The Top Four Benefits of Tiles for the Home

If you are in the midst of a DIY project to upgrade your kitchen or bathroom, at some stage one aspect to consider is what material you will have on the walls and floor. For the walls, there’s plenty of choice, like painted plaster or vinyl wallpaper, and for the floor you could opt for luxury vinyl or cork, for instance. But in fact, nothing matches the style and durability of both wall tiles and floor tiles. Here, we look at four reasons why tile should be your first choice.

Why Tiles Are So Popular With Surrey, Kent and Sussex Homeowners

1. Plenty of Choice

Visit a good tile showroom and you will find there is almost a bewildering choice available. Tiles come in a wide variety of sizes and the style options for kitchen and bathroom tiles is almost infinite! Whether you prefer a sleek, single block of colour on your walls or floor, or would like to liven things up with the latest designs in feature tiles, you’ll find there is a tile that appeals to you. There is also a range of materials to select from, such as natural stone, ceramic tiles, porcelain, terracotta and even slate or glass tiles. So there’s no limitation on the look that can be achieved in your home.

2. Durability

There’s no doubt that the enduring robustness of tiles is one of their best qualities, and nowhere is durability more important than in the bathroom or kitchen, where spills, moisture and condensation are rife. If you opt for a quality tile and have them installed and sealed well, they will last for many years to come, adding value to your daily life and your home in general.

3. Maintenance

During their long lifespan, they are easy to keep clean too. Choose a ceramic wall or floor tile, for instance, and you’ll find they are water repellent, so moisture over the longer term won’t affect their appearance or performance. And streaks, dirt and grime can be simply removed with a damp sponge. Just apply a sealant from time to time, and cleaning tiles is a cinch!

4. Affordable Over Their Lifetime

Because there’s such a huge selection available, there are tiles to suit every budget. Add in their durability and low maintenance, and it’s easy to see why kitchen and bathroom tiles are such good value for money. You won’t need to replace, refresh or update your wall or floor covering every few years, so your initial investment in tiles will pay off over their lifetime.

Easy to Install, Too!

As a final point, it’s actually not that difficult to lay tiles on floors or walls yourself, if you are a keen DIYer. There are plenty of instruction videos on the internet and so long as you take your time, you can end up with a professional looking job. Alternatively, if you’re in a hurry or doubt your abilities, you can always hire an expert tiler.

If you think tiles might be the right option for your kitchen or bathroom, why not take a look at what’s on offer at Barge Tiles in Lingfield? We have the best choice in the local area, including East Grinstead, Crawley, Tunbridge Wells and beyond.

Is There a Difference Between Wall and Floor Tiles?

At our tile showroom in Lingfield, a question we’re often asked is whether there is any significant difference between wall tiles and floor tiles. The short answer is that, while floor tiles can be used on walls, the reverse is rarely the case! Here, we explain why, and what you need to be aware of when you make your selection from the countless array on offer in stores or online.

Why Wall Tiles and Floor Tiles Are Not Always Interchangeable

If you are on the look-out for great kitchen or bathroom tiles in Surrey or further afield, it’s tempting to think that a tile is just that: a tile, and both are suitable for any kind of surface. What’s important is the strength and durability of the tile when it’s made. And it’s that factor which determines whether a tile is suitable for use on a floor or a wall.

Bathroom and kitchen tiles on walls may well suffer a lot of exposure to damp atmospheres and splashes of all types of products used in those areas, but floor tiles have to withstand foot traffic as well. That can be particularly heavy in some much-used areas of the home, like the kitchen. So you’ll find that wall tiles are often thinner and much lighter than their floor counterparts. Floor tiles will also often feature a heavier duty glaze, so they can resist abrasions from footwear, and dirt and grime that may get trodden into the area. Tiles that are built to withstand constant footfall will additionally be made from a denser, tougher material.

To help sellers and buyers decide what kind of tile is suitable for what area in a building, many use the Porcelain Enamel Institute (‘PEI’) rating system. This ranks tiles on a scale between 0 and 5 and is a useful guide to how tough the tile will be.

How the PEI Rating System Works

Any tile that’s rated PEI 0 should only ever be used on a wall. It’s just not built to bear loads – by which we mean people! – because it has very little resistance to abrasion. Put these on the floor of any area, and they’ll be scuffed and chipped in no time.

PEI 1 tiles can tolerate light foot traffic only. Ideally, this restricts them to walls as well, although you may get away with putting them in low footfall areas, like your en suite bathroom or a bedroom. Even so, you should take off your shoes!

Next stage up, PEI 2 tiles can withstand moderate footfall. Use them in bathrooms and lighter use areas. PEI 3 rated tiles, however, are tougher still and are eminently suitable for busy spaces like a hall, kitchen or living area.

PEI 4 and PEI 5 tiles are usually what’s looked for beyond home use, with 4 rated tiles employed in offices, cafes or restaurants and 5 for extreme levels of footfall, like shopping precincts or station concourses.

Hopefully, that helped answer your question, but at Barge Tiles, we’re always pleased to advise, so if you have questions, just ask! Based in Lingfield, we also cover East Grinstead, Crawley and Tunbridge Wells, as well as Kent and Sussex beyond.

A Quick Guide to Choosing Tiles for Your Kitchen

You may have decided that you are after the classic look and durability of floor tiles in your kitchen. Congratulations, tiling is a great option that really will add value to your new kitchen and your home as a whole. But visit any tile showroom and you’ll find what can be a confusing amount of choice. Your first decision is what material your chosen kitchen tiles should be. Here, we offer a brief but handy guide to your main options.

What Materials Do I Have to Choose From?

First, there are ones made from natural materials. These include slate, limestone, marble and quarry tiles, not to mention polished granite. Any of these will look superb and add a real touch of class to either a traditional or contemporary kitchen space. All are incredibly hard wearing, are easy to clean and maintain and will definitely roll with the punches in a busy family kitchen! They will ‘weather’ naturally as they age, developing a unique patina that will grow even more beautiful over time.

One slight drawback: they can be more expensive than other types of tiles, but you are making an investment in something that can potentially last a lifetime! And if you’re not quite sure you’ll want your tiles that long without wishing to change them, then you could always opt for ceramic or porcelain tiles instead. While these are still hard wearing in their own right, they do tend to be less in price than the natural materials mentioned above. That means they can be the more cost effective option if you have an oversized kitchen or are on a tighter budget. They’re also lighter and easier to lay, which can result in less expense when they’re fitted.

What About Style, Colour and Texture?

The great thing about tiles is the sheer choice when it comes to their look. There are plenty of colour options available, which means it’s easy to find something that not only matches your own taste, but also the aesthetics of your kitchen as a whole. One factor to bear in mind, though, is that darker tiles may hide a degree of dirt and grime (less frequent cleaning!), but can make an already small space look even darker and more confined. Lighter coloured tiles, on the other hand, will reflect light and brighten the space up, but will tend to show every fault, flaw or smear.

Choosing a textured style can add interest to the floor, making it more of a focal point. Again, in a small space, this can add to an already cluttered look – but a textured tile does have the advantage of being less slippery than a smooth one.

In the end, many of these decisions come down to personal taste, but will equally apply if you’re looking for bathroom tiles for your floor. One way to ensure you get the best flooring for your needs is to find a showroom that features plenty of choice and take advice from an expert in the tiling world. In Lingfield, East Grinstead, Crawley, Tunbridge Wells, wider Surrey, Sussex and Kent, that means Barge Tiles. We have a wealth of floor tiles and wall tiles to suit any home, and can help you decide what’s right for yours.