Ceramic Tile Is A Consideration

May Be Just The Look You Want

Ceramic tile is one of the most durable and attractive materials for floors available on the market today. Easily maintained, it may be just the look you want for your home, business, bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, or patio. Installation of most tile requires preparation and proper education about that process.

Keith Clay Floors has over 20 years experience in the installation of all types of tile floors. We invite you to read on and let us share with you the important things about tile, the installation process and what is available in the market place on staining and sealing.

Shopping for tile and stone tiles has been one of the biggest challenges for anyone interested in using these products. Once a decision is reached to use a particular type of tile, they are at a disadvantage if they do not know exactly what they want and where to get it.

Keith Clay Floors will help you take this journey from start to finish. All along the process we are just a phone call away to answer any questions you may have. We are confident that after your visit to the tile stores, model homes, magazines, and the houses of friends to find ideas, you will have a clear understanding of what you want and where. Next, Keith Clay Floors can make sure what you want will be appropriate for the locations you have chosen.

Generally speaking, the selection process has basic principles that will apply whether you have chosen ceramic, slate, marble or granite tiles. The next step is to call professional and ask for an estimate of costs that will be associated with the tile purchase, delivery and installation. Keith Clay is happy to provide a written estimate, and once approved schedule your floors installations.

Tips For Proper Installation Of Most Tile

One of the most important things to make sure of when you select the purchase is to use only floor tiles when tiling a floor. There is a difference. Floor and wall tiles may look similar, but floor tiles are generally thicker and are textured to make them safer to walk on. Larger floor tiles will not safely adhere to walls.

All of the original flooring material should be removed before you install your new tile floor. The old statement is true, the new tile installation is only as good as the underlying floor.

The subfloor must also be sound enough to support the tile you have selected. Tile can be quite heavy and must be installed on a flat, rigid surface. Keith Clay Floors recommends that subfloors under tile be no less than 1" thick. Since flexing is possible, you do not want the floor to have cracks show up in the grout layer; as this may cause tiles to break.

If your floor "bounces" when you walk over it, repair and securing of the subfloor may need to be addressed. This renailing to the subfloor or to the floor joists is common and is usually part of the process when it happens. Adding bridging between the joists, and/or shims on the subfloor with wooden shims driven between the top edge of the joists and the bottom face of the subfloor are all proven techniques.

Keith Clay Floors Never sands or abrades a vinyl floor. Older floors may contain asbestos. We also recommended that you have older flooring materials tested before removal, and that materials containing asbestos be removed by a professional.

When you notice an uneven or damaged floor, we recommend they covered first with an underlayment as the tile base. Cement-fiber board is often recommended by tile manufacturers for use on floors in a moist environment and will eliminate problems later in the life of the flooring.

When the base floor is concrete, we recommend the repair to any holes or cracks. You can. Sometimes it is obvious that low or high spots need attention. Using a coarse-grit abrasive on a belt or disc sander are certainly options for removal, and all minor bumps can be removed with a cold chisel driven by a baby sledge hammer.

Keith Clay Floors recommends if you have linoleum flooring, you can place underlayment over the top of it prior to the installation of the new floor. By removing all trim and cleaning the floor thoroughly, the surface on which you are installing tile will be smooth and free from debris, grease or wax.

For areas subjected to moisture, the underlayment should be sealed with a waterproof membrane or other moisture-resistant product first. Cement-fiber board makes an ideal underlayment for tile in wet locations. These boards are often referred to as "cement board". Composed of cement and fiber for strength and moisture resistance, this board is available in 1/4" and 1/2" thicknesses depending on the application.

What Type of Pattern Should I Use?

The pattern options available when laying tile are virtually endless. We think there are 2 primary and basic patterns you will be familiar with:

• A "jack-on-jack" pattern is the most common. The pattern consists of tile laid like squares on a checkerboard.
• A "running bond" pattern has offset grout lines for each row.

Both of these floors are fairly easy to set, however the running bond pattern is the more difficult of the two.

There are a number of reasons to choose ceramic tile. If you examine what is available, all will be durable and scratch-, fire- and water-resistant. They are also environmentally friendly because they do not retain bacteria and odors.

If you know you will decide to go with ceramic tile then you will need to consider things like the slip-resistance of the tile, the most suitable cleaning methods and the color and thickness of the grout. Ceramic tile works better in some rooms than others. Types of ceramic tiles include: marble, granite and unglazed floor tiles.

Overall, the decision is up to you about your floor. We believe that there are three things you may keep in mind when making a selection for a floor:

• The room type
• The amount of traffic
• What kind of budget will you have?

What you select and how the installation is done are things you need to work out with your contractor. We hope it will be us. Call us today at972-463-6604. We are happy to sit down and examine your options.

Keith Clay has been in business for almost 28 years serving Dallas, Frisco, Plano, Richardson and all Dallas Metroplex suburbs. We know wood floors and can answer any questions you may have. If you want the best job from a company of professionals, call us today. 972-463-6604. World Class Craftsmanship. Reasonable Prices.