Tile from Flooring Inspirations in Janesville, WI

Tile in your home

When tiling your house or having an installer tile your house there are a few things to remember before you decide on anything. 

  • Where is your tile going? Is this going outside or in your bathroom? Are you using the tile for walls or for floors? Is this a backsplash


    • When tiling your bathroom you want something that isn’t polished (polished tile gets slippery when wet). You want something with texture or left natural.
    • If the tile is going outside you’re going to want to choose a tile that can handle temperature and moisture shifts, you need a porcelain tile or a paver.
    • Certain tiles are thicker than others; a wall tile for instance is thin and can only be used for walls as they’re not meant to be walked on. However some mosaics can be used for wall or flooring.

  • When buying tile what else will you need? What’s the prep work for tile?

    • There are a few things you need to have done before installing your tile. The floor must be properly prepped and your substrate must be sturdy and intact. It should be free of any dirt, soap or water, it must be dry. Any base or timing should be removed.
    • You need several things before you can install the tile in your home: Grout, Thinset (specifically for the substrate you have in your home), an Uncoupling membrane to ensure the durability and integrity of the tile, Tile spacer to ensure even grout lines, a trowel and a type of sealant.

  • Tips and Tricks to help you install your tile


    • Make sure to wait twentyfour [24] hours between setting the tile and grouting.
    • Do not walk on your tile when installing it or when waiting for it to set.
    • You can cut tile at home with a carborundum stone or with nippers and rod saws depending on the angle needed to be cut.
    • When shifting from tile over to another floor type you will need to leave space to add a transition piece.
    • Grout sometimes dries a darker color than when it's wet.
    • Some tiles have color variations and in that case not every tile will look the same.