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Tiles are becomingly increasingly popular and can be used in almost any area of the home.  Traditionally, tiles have been used in laundries, bathrooms and kitchens but they can also be used around the swimming pool, in outdoor areas, in garages, and bedrooms, to name a few.  Tiles are low allergy and low maintenance, and come in an almost infinite range of styles, colours and materials.

Choosing Your Tiles

There are a few things to consider when choosing your tiles, with the most obvious being the style, finish and colour.  Look at where the tiles will be and how they will be used.  When selecting colours and designs, take inspiration from existing areas of your home or engage the services of a design professional to help you choose what is best for you.  Remember to take into account the tiles’ wear rating and safety.  In wet areas, you may require tiles that have some slip resistance to them.  Glazed tiles are waterproof but can be slippery so they may need to be coated for additional safety.  Unglazed tiles are porous so they should be sealed in order to minimise staining and residue build up.
It is important that the area to be tiled is measured accurately so there are enough tiles to complete the project.  Buy extra tiles in case of breakage during the laying process and also so that you have spares in case a tile chips or breaks in the future.  it is almost impossible to match new tiles to your existing ones.  Less visible areas such as in the pantry and under the refrigerator should be tiled last in case of a shortage of tiles – this will minimise the effect on the aesthetics of the pattern.
In wet areas especially, the area underneath the tiles should be waterproofed by a professional, whether it is a tiler, plumber or waterproofing specialist.  Waterproofing is necessary so that water does not seep behind the tiles and cause structural damage to timbers or other problems such as rising damp.
Finally, it is acceptable to use floor tiles on a wall, but wall tiles should never be used on a floor as they are simply not strong enough to handle the extra loads.

Types of Tiles

There are several different types of tiles to suit all applications.  Some common tiles are:

• Ceramic – ceramic tiles are made from clay and can be glazed or unglazed.  Many different finishes are available and tiles come in a range of sizes.
• Terracotta – these tiles are unglazed and as such must be sealed if they are to be used in areas of heavy use. Terracotta tiles are usually available in earthy tones.
• Mosaic – mosaic tiles are small tiles made from stone , glass or ceramic and are set into a base to create patterns and designs.  They are popular in bathrooms especially.
• Marble and granite – very durable and low maintenance. If these tiles are polished they may become slippery in wet areas.
• Porcelain – porcelain tiles are fired at very high temperatures and as such are impervious.  They come in a glazed or matte finish and can be used both indoors and outdoors.
• Quartz – very durable and available in a wide range of colours.
• Limestone – popular for floors but needs to be sealed as it can be porous.

Tiles also come with ratings that are designed to convey the durability of the tile and system is ranked from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the strongest.  Rating 1 tiles are suitable for lightly used areas such as en suites, where the user is likely to be bare-footed or wearing soft shoes.  Rating 2 tiles can be used in residential areas where heavy footwear is not worn and that are not heavily used.  Tiles with Rating 3 can be used in areas such as kitchens and corridors.  Rating 4 tiles can stand more use and as such are recommended for heavily used areas in the home such as entrances and common walkways.  Rating 5 tiles are the strongest of all and are most commonly used in commercial situations.

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