Knowing the kind of subfloor you’ll be installing ceramic tile flooring over is important. There are three main types of subfloors you might encounter: Vinyl, plywood, and concrete floors. Installing ceramic tile flooring directly to your vinyl or linoleum subfloor surfaces is greatly discouraged. One, it may contain asbestos fibers; and two, vinyl flooring is not a solid as good ol’ concrete flooring. When installing ceramic tile on vinyl, experts would recommend rough-sanding, or scarifying, the vinyl floor surface first so your tiling mortar has good grip to set on.

For plywood subfloors, be sure that the wood is at least 1 and 1/8 inches thick and is supported by an equally strong underlayment. Otherwise, your ceramic tiles will dislodge easily, or worse, break and need replacing. Concrete floors are the most ideal subfloor surface to work with. But before you can start installing ceramic tile flooring over it, it must be cleaned thoroughly. For dust and other debris, sweep and then mop your concrete subfloor surface, and allow it to dry completely. Smooth concrete surfaces must be rough sanded just like vinyl floors to allow the tiling mortar some grip.

You can begin window-shopping and canvassing for ceramic tiles once you have the space or area estimated. Ceramic floor tiles come in a variety of prices, shapes, textures and styles. Pick a tile type that’s within your price range and ask to see it in what a palette of colors. The most common ceramic tile size is one square foot. But ceramic tiles may come in a wide array of sizes; from one inch, to two feet.

Prices can vary according to tile type. Natural stone tiles made from granite or slate may sell for two dollars per square foot. Glazed ceramic tiles run from a dollar to twenty dollars per square foot, while unglazed quarry tiles may average around $2 per square foot.

An important thing to remember is to use ceramic tiles with a slightly rough textured surface when tiling the bathroom. This is so you won’t encounter accidents on a floor that’s always wet. Smooth glazed ceramic tiles, especially, are ideal for kitchen or back porch flooring. But you shouldn’t use them bathroom floors, as they can be treacherous when wet.

It’s also important to get the right equipment and tools for the project. You can buy most of the tools and materials you’ll need at you neighborhood hardware store, or home center. For equipment that might over your budget like tile cutters, try asking your local home center or tool rental yard if they have the tools you need for rental. Basic ceramic tiling tools include A pair of safety glasses, heavy leather gloves, tile spacers, notched trowel, a handheld tile cutter, and a pair of tile nippers. Have some sandpaper handy for smoothing out cut edges. Sponges and clean dry rags will come in handy for cleaning and wiping off excess mortar material and grout lining from your newly-finished ceramic tiling floor.

Of course, you can always consult a professional if you are hesitant over how to start installing ceramic tile on your floor. From choosing the right tiles and color, to tearing out existing ceramic tile floors without damaging the subfloor, to installing ceramic tile that will last you a lifetime, a home improvement professional will be able to help you with information, at the very least, or assist you when you start installing ceramic tile.

Discover how to install ceramic floor tile. Grab your guide on installing ceramic tile floors in simple steps.

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1. Finish. Ceramic tiles come in a number of finishes. You can get glazed or unglazed tiles. So, how do you know which is best for you? Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of each. Glazed tile has the benefit of being more water resistant than unglazed. This is a great feature for someone with small children as they tend to spill often, and thus, water resistant flooring becomes a must. Also glazed ceramic tile is easier to clean than unglazed tile, which with children is also a plus. So, what are the cons? Well, for one, glazed ceramic tile tends to be more slippery when wet. This could be a hazard, but do not worry, this does not eliminate the pros of glazed tile from your options. What you can do, is use a glazed ceramic tile with a non-slip feature or material.

2. Size: Depending on where in your home you want the tile, and the look you are going for, will determine what size of ceramic tile is best for you. Ceramic tile come in a variety of sizes, from about 1/4″ square, to 12″ x 12″ squares and in some instances are even larger. The size is definatley a matter of choice, but for floors, a popular choice is 6″ x 6″ up to 12″ x 12″ sizes. Larger tiles work best for larger areas. For areas that may get more water, and thus become slippery, smaller tiles are a great choice as the greater number of grout lines help make the tile less slippery.

3. Shape: the shape of your ceramic tile is going to make a huge difference in how easy it is to lay, etc. So, shapes include square, rectangular, diamond, hexagon, octagon, triangular, round, and a variety of several of the previous options, or you can also have custom shapes made up for you, but this increases your costs. If you want to go for the custom look without the cost, then use more than one shape and even color of ceramic tile.

4. Color: Color is the decorators favorite option, and when it comes to ceramic tiles you aren’t limited by your choices of colors, you can find ceramic tiles in just about any color you can think of, as well as the natural hues of slate, granite, marble, and other natural stone tiles. So, to choose the best color for you home, you should realize that while some of the brighter blues, and more vibrant colors may be very attractive to you as you shop, if you stay with the neutral colors, or natural tones, the ceramic tile will be easier to match to your other flooring in your home. Also, because ceramic tiles are pretty much one of the very most durable flooring types you can find, and you will not likely need to replace it for a number of lifetimes (although you may need to regrout occassionaly), staying neutral means staying up to date. Instead of colored tiles try colored accent rugs and other colored décor. Also it is best to choose your tile first and then match the color of carpeting, vinyl flooring or other materials to the tiles, rather than the other way around.

5. Grout: The grout you choose to cement your tiles in with is going to make a difference in how your tiles look. You can use colored grouts, neutral grouts, really fine, or really course grouts. For easiest cleaning, choose grout that is a neutral color, and stay away from white white unless you want to use a lot of bleach. A gray or tan grout will hide dirt better, and leave the focus on the tiles themselves not the material holding them together.

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