Selecting Tile for Your Space: Tile Composition

 

 

When it comes to selecting tile for your space, there are several tile compositions and design styles to choose from to best fit your space. This blog outlines a few tile compositions and where they are best suited in your home. Our talented designers at Dalton Carpet One are experts in all things tile. So, book an appointment today to learn more about tile composition and design styles from one of our designers, and get started remodeling your space with tile today!

 

Tile Composition

 

To start off, there are many different tile compositions to choose from when you begin browsing. The most common types of tiles include Ceramic, Porcelain, Glass, Mosaic, Metal, Resin, Cement, Marble, Granite, Limestone, Travertine, and Quarry. With all of these various selections to choose from, having your specific space in mind — whether it’s your bathroom, kitchen, mudroom, or laundry room — will help narrow down your choice. Each of these spaces has a unique set of qualities that makes certain tile compositions better suited for them than others, so let’s jump into that.

 

Entryway, Mudrooms, and Laundry Rooms

 

Beginning with where you enter your home — your entryway or mudroom — this is where you come in everyday after work, where your kids come home after school or sports practices, where you bring in guests for a party. Your entryway or mudroom is a heavy traffic area, so these spaces are usually the dirtiest. To read more about entryway and mudroom design, read our blog “Entryway Design 101.”

 

 

You need a flooring that can do two things. First, a flooring that can cope with the dirt and damp of shoes, boots, sports equipment, and outdoor clothes is a must. Second, you need a flooring that offers a certain aesthetic because it must be durable yet easy to clean (and possibly hide those rainy day shoe prints). One of the best tips for selecting mudroom tile is choosing surfaces that are easy to clean and low maintenance.

Porcelain tile is perfect for a home with a busy family and pets because of its durability to withstand wear and tear in high traffic areas. If you like the look and cozy feeling of brick in your entryway or mudroom, go for a brick-style porcelain tile, which is also easy to care for. Often porcelain tile can resemble natural stone, but without the added care and maintenance that comes with natural stone. This type of tile is also a long-lasting, beautiful option for your entryway. However, natural stone does require more cleaning and regular resealing due to its porous nature. Similar to porcelain tile, ceramic tile is also a great fit for the entryway, mudroom, or laundry room because it is waterproof, impervious to most stains, and will not harbour bacteria brought in from the outdoors. This makes ceramic tile a great option for a high-traffic and potentially high-moisture area such as the entryway, mudroom, or laundry room. Ceramic tile comes in a wide range of colors and designs for a sleek, luxurious look that is easy to maintain, clean, and and is incredibly cost effective.

 

 

Kitchen and Bar

 

Like the entryway, kitchens and bars are typically busy spaces in the home and leave a lasting impression on your guests. With that said, tile in these areas of the home are usually decorative. You don’t have to worry much about wear from foot traffic, so it’s more about the style of the space than durability! Ceramic, porcelain, glass, and metal tiles are the best options for superior functionality because they are nonporous materials and are resistant to stains, fading, discoloration, heat, and moisture. Your kitchen and bar may be subject to splashes from spaghetti or other acidic ingredients, so you want a tile that is made of nonporous material so it’s easy to clean and not prone to stains.

 

 

There is a wide variety of tile compositions, shapes, sizes, and colors to choose from that meet these criteria, so it’s all about style choice in your kitchen or bar area. If you have a bar off the kitchen, you might choose a corresponding theme for a more cohesive look throughout your space. A common area to create some contrast is the stove backsplash. Many people like to switch up the backsplash above their oven range by using a different tile pattern or with a different tile altogether to make a statement. Below are several examples of kitchen and bar tile styles from some of our favorite projects using marble, porcelain, and ceramic tile.

 

 

Bathroom

 

The bathroom can be a very fun and interesting area when it comes to tile selection. The main bathroom and guest bathrooms are a great opportunity to experiment with different tile shapes and sizes to create a unique space, one that expresses your individual design style. One of our favorite and most commonly installed tile compositions in bathrooms is marble. It is a beautiful stone that is naturally water-resistant and adds a luxurious, elegant feel to any space. Marble tile is also an investment piece because it adds to your home’s value and marketability more than alternative tile options. One of our most beautiful projects that showcases marble tile is “Floor to Ceiling Marble Master Bath” with gorgeous Emser Reserva Pampa 18” x 18” and 12” x 24” tile and Emser Echo Calacatta 3” Hexagon Mosaic tile in the shower.

 

 

Two of the best and most complementary tile flooring options for your bathroom are ceramic and porcelain. They are resilient, waterproof, and available in a variety of colors and designs. Porcelain tiles absorb less water than ceramic tiles, making them the best tile to install in a space with high levels of moisture. It also has a naturally adhesive quality, making it safe to walk on when wet and less slick than other tile options. Similar to porcelain tile, ceramic tile is also one of the top choices for bathroom walls and floors because it is impervious to moisture, stands up to stains and won’t absorb bacteria or odors. Ceramic tile is waterproof so it is a great option for a high-moisture space such as the bathroom. It is also easy to maintain, clean, and and is incredibly cost effective. One of our favorite projects that utilizes several tile compositions is the “Modern Master Bath with Unique Shower.” Below are a few of our favorite bathroom projects with beautiful tile designs using porcelain and ceramic tiles.

 

 

 

When it comes to tile, there are many compositions to consider. Each space has a unique set of qualities that makes certain tile selections better for a space than others. Our talented designers at Dalton Carpet One are ready to help you navigate all of the various tile choices for your next project, so book your appointment today for a free design consultation!

 

Our Beautiful Guarantee.

At Dalton Carpet One Floor & Home, we know how important it is for you to feel confident in your flooring selection. Therefore, we strive to ensure that the floor we’ve created together, is as beautiful as the one you envisioned. If not, we’ll replace it for free. That’s what we call The Beautiful Guarantee®.

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