What you need to consider when buying tiling for a large area

Floor coverings are one of the biggest financial investments you make when decorating and furnishing your home, as while you can quite easily switch out pieces of furniture, or change your color scheme with some paint and soft furnishings– replacing your floor covering is generally too costly, and disruptive a thing to do for no good reason.

This is even more crucial when you have a large floor area to tile, so it’s vital to make a good decision right at the start and to be completely sure that you are going to be satisfied with the end result.

So before you start splashing your cash here are a few things you should keep in mind.

What kind of style are you going for?

Tiles come in many shapes, colors and designs, so there really is something perfect out there, whatever your taste or the look you are looking to create. If you are refurbishing the entire room too then you are free to set the tone with the tiles you choose. That could be rustic farmhouse or quirky modern, plain or patterned, bright or subdued. However, if you are working around existing fittings and fixtures such as kitchen units or living room furniture then that has to set the tone.

No matter how much you love the idea it would be a mistake to say lay rust terracotta tiles on a floor of a kitchen which is all shiny appliances and mirrored units. (Fair enough, if it makes you happy then really, what’s the problem? Except that chances are you would tire of it long before it wore out, and should you decide to sell up you may need to replace it anyhow.)

As a basic rule of thumb, modern style furniture blends well with non-shiny porcelain or ceramic tiles, and rooms which are decorated in a more traditional way tend to look nicer with stone or wood-look tiles.

Which room are you tiling the floor space of?

Rooms which are likely to be exposed to water or high humidity need tiles which won’t soak all that moisture up – so if you have a large kitchen or bathroom space to tile it’s best to stick with [glazed] ceramic or porcelain products. They are affordable, hard wearing- especially important in the kitchen which tends to get more traffic than the average bathroom.

They are both also quite comfortable when you are standing around for a while, which again is what happens when preparing and cooking food. You also need bathroom and kitchen floors to be easy to clean, and while ceramic and porcelain meet these criteria, whereas something like stone is more problematic.

Large bedrooms can also benefit from tiled floors, so long as it is warm and inviting rather than cold and rough underfoot! Unless you have the benefit of underfloor heating it’s probably best to go for a vinyl style floor tile, as these are generally always pleasant to walk on in bare feet. As a bonus, if you plan to use tiles on all of your upstairs floor space them this can work just as well in bathrooms and hallways. This makes it not just cheaper to buy but the end result is seamless and much more attractive than the alternative of mixed and matched pieces.

Large hallways or utility rooms which are likely to get a lot of ‘just from the outdoors’ traffic with wet feet or muddy paws need tiles which are hard wearing and very easy to clean. Porcelain and ceramic tiles can play those roles with no drama, and less chance of anyone slipping than they might on say marble finished tiles.

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Playrooms or lightly used TV lounges do well with their large floor spaces covered with cork. It’s a very cost-effective choice, and of course, it also ticks all the eco-product boxes. Cork is also good for asthmatics or anyone with allergies as it doesn’t hold and circulate dust. It’s very easy to install, can be treated for longer life, holds the heat in well so you can save on utility costs, and is extremely good at absorbing sound – so you don’t need to hear all the noise of the kids playing, practising the drums or playing competitive console games!

• read also: What Is Vinyl?

The only drawback to cork flooring is that the very softness that makes it so comfortable to sit and walk on doesn’t take kindly to heavy furniture being placed on it. If you do then expect it to leave a fairly permanent dent, which may not be a huge issue considering the benefits it delivers in return.

Family room flooring needs tiles which are able to cope with the traffic, deal with spills, and be comfortable underfoot. One kind of tiling which is not too expensive when covering a large space, and meets all the criteria mentioned above is vinyl floor tiles. These come in lots of styles and designs, from plain block colors to hand-painted original design, are easy to lay, and can be replaced individually if necessary. If you want to make the space lighter and brighter stay away from dark colored tiles. Instead, choose something light enough to lift the room without being stark white.

What size tiles should you buy?

Tiles come in various sizes, from quite large to small mosaic style pieces, and they all play a different role in the home. Large tiles are obviously easier and faster to lay (and of course extra large floor tiles if your area permits), and they tend to make the space look even larger. However, if you would like to create a cozier, more intimate feel to the room then ditching the biggest size and going for something medium or small will create the illusion of a smaller space.

It may seem like there’s a lot to think about when choosing the best tiles to cover a larger than average area but once you figure out a few basic wants and needs it’s fairly straightforward, and the end result will definitely make it worth the effort.

LOOKING FOR A DECORATIVE RESIDENTIAL MAILBOX? HERE ARE SOME BUYING TIPS – Read more HERE.