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05 Jan 2016

Our tips to installing tiles in each room of a property

Blog post attributed to Tracy Hildreth, E-Business Manager at Ceramic Tile Distributors

We understand that your clients face a big decision when they consider replacing their carpet and tiling their hallway, or re-tiling their bathroom, but if it’s the right choice for them, we know you want to be able to give the best advice possible. To celebrate our brand new voucher referral scheme, which gives tradesmen a chance to claim 15% of their customers’ orders, we’ve collated our top tips and advice on tiles. With this guide, you can make sure that whatever request your client throws at you, you’ve got the solution on hand.

Kitchen

In a kitchen, the tiles need to be durable, easy to clean and as safe as possible. When suggesting tiles for your client, ensure that they purchase a floor tile, not a wall tile. This may seem like a straightforward tip, but if a wall tile is installed on the floor, the coefficient of friction (COF) will be too low, which means the tiles are too slippery to walk on.

Also, wall tiles are simply not strong enough for foot traffic. We would suggest checking the tile before specifying to your customer, to make sure it is suitable for floor use, preferably with a grade of Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) 5 if used in heavy traffic or external areas. When looking at floor tiles, suggest that your client considers designs that have a slight raised pattern or texture, such as riven tiles, to allow for a safer kitchen.

If the property has a very small kitchen, patterns created by bigger floor tiles can get lost, so suggest a smaller tile which will maximise the space.

Bathroom

Bathroom tiles are required to be heat durable, be easy to clean and have a high water absorption rate.

Porcelain tiles are also popular to use in a bathroom. They are hard wearing, impervious to water and resistant to stains. Porcelain is also very easy to clean, which allows the homeowner to keep their bathroom in top condition with very little work.

If your client has a family with young children, they will need a floor tile which can withstand frequent splashes and puddles, so advise your clients to select a tile which is suitable for bathroom use, and of course the correct floor grout will go a long way to help ensure these are waterproof.

Living Room

Depending on where your client lives and what the climate is like, they may want to install tiles in their living room. Tiles will keep the room cool in the summer, but if the property is in an area which is cold for most of the year, you may want to suggest rugs or an underfloor heating system to accompany their tiles.

To keep that warm, cosy feeling in a room with tiles, suggest that your client considers a wood effect tile, which are simple install and can include feature patterns very easily.

Ceramic tiles, which are one of the most cost efficient tiles, are very durable and easy to maintain, making housework quick and easy. They can also be printed to look like any kind of stone, allowing your client to bring their vision to life.

Hallway

Hallway flooring must be impervious to water, easy to clean and extremely hard wearing. As the hall is a high traffic area, tiles help to protect the floor from any mud, water or stains.

Natural stone tiles may not be the best choice for hallways as they need to be resealed periodically to protect them, so your client would need to be willing to perform maintenance on a regular basis. Porcelain tiles are again the better option, as they are extremely practical and cost efficient, while remaining durable and easy to clean. Also, porcelain tiles often mimic the shade variations of natural stone, creating the look without any of the hassle.

With these top tips, you can be sure that any query your client has can be swiftly answered. However, if there is a question we haven’t covered in this blog post, our experts in store will be more than happy to help you. Simply go to www.ctdtiles.co.uk for more information, and don’t forget to ask about our voucher scheme!

www.ctdtiles.co.uk      0800 014 2994

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