Tile ideas and trends

If you are planning a new bathroom renovation or building a new home, creating a relaxing sanctuary is one of the leading home improvement trends and ceramic tile creates dramatic first impressions. Ceramic tile is a luxurious option for creating a beautiful and luxurious bathroom.

 

Ceramic tile is an investment that requires almost no maintenance, and still costs less than other permanent and long-use flooring options. Today’s selection of tile offers a limitless palette of textures, colours, shapes, and styles to create custom expressions.

I recently discovered Lifestyle Ceramics and have to share some of these gorgeous images with you. This large family owned business has been in the tile and bathroom ware industry for over 30 years and offers a range of imported tiles in the latest designs.

Ceramic tile, when properly selected and installed, maintains its original qualities and lasts longer than other flooring options. Not only can installations of ceramic tile be waterproof, some tiles are designed to provide better traction, making ceramic tile a perfect choice for swimming pools, showers, patios, and other wet areas.

Ceramic tile is easy to clean and inhospitable to dust mites, mould, and bacteria. Tile is also inherently green and an important part of sustainable construction.

Being practically maintenance-free, as it resists dirt and stains and requires little effort to maintain, ceramic tile is the obvious choice for modern and contemporary home designs.

The colour of ceramic tile does not fade in sunlight like the dyes used in other floor finishes, and ceramic tile has no VOC emissions, being fired at very high to produce a material that is virtually inert - with no off-gassing.

For thousands of years, discerning builders have chosen tile for their projects due to its many benefits. When you begin to factor in how environmentally-friendly ceramic tile products are, you’ll see that tile is the obvious choice when building green.

Glazed tile walls in your home will easily keep their lovely look with simple routine care. Just wipe regularly with a clean damp cloth or sponge. A non-abrasive, neutral cleaner can be used (abrasive cleansers will cause scratching to shiny tile and polished marble surfaces).

Highly polished tile and stone surfaces should be polished dry with a soft absorbent cloth after cleaning to eliminate the buildup of hard-water residue and maintain the high polished finish.

Ceramic tile is one of the most durable and maintenance friendly surfaces you can choose for your walls and floors. With proper care and minimum maintenance, it will retain its original beauty and luster for many years. Generally, all that is necessary to keep your tile looking as good as new is a quick wipe with a clean damp cloth or mop. Prompt cleanup of spills and regular cleaning will keep your ceramic tile surfaces looking their best.

Tiled surfaces in your bathroom may require a more thorough routine cleaning because of a build-up of soap scum, body oils or hard-water stains. Use a clean, damp cloth, or sponge with a neutral pH cleaner, allowing it to stand about five minutes before rinsing and drying. Specialty bathroom cleaners may also be used (always test first). Clean shower regularly with the appropriate tile and stone cleaner. Dry with a towel after each use and leave curtain or door open between showers to allow for maximum ventilation and moisture escape.

For glazed tile floors, sweep or vacuum regularly to remove dirt and gritty particles. Follow with a mop or sponge dampened with a neutral pH cleaner. If a cleaner is used, be sure the surface is rinsed thoroughly with clean water and dried. For textured or uneven tile or stone surfaces, substituting a soft scrub brush or white nylon scrub pad for the mop or sponge will quicken the cleaning process. Unglazed tile floors and porcelain tile floors can also be maintained in this same manner.