Flooring

---

Floor options include Ceramic, Handpainted, Brick, Glass, and Mosaic Tile. We carry gloss and matte finishes and both are appropriate for floors, but if you have any concern about slipping, matte finishes are the way to go. 

Where can tile flooring be installed? 

Because of how durable tile is, tile flooring is suitable to install just about anywhere you can imagine, indoors and outdoors. You can most commonly find tile on bathroom or kitchen floors where water, debris, and heavy traffic are unsuitable for other flooring options.

But tile is a great choice for bedrooms, hallways, laundry rooms, dining areas, patios, pool decks, and more. Hot and humid climates and regions with termites can be even more reason to use tile throughout a home.

How is tile flooring installed?

This is just a quick rundown of how tile flooring is installed and we recommend working with a contractor until you’re confident in your abilities.

• First, the subfloor must be smooth, level, free of obstructing fixtures and baseboards, and not move or flex walked across.
• A tile membrane that will sit between the subfloor and the tile is measured, cut, and adhered to the subfloor using a thin-set mortar.
• The center of the room is located and marked. The installer will use this mark as a starting point and work their way out using associated reference lines.
• Tiles are laid out on the floor with spacers so the installer can verify the design, fit, and any places where the tile will need to be cut before any mortar is mixed. This is called dry fitting. 
• Mortar is mixed and combed out over the tile membrane in the immediate space the installer is working. 
• The first tile is pressed into the center point followed by the next tile laid along the reference line and so forth adding mortar and placing tiles as the installer goes.
• The tile is checked for adhesion and levelness as the installer works and the tiles' surfaces are wiped clean of any errant mortar with a damp sponge.
• Tile is cut to fit edges and fixtures.
• When the last tile is placed, the mortar is left to set for 24 hours.
• Grout is applied using a rubber float and cleaned as the installer works before being left to set for 72 hours
• Sealant is applied to expansion gaps and fixtures and baseboards are reinstalled

What's the average lifetime of tile flooring?

With proper installation and care, a tile floor can last essentially forever. On average though, depending on wear and tear, you can expect to get about 100 years of life from a tile floor.

How do you choose the right grout?

There are two classifications for grout, sanded and unsanded. Sanded grout contains sand and is used for wider gaps where the thinner unsanded grout is great for tight corners. There’s unmixed and premixed and a number of brands to choose from, but most homeowners are interested in what color to choose. 

This creative decision comes down to contrast. To create a consistent low-contrast look, choose a shade of grout that closely matches the color of your tile. To accentuate unique patterns of tile or create a grid-like look, use a grout that is several shades lighter or darker than your tile.

We recommend non-sanded grout for our Glass Tiles and sanded grout for our Ceramic and Brick Tiles.

How soon can you walk on new tile floors?

Mortar takes 24 hours to set and grout takes another 72 hours after that so it’s recommended to wait four days from the time the last tile was laid before walking on your tile floor.