Installing new tiles can make a dramatic difference in the look and feel of any home. With so many options, selecting the right tile may seem overwhelming. However, thoughtfully select tiles can enhance the design aesthetic and significantly increase your home value. This guide will provide key considerations when planning a tile project to help maximize your investment. We’ll explore tile basics, assess your space and needs, review design elements, budget, increase home value, hire a professional versus DIY, and long-term care and maintenance. With strategic planning and decision-making, Boost your home value with the right tiles! Discover expert tips on select tiles that increase home value and your property’s worth.
Understanding Tile Basics
Several key factors differentiate the main tile types available. These differences allow tiles to serve distinct functions and aesthetics.
The four most common types of tile are
- Ceramic – Made from clay fired at high temperatures. Durable, affordable, and available in a huge range of styles.
- Porcelain – Made from clay fired at higher temperatures than ceramic. Denser and even more durable than ceramic, it is resistant to most scratches, stains, and water.
- Natural Stone – Tiles cut from stones like marble, travertine, slate, limestone, and granite. It is elegant with natural variation but requires more maintenance.
- Glass – Crafted from recycled glass, it is stunning when lit with natural or LED lighting. It is relatively affordable but not as durable as ceramic or porcelain.
- Mosaic – Small, intricately arranged tiles creating patterns. They were commonly used for backsplashes, pools, and accent walls.
Within these broader categories exist even more specialty tile options. Carefully weigh the pros and cons of each when making your selection. Also, investigate tile quality markers like the PEI rating indicating durability and water absorption percentages signifying stain and water resistance.
Assessing Your Space and Needs
Take stock of each space in your home under renovation and how it functions before picking tiles. High-traffic spots like kitchens and bathrooms necessitate durable, moisture-resistant tiles. Conversely, lesser-used living areas provide more flexibility.
However, durable tiles make sense throughout the home for long-term resale value. Additionally, correctly gauge the size and flow of the area. Small rooms and spaces do better with smaller tile sizes to make them appear larger. Sun-drenched rooms can handle light, reflective tiles, while darkly lit spaces require tiles with more color variation and pattern.
Design Considerations
While tiles serve very functional purposes, they also have a huge impact aesthetically. Survey trends to see what home buyers currently favor. Also, ensure tiles complement the home’s modern, colonial, or Mediterranean style.
Factor color psychology into the feeling you want a space to evoke. Soft blue-toned tiles cultivate calm, while vibrant orange and red tiles energize. Contrast the psychology of color with patterns – solid tiles for minimalism or brightly patterned accent tiles sparingly to make them pop.
The tile shape also guides the room’s flow and perspective. Rectangular floor tiles lend length to narrow rooms, while square wall tiles make compact bathrooms seem bigger. Carefully arranged mosaic tiles change flat surfaces into focal features.
And don’t neglect the grout between tiles! Gray or white is classic. Or match the grout to the tile color for an uninterrupted look. Cleanable sealed grout maintains sanitation.
Budgeting and Cost Effectiveness
Creating a tile budget is key. Cost can vary immensely by material, from $2-4 per square foot for ceramic and porcelain to $15 or more for higher-end stone and glass. Factor in additional expenses like a backer board, thin-set adhesive, grout, and sealers.
The initial price tag can sting, but quality tile installed correctly lasts decades, enhancing later resale value. Homebuyers notice impressive tiling work and thus view such homes as better maintained with increased value.
Strategically tile selective high-visibility areas first if full home renovation exceeds budget. Kitchens and bathrooms with beautiful new tile strongly motivate buyers. Always keep long-term home value impacts in perspective over immediate expenses.
Increasing Home Value with Strategic Tile Choices
Kitchens, bathrooms, and entryways offer prime opportunities to add home value through tile improvements. As top-selling features, impressive tile work in these spaces can yield much higher resale returns.
For kitchens, larger format porcelain plank tile allows for a contemporary, seamless look that flows across the entire space and is valued by buyers. Strategically placed glass, ceramic, or porcelain tile backsplashes enhance kitchen design cohesion.
In bathrooms, moisture and mold-resistant large porcelain tiles on walls and floors communicate structural integrity and effective renovation. For resale value, limiting tile to around the tub and vanity maintains clean sightlines.
Finally, entry and mudrooms deserve tile attention as they make critical first impressions. Here, durably stylish yet easy-to-clean porcelain or ceramic tile says “welcome” while containing outdoor messes.
Incorporating trending touches like subway tiles, mosaics, marble accents, and contrasting grout modernizes spaces for top dollar, making them stand out in the competitive market. Solidshape, renowned as the best platform to buy tiles, offers a diverse range of options that cater to various aesthetic preferences, ensuring your renovations align with current trends without over-personalization.
Just don’t overpersonalize choices in ways that will limit appeal only to you. It’s essential to seek professional guidance for balancing exciting new elements with conventional style, which is most valued by buyers.
Hiring Professionals vs. DIY
Installing tile properly requires expertise assessable through hiring contractors. Unless completely remodeling a space, professionals economically tile selective areas only where needed. Contractors also provide experience transforming spaces while avoiding costly errors in do-it-yourselfer risk making.
That said, ambitious DIYers on strict budgets can try with success. Watch online tutorials. Talk to flooring store specialists. Start small in closets or mudrooms to build confidence before tiling more visible areas. Have tools like wet saws for accurate cuts and use leveling systems to create perfectly even finished tile surfaces, important for proper structural safety.
If hiring out, check contractors’ reviews and ask to see previous work. Ensure they use modern methods, not outdated thin-set techniques prone to fail over time. Agree on daily rates or square footage pricing and sign detailed contracts regarding expectations.
Maintenance and Longevity
All tiles require proper care to maintain their beauty and prevent costly problems. Ceramic and porcelain tiles stay sanitary with regular sweeping and then damp mopping using pH-neutral cleaners. Avoid harsh acidic or alkaline cleaners eroding grout and dulling tiles.
Sealing natural stone tiles annually prevents staining and etching from spills. Reapply sealers to rejuvenate the stone’s water resistance over time. Stay alert on stone and grout seal integrity to avoid mold or loose, cracking grout requiring re-grouting.
Establish no-shoe policies for indoor tiled areas to minimize gritty messes and floor scratching. Install protective pads and felt tips under furniture legs. Place mats at high-traffic external home entrances to catch outdoor muck before it mars internal tiles.
With attentive care, quality tile installations last thirty to fifty years or more before necessitating any replacement. Check for cracks or chips annually. Immediately repair minor damage to limit the spread of deterioration. Major tile failures require total replacement by professionals.
Conclusion
The dizzying options today in tiles make choosing difficult but also allow fully customizable spaces. Define your goals – a welcoming entry, easy-clean kitchen, or spa-like bath. Measure your spaces accurately, accounting for room uses, flows, and lighting. Mind budget but don’t automatically sacrifice quality and durability that maintain safety while enabling greater home value. Hire wisely or DIY cautiously. And care for your tiles once installed. Follow these guidelines to select tiles to realize immediate benefits and increase your lifestyle while boosting your home value resale value – an investment adding lasting worth and beauty to your home.
