Water Damage To Tile Flooring – How It Can Be Prevented
Floor Tiles Get Loose After Water Damage
One of the main issues that water damage causes to your tile flooring is that it can make it loosen up over time. That’s because the adhesive that’s holding your tiles into position will slowly be deteriorated by the presence of excess moisture. When you’re trying to use proper tile care, one of the first things that you should do is make sure that water isn’t allowed to pool on top of your tiles for very long. Wipe up spills and messes before water has the time to seep down below your tiles and do damage to the subfloor and the tile itself
If you notice that tiles in your home are beginning to loosen up and stop sticking to the floor like they are supposed to, this is often a clear sign that you have water damage that you don’t know about. That’s why it’s a good idea to check your tile flooring regularly. You won’t know if you need to make a tile repair until you go looking for problems, and after looking you might realize that you have quite a few issues that need caring for.
If you notice one or two tiles coming loose, pull them up so that you can see what sort of damage has occurred down below. Often you’ll see that the lower floor is rotting away and you have a serious issue that you need to take care of. Do yourself a favor and fix up any water leaks that are present and then care for all flooring and tile that’s affected by the water damage. Usually, many surrounding tiles will be damaged as well, even if they haven’t become loose just yet, so check thoroughly.
What Should Be Done About Water Under Bathroom Floor Tiles?
If you notice any signs of water under bathroom tile flooring, you’ll have to take a few different steps to sort out the issue. The very first step, before you worry about things like tile repair or tile care, is to find out where the water is coming from. If it’s from something like flooding, or a burst pipe that you already cared for, you can skip this step. However, if you aren’t sure what’s causing the water damage you need to get a pro into your home to locate the source of the damage.
After you go through the trouble of stopping the water leak, you can move on to repairing any damage that was done by the water. If you have tiles that are suffering from the damage, chances are good other surfaces are also damaged. It’s time for you to remove any damaged tiles so that you can look at everything else underneath. Cut out any subfloor that’s damaged and replace it with a fresh product. After you get all the subfloor issues worked out, you can start focusing on tile repair.
Important Things to Consider While Purchasing Flooring Tiles For Your Home
Having decided to revamp the look of your old, dreary-looking floor, take some time to research and look for modern, durable, trendy, and highly-quality floor tiles options. There are countless flooring tile options available but not all of them can suit your requirements. At some places, you may focus more on looks and aesthetics while at some, durability may be your major concern. Here, we bring you top 5 factors to keep in mind before purchasing flooring tiles for your home. Considering these factors, you can kick up the style and look of your home.
Size Matters
Size is one of the most important factors that demands your undivided attention. If you are looking for floor tiles for a spacious spaces, you must choose big-sized tiles like 100×200 cm, 120×120 cm, 120×180 cm, 80×120 cm etc. These sizes are also appropriate for medium room size as larger tiles make the area appear bigger than it is.
Finishes
Before choosing perfect tiles from an incredible selection, look for diverse finishes that can you adorn your home in a distinctive style. Some of the best choices available are polished, matt, wooden, metallic, marbletech, carving and rustic finishes and depending on overall décor of your abode, you can choose a finish that goes perfectly well with your sense of style.
Material
The most popular and commonly used floor tiles Material options are ceramic, vitrified, glass, cement, and mosaic. Most often, people decide to go with ceramic or vitrified tiles for their home as it is a highly durable material and is available in multiple designs, colours, and patterns. Thus, it offers an eclectic blend of durability and aesthetic appearance. These tiles are highly resistant to wear and tear and do not easily get stained, chipped or cracked. If the area where these tiles are going to be installed experiences heavy foot traffic, these tile options proves to be the right choice.
Anti-Slip Tiles
Another factor that needs to be considered is resistance to water. If you are looking for suitable flooring options in areas like the bathroom and kitchen, you will have to choose tiles that provides enough grip and comes with anti-slip features. Matt finish tiles is one of the best bathroom tile options
Things You Need To Know About Floor Tiles
Not all floor tiles are made the same or from the same material. You should get to know the categories of tiles. These categories are glazed porcelain, polished porcelain, unglazed matt porcelain, unglazed rock face porcelain, ceramic tiles, glazed matt porcelain, glazed polished porcelain and natural stone.
Floor Tiles Idea – Advantages And Disadvantages
Each floor tile has both advantages and disadvantages, so knowing what you need for your job is just as important as knowing your tile categories. For instance, if you are buying tiles for an uncovered outdoor area, it’s worth considering an anti-slip tile.
Cheapest Prices
Once you have selected the brands and types of tiles you are after, shop for the cheapest prices. Don’t pay more than you have to. Tile Factory Outlet is known for having the cheapest floor tiles in Sydney but they also carry all of the above brand name tiles
Lay your floor tiles once and lay them right. Make sure you use a tiler who has a good reputation and buy the tile adhesive and grout for him
Here’s Exactly How to Clean Your Tile Floors
Take care of your tile floors with a gentle hand and a few smart cleaning techniques that will keep your tiles and grout looking like new. Learn how to clean your tile floors, how to clean tile grout, which cleaning products and tools to use and how often your floors need to be cleaned.
Your kitchen or bathroom isn’t fully clean until you’ve scrubbed the floors. Although you don’t have to tackle this chore every time you wipe down the countertops, it’s important to keep an eye on your tile floors for signs of dirt or grime. A hazy film or dirty grout are both indicators that your floors need more than a cursory sweeping. When it’s time to clean your tile floors, be sure to use the proper technique for your type of tile as the recommended cleaners and mops vary between materials. These are the best ways to clean your tile floors no matter what material it’s made of
How to Clean Tile Floors of All Types
You wouldn’t wash a stainless-steel refrigerator with a cleaner meant for an enamel surface. The same concept applies to your tile. While tile floors are incredibly durable, certain kinds of tile need to be cared for in a special way. Ceramic and porcelain floor tiles are fairly low maintenance, while coarse tiles such as slate, marble, granite, or limestone require individualized care and often specific cleaners.
How to Clean Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Floors
Ceramic and porcelain tiles are incredibly durable, and a few easy cleaning tips can keep these types of floors looking sparkling
Follow this simple process to clean ceramic and porcelain tile:
Clean up loose debris: Sweep or vacuum your tile floors regularly to keep them from getting dull. Ceramic tiles may be resistant to dirt, but sand and grit can dull the glazed surfaces.
Choose the right floor mop: Clean tile with mild detergent and clean water using a rag or chamois-type mop rather than a sponge mop. These mops are best for cleaning tile because sponge mops tend to push dirty water into the grout lines, making them harder to clean. Be sure to change the water frequently while mopping; dirty water equals a cloudy floor.
Be on the look for tile stains: If you find a discoloration, first try to determine what type of substance made the stain. Use the appropriate cleaner for the stain for the most effective clean.
Watch for soap residue: If your tiles look hazy even after cleaning, you might be dealing with soapy residue. Remove the film with a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner. You could also try a homemade cleaner with mild acid (such as fresh lemon juice) on ceramic or porcelain tiles (but never on stone tiles).
Dry the tiles: Don’t let your glazed tile floors air-dry as the sitting water will form water spots. Take care of that by drying the floor with a clean, lint-free cloth immediately after washing
Hardwood flooring vs Tile Planks that look like hardwood. Pros and Cons.
I get a lot of calls and comments on my blog asking me whether I think hardwood floors or porcelain planks (that look like wood) are better? It’s a challenging question to answer both because “it depends” and because there are pros and cons for each option.
Many prefer hardwood, but they are concerned about scratching and water, especially if they are installing floors in a kitchen or if they have a dog. The answer to what’s best can also be shaped by your sub-floor (as this can impact cost) as well as your climate.
Now, I do want to preface this by explaining that there are 2 main structures for hardwood flooring – Solid and engineered hardwood. (You can read more about that in the linked article). For the purposes of this article, I’m comparing solid hardwood vs porcelain planks. Generally, solid hardwood flooring will last longer than engineered hardwood.
In general, if you are choosing between engineered wood (on concrete slab) vs tile (on a concrete slab), I would generally recommend tile over engineered wood, if all other things are equal
But if you are choosing between solid hardwood and tile planks, in my opinion, they are both good options. Of course each also has drawbacks, too and no floors are perfect. Only you can answer which of these factors are most important to you and therefore which option is better for you, your family and your home.