar and water combination, be sure to mop again with clean water to rinse the floor. Mop from side to side, then up and down to get into all corners of the grout. Be sure to give your floor ample time to dry before heading back into the room for action.

Tip: Don’t have vinegar in the house? Plain rubbing alcohol can be a substitute for vinegar.

Dish Detergent and Water

Dirt and grime on the floors often stretches beyond greasy messes. And you can’t always see the grime that exists on the floor. Another great option to keep your floors clean is using a solution of dish detergent and warm water. Mix equal parts of both in your cleaning bucket and mop the floor. Make sure you work backward, not stepping on cleaned areas. Let floors rest at least 20 minutes before walking back in.

Baking Soda

Grout is a porous substance that is not stainproof or waterproof. Grout is made from water, sand and cement, which tend to absorb grease and dirt faster than tiles. As a result, they may discolor faster and appear dirty.

Much like tile cleaner, great home solutions can be used. You can make a grout cleaner with any combination of baking soda, vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide. Avoid bleach as that can further discolor your grout. Once you have your solution, place it on the grout lines and let it sit. Then scrub with an old toothbrush to get the stains off.

Tip: Acids like vinegar and other cleaning products can erode natural stone. If you have natural stone tile in place, use dish soap, hydrogen peroxide or baking soda instead.

Tile Floors
January 19, 2017

Tiling 101: A Guide To Grout

If you’ve been looking at adding new tile to your home, or upgrading tile you already have in place, you probably know a thing or two about grout. Grout is simply the mortar or paste used for filling between the tile spaces. Grout is important to bind materials together and give you a surface that stands up to wear and tear. It’s also important for aesthetic purposes, creating a design you’ll enjoy every day.

The type of grout you use depends on the style, tile color, and type of material selected. The most common types of grout are sanded and non-sanded, each with their own properties.

Non-Sanded

Non-sanded grout is a cement based grout normally used on smaller tile joints. It is recommended in floor and wall applications where the joint spacing is not more than 1/8th inch. This grout is designed for use in tile surfaces that are dry when the grout is applied. The water retentive additive allows grout to stay moist while being applied until it cures properly. It’s easier to work with on vertical surfaces because it stays in a more solid state throughout the production process.

Sanded

Sanded grout is used for larger joints. Sanded grout uses a cement based mortar that has small sand grains added to it to help in the setting process. By adding the sand to grout, the mortar is stronger and stands up to more abuse throughout daily living. It is an excellent alternative for natural stone, marble tiles, glass, and heavier tile materials. This grout is applied to moistened tile and is cured while damp. Depending on the polish of the stone, sanded grout may scratch the surface. If you decide to use sanded grout, be sure to test it before using to make sure it will not scratch your existing floor.

Epoxy

Epoxy grout is quite different than its counterparts. Epoxy grout is made from epoxy resins and a filler powder, which makes it extremely hard, durable, and nearly stain-proof. The bond between tiles is often stronger than the tile itself. However, most installers find it more difficult to use than other grouts. It also has a more plastic appearance, which some people don’t like. It’s also much more difficult to shape and slope, making transitions from tile to tile more difficult. It may slump in the joints after the floor is finished as it cures and loses its volume. It can also take longer to cure, and is more expensive than the sanded or non-sanded alternatives.

Have questions about your tile project? Stop in for a little help. We can help you make the right decision for your home.

About Pro Flooring Brokers in Denver

We are a one stop shop for all of your flooring and installation needs. Located in Denver, CO, we have been family owned and operated for over 30 years! Our passion is your project.

Have a Flooring Project in the Denver Area?

Commercial and residential customers love our huge selection of carpet, hardwood, porcelain tile, natural stone, luxury vinyl tile/planks, laminate flooring, and sheet vinyl flooring. Check out our products to learn more. Visit our showroom, meet our team, and let’s start your flooring project together. We offer:

Complimentary on-site measuring
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Installations performed by trained and qualified installers
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Flooring and installation are made easy with the PRO! Flooring Brokers. Contact us, visit our showroom, or call today at 303.788.0113. We look forward to helping you!