Ceramic floor tiles for the ultimate in luxury flooring

The choice in ceramic floor tile is only limited to your imagination. You can pretty much choose whatever color or pattern you want to match your home decorating theme. Of all the flooring materials a ceramic tile floor will last the longest.

It is a little harder to install and takes more floor preparation and planning. It is still a home handyman or handywomen project. You can break down the steps by three categories, tiles, mortar (called mud) and backer board or what is normally called the sub-floor, last step is the grout. Because of the vast selection of ceramic tiles in the home depot stores there is a colored grout to match most color schemes. Marble tiles or granite should always have a dark grout.

When choosing ceramic tiles for your floors remember that they last a very long time. So you don't want to choose a trendy color that you will get tired of in a couple of years. The first important step of installation is the prep work you put into it. You may have to use a leveling compound so your floor is flat with no nails or low spots.

When you buy ceramic floor tiles you will also need to purchase the transition strips. Ceramic floor transitions are for bridging two floors together when they meet. These strips come in metal or wood.

Because ceramic can be expensive and hard to install you might want to wait for sales or take advantage of discount laminate flooring and use the money you save on hiring an installer. If you choose this type of floor you are going to need an area rug to soften the feel and to bring out the colors, go here to view area rugs.

Choosing ceramic floor tiles

Ceramic: are slices of clay that have been fired with a single or double coating of glaze.

Terra-cotta: are made of unrefined natural clay. These types will absorb water so they need to be sealed often. Not recommended for bathrooms or kitchen floors.

Saltillo: a terra-cotta tile that is handmade and dried in the sun. Creates a rustic Mexican look.
Porcelain: made from white clay. It is a very dense ceramic tile with a glossy surface. You need to use a mortar that is made for porcelain.

Quarry tile: usually made from shale. comes in assorted colors and absorbs very little water and is slip resistant.

Stone: refers to all granite, marble and slate made tiles. ( very nice for luxury floors)

Ceramic-bodied: are made of cement not clay and are cured. These are made to resemble brick or a glazed tile and are quite durable.

Ceramic tiles are used with great success as part of your bathroom decor and as flooring in a hallway or front entrance.

If you are looking for information on how to replace a cracked or broken ceramic tile go to this page on tile repair.