Bathroom ceramic tile in your home is both beautiful and very practical. Nothing else can match the beauty and the great variety of colors, textures, designs and shapes possible with tile construction. Especially in bathrooms, ceramic tile can’t be matched as a durable and useful surface.

Tile On Counter Tops

Tile bathroom counter tops are very practical. Many times porcelain tile is used on counter tops. Porcelain tile is tile that is fired under certain conditions. The surface or finish of porcelain tile is very slick and glass-like. Because of that slick finish, porcelain tile wipes off very easily, which is great for clean-up in a bathroom. Porcelain tile comes in many types of trim shapes, suitable for trimming edges and trays in bathrooms.

But other kinds of tiles are used on bathroom counter tops. Granite and marble tiles are good on counter tops. Even floor tiles are fine. Just think about how you will trim the tile around the edges.

An epoxy grout is great for bathroom counter tops. Epoxy grout is stain proof and waterproof, perfect for use anywhere in a bathroom.

Ceramic Tile on Bathroom Floors

Bathroom floors get wet, making ceramic tile a perfect floor covering choice. Make sure to select a tile with some texture so it won’t be slick. Installation goes under the commode edge. The commode must be removed to install the tile. This is a good time to replace the commode mounting hardware and seal. Again, epoxy grout is perfect for the floor grout since it’s waterproof.

Tile On Walls

Bathroom walls are a great place for tile. Especially in a steamy shower environment, The moisture will not bother the ceramic tile wall at all. A ceramic tile wall is virtually a no maintenance surface. And porcelain is ultra easy to clean.

Ceramic Tile On Tub And Shower Surrounds

Maintaining many kinds of tub surrounds is a constant battle. But not ceramic tile on the tub surround. Just a simple wipe down occasionally is all that’s required. Also built in trays and racks can be fitted to the ceramic tile tub surround to make it both beautiful and useful.

Ceramic Tile Showers

Ceramic tile showers can be installed quickly and at reasonable costs. The standard method of building ceramic tile showers includes building a masonry shower floor over a waterproof membrane, called a shower pan liner. The shower floor will last a long time with very little maintenance. The only real maintenance required is to keep the grout sealed to prevent deterioration of the grout.

Do It Yourself Bathroom Tile

It is very possible for a handy person to learn to do bathroom ceramic tile installation. There are just a few steps to the process and a few tools to acquire if you wish to do tile installation yourself.

There are some tricks to installing ceramic tile, but nothing that you can’t learn. Just like many other home improvement projects, a handy person can do a professional ceramic tile installation job. You may be slower than a pro, but your finished work can be just as good. Maybe even better, since you can take all the time you need and you aren’t in a hurry. Installing ceramic tile is just done in steps. If you understand the steps, you can do a great job.

You can enjoy the satisfaction of bathroom ceramic tile installation done right. Plus save some money and not have strangers in your house!

Are you ready to enjoy bathroom ceramic tile in your home. I’ve enjoyed ceramic tile in my bathroom most of my life and it’s an affordable luxury.

Visit InstallingCeramicTile.Net and get started on your bathroom tile project.

Al Bullington enjoys bathroom ceramic tile in the rural South.

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Cost

Ceramic tiles for bathroom counter tops are available in many sizes, shapes, thicknesses, colors, textures, and strengths all at various prices. You can spend as little as $.99 a sq foot to as high as $45.00 a sq foot for designer tiles.

Color/Design

Ceramic tiles are a porous material thereby requiring a sealant or in other words a glaze. A natural glaze application would allow for the tile to gain a hard surface but would also leave the tile with its natural hue. In order for a tile to have a particular color, pigments are then added to the glaze and once fired, become an intentionally colorful tile.

The options truly are endless for tiles with respect to color, texture and style. The difficult part is really deciding which one best fits with your space!

* Glass tiles can be a beautiful addition to your bathroom counter tops as well. Remember that glass tiles are clear with color pigment inside the tile themselves. They change color with light, grout and backing. Durability

With respect to durability, all tiles are ranked using a Roman numeral grading system of I to V. Today the internet and discount tile supply stores are a fantastic option for getting great prices on tiles, but beware that not all packages will be properly labeled to distinguish a strength grade.

In bathroom counters it is vitally important to have a tile with at least a grade III strength rating. With respect to durability, a grade III or higher glazed ceramic tile is an excellent solution for counter tops in any Bathroom for many reasons: It is very strong and can last almost as long as any other counter top surface product on the market today if installed properly and well maintained.

Scratch resistance – Glazed ceramic tiles rank highly among similar materials for scratch resistance.

Strength – Although the strength of glazed ceramic tiles are ranked in grades and can be very strong with respect to wear and scratching, these counter tops can be more susceptible to damage than laminate and solid surface. Very heavy objects could eventually create enough pressure over time to crack tiles and should something heavy fall onto the counter, breakage will most likely occur. It is possible to fix broken tiles, however this process can also damage surrounding tiles so diligence is needed when doing so.

Fire resistance – Glazed ceramic tiles are fire resistant and will not burn or emit toxic fumes.

Water resistance – Glazed ceramic tiles are moisture resistant with an absorption rate of 3% to 7%. If water is left pooling on a ceramic surface for a prolonged period of time, damage can be expected. Proper cleaning and vigilance will keep tiles looking like new.

Maintenance – Cleaning spills quickly and occasionally cleaning the grout can prolong the life of your ceramic tile counter top.

Construction/Installation

It is not necessary to have Ceramic tile counter tops professionally installed, make sure you follow these few rules and you’ll be fine.

1. Do your research and seek out credible advice. There are several fantastic websites designed to help you install your ceramic tile counter tops and be sure to visit your local building centers where some will host free lessons on tiling. The more information and advice you can receive the less mistakes may be made therefore saving you money!

2. Choosing a color or style of bathroom counter top tile is an important consideration, but so is your grout! Be sure to get the right grout and don’t forget to choose the right grout color as well. Be aware of the look you are trying to achieve and realize that your choice of grout color could dramatically change the overall look of your bathroom counter for better and for worse! Space between your tiles is also something very important to consider. Greater effect and style can be created in something as simple as tile spacing.

3. Another tile to consider installing is un-manufactured tile or hand-made tiles. One very important thing to note about using and installing these tiles is that each tile is generally different. This tile can add rustic beauty to your space but beware of inconsistencies; your end result may not resemble your intention!

Environment/Health

Ceramic tiles are an excellent choice for bathroom counter tops in that they are very easy to clean. These tiles are non-conductive and therefore do not attract dust and dirt. From a green perspective ceramic tiles are ideal. Created from natural ingredients they are not harmful to landfills and post consumer recycled glass is a great option if you are so inclined.

In conclusion, Ceramic tiles are Very sexy and allow for much creativity in your bathroom design. Ceramic tiles are very prevalent in Mexican and Spanish design for a reason. They are durable and versatile and you can incorporate your ceramic tile counter tops into your back splash, match them to your floors; create a great space with unlimited possibilities!

The Oops Factor

Ceramic & Glass counter tops can be a scary bathroom choice due to breakage and maintenance! Although easy to clean, tough on spills, heat resistant and sanitary, these counter tops are problematic for damage! The tiles are also subject to breaking when abused so be careful with heavy items and try to always clean spills quickly to avoid staining your grout. With proper care you can have a great relationship with ceramic tile counter tops in your bathroom for years to come.

Michael Kyle is Co-founder of The Sexy Bathroom.Com and The Sexy Kitchen.com Two great web sites dedicated to Kitchen & Bathroom Design, Planning and Materials as well as a great resource for design photo’s and entertaining.

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