Custom Tile, Marble & Stone Installations
Hopkinton, MA 01748
ph: 508-686-6647
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Tile Tips
COMMON BUYING MISTAKES
Select the correct tile for the job! Looks aren’t the only consideration. Select a floor tile that will withstand usage germane to the location. Countertops require tile with greater strength and stronger glazes to withstand food stains and acids. Floors require more strength and stronger glazes to withstand grit on the bottom of shoes. Interior bathroom floors can use smaller wall tiles as your carpets will clean your shoes of outside grit before they get to the tile. However smaller tile will make small rooms look small and result in much more grout to maintain. We find that larger floor tiles (16x16 up to 20x20) are well suited for not only floors but countertops, shower walls and ceilings! The larger sizes allow you to obtain drastically more tile at greater strength with dramatically lesser number of grout lines. Less grout lines means a less busy pattern which will make the floor, countertop and/or wall look bigger and also will give you less grout to maintain!
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR BUDGET
Buy from a retailer that you trust. Tile is a “blind” item - just like diamonds, you can’t tell quality by looking at it! Work with a retailer who knows tile, shows it well in his/her store, has many samples to select from and represents different brands so you can mix and match and therefore get more value for your money.
You must take samples home or to the job site. The retail store is not the place to make your selection. You need to have a number of different sizes, colors and textures to select from in order to make a good decision. Just as you wouldn't’ want your eyes to be tested with only one lens, you need to see a variety of tiles in the setting where they will be installed to determine your best choice. Often the first choice in the shop is the third choice when you get it home! Watch out for “do-it-yourself” stores where their only goal is to sell as much tile as quickly as possible or where the only person to help you is the plumbing department guy who was the paint guy yesterday. Cheap price can mean cheap quality. A poorly designed layout with the wrong quality and size of tile can quickly result in you paying too much and getting less than you would if you were dealing with a retailer who knows tile and its application. You want to deal with someone who is interested in your continued use of tile for this and many future projects. Someone who is interested in your experience and how it reflects on his relationship with you and your friends and neighbors for many years to come.
INSTALLATION
Tile doesn’t jut get slapped down- it needs to be installed. Floors, walls and countertops need to be prepared before the tile can be installed. It is exacting work and requires the knowledge and experience of a professional to look its best. We offer all of our customers computer generated drawings to assist in selection and layout of the tile.
CARING FOR TILE
Tile is easy to clean, but how often do you clean?! If you are prepared to damp mop daily, then a high shine solid color will work for you. If you are not prepared for daily maintenance or you are troubled by floors that look dirty and demand attention you might not want solid colored floors. I recommend that clients who want a white floor put an old white sheet on the floor for a few days and see what the sheet does for the room and it maintenance requirements! A floor and indeed, countertop and shower walls, will require much less maintenance if the tile used is large, has a rustic mottled look and has some color ranging in it so that it doesn’t provide a background for dirt and smudges to show and require attention.
- So what type of products do you use?
At Fowler Tile Design we use only the finest quality products and work with the highest of quality vendors and suppliers. Below are some links to product and supplier websites.
Hopkinton, MA 01748
ph: 508-686-6647
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