By Maduka Nweke
Technology is good as it helps to bridge a long process of doing things within a twinkle of an eye. Technology also brings about beauty and aesthetics in both human life and materials. In fact, technology has touched every fabric of our human life such that no single thing is devoid of its innovation.
But sometimes, technologies turn out to be a good servant and bad master and vice versa as the case may be. Light, brick block, television, phone, asbestos roofing materials, asphalt tarring of road, painting of houses and maintaining gardens around the home, in addition to transportation medium, computers as well as solar roofing sheets and tiles, including floor and wall tiles, are all part of technology.
As a good servant, these technologies help in either beautifying our lifestyles, making our jobs easy and increasing our propensity in job creation. But on the other hand, it can be a bad master in the sense that a single vehicular accident can kill as many people as possible, so also electricity and slippery floor tiles.
Pope JohnPaul II, was once reported to have slipped off a tiled floor and sustained injuries. The Catholic Pontif was also reported to have suffered many other domestic accidents as a result of slippery tiles. But aside these disadvantages, tiles, whether on the floor or wall, help to change the aesthetics of your property or home. Flooring materials, therefore, play an important role in shaping the final aesthetic value of your rooms. The floor usually dominates a neutral palette and attracts instant attention. Thus, you can dramatically change the appearance of your entire room by redoing the flooring. So, if you’re planning to remodel your rooms by replacing the flooring, you would naturally like to avoid any undesirable consequences or flaws in the process.
Ceramic floor tiles are one of the most used flooring materials after hardwood. If you’re planning to shop for tiles, there are a few things you must avoid. In order to avoid the bad master aspect of tiles in your homes, there are certain precautions you must take to enjoy only the positive side of tiles.
Taking floor measurements without expert guide
Don’t measure your floor lengths on your own, instead have a professional tile installer do it for you. Although this procedure seems quick and simple, nevertheless, it is not a piece of cake for an average person. Since a non-technical person is unfamiliar with technical terms like “off angles”, “floor inclination” and “edges”, you should hire a licensed tile setter to accomplish the task. He can give you an estimated number and size of tiles you will need in your room.
Using the services of a fake tiler
Enthusiastic weekend do-gooders look for amateur improvement projects so that they can save a couple of money. Replacing your old flooring with ceramic floor tiles requires a great deal of patience, time and efforts. You need to search for a skilled, seasoned and reputed contractor who can handle this job well.
Use of fake or inferior materials
Before you start with the remodelling procedure, it is essential that you plan a budget. However, make sure you choose a good contractor. Don’t just hire anybody who offers you discounted rates. There is no substitute to the skills, experience and knowledge of the experts, therefore, hire the best contractors in town. Likewise, don’t buy materials from road side retailers just because they are offering affordable rates. Take some time and differentiate between expensive and cost-effective as well as good-quality and poor quality services.
Living above your standards
Tiled floors look pleasing to the eye and add a great value to your home but the key rule in choosing a floor type is to get a suitable material that can easily fit in with your lifestyle. Don’t buy fancy flooring for entertainment purposes. If your floors receive plenty of traffic on a regular basis, you shouldn’t add glassy or slippery floor tiles to your rooms, especially when you have kids and pets at home. Having a tiled floor makes you vulnerable to slips and minor accidents. Therefore, consider the daily requirements of your family members when choosing flooring for their rooms.
Inability to pick grout colours matching the wall
Purchasing grout and installing it is relatively easier than replacing it from time to time. Since shadow and light can play tricks on the eye, it is important that you consider the final appearances of your tiled floors. Visualise what they will look like after installation. This way, you can add the right shade to lighten them up or tone them down, according to surrounding elements.
Not exploring market for better options
Ceramic floor tiles come in different sizes, shapes, textures, patterns and types. The market is jam-packed with different types of materials that add a classy look to your rooms. If you want attractive flooring for your rooms, it is important that you conduct thorough research on the market. Compare and contrast the materials designed by different manufacturers, test their durability, analyse their costs and see if they fit into your project. Always buy flooring materials from reliable and reputed dealers only. Moreover, don’t just hire any person you come across in the very first attempt. Interview different tile setters, discuss your project with them, negotiate prices and come up with the best deal.
Failure to understand tiles manual
All reputed tile installers offer price quotes and a detailed description of their services in writing. Make sure that you discuss important details like price rates, project duration, types of materials required, number of workers you are planning to have in your home, workmanship guarantee and insurance policies with your tile setter. Get a written copy of the work contract and read it carefully before you make the payment.