Essex County Tile Installation

When you have one or two tiles that are damaged, and the rest are in good shape, it may seem like the easiest and most cost-effective solution is to just buy a couple of matching tiles and replace only the ones that are damaged. That makes sense in theory, but in practice, it's usually much harder than people suspect to find a perfect match.

There are a few reasons why it's so difficult to find matching tiles. First, tiles are discontinued fairly frequently, so that exact design may not be available anymore. Even if it's not discontinued, tiles are manufactured in lots, and there can be differences from lot to lot, so the same tile from a different lot may not be exactly the same color. You may also not know the exact manufacturer and style that you have installed, and there are many thousands of options out there, so the search can be difficult.

The best-case scenario is that a few extra tiles were saved when the initial Essex County tile installation was done, but even if you do have spares, they may not be a perfect match anymore.

The easiest way to figure out what size of tile will look best is by focusing on matching the size of the individual tiles to the size of the space that is being tiled. For example, a tile installation on a relatively small surface area, such as the floor of a small bathroom, looks great with smaller options, such as mosaic tiles or small squares, because they give the room some depth and don't look too busy. Mosaic tiles are also a great choice for a shower floor, especially one that is sloped or curved, because they are small enough to conform to a curved surface, and all that grout provides some extra traction.

The "standard" size for tiles is 12 by 12 inches, and that's generally a safe choice for most types of tile installation. But if your installation is going on a larger surface area, such as the floor of a large room, consider the option of a large-format tile. It gives a smoother, cleaner look than small tiles across a large area, and as a bonus, larger tiles may actually make a room feel a bit larger. Keep in mind that you can also consider alternative tile shapes to get attractive and unique results. If you're looking for something outside the box, honeycomb, herringbone, or a wide variety of other options may be right for your home.

Homeowners sometimes ask us about this because they don't like the way grout lines look or don't like the chore of trying to keep grout clean and would prefer to have the tiles laid in mortar right next to each other. While this may seem like a good idea at first, you would probably not be happy with the results over time, and the installation would not be up to the highest industry standards. Love it or hate it, there are some key reasons why grout is a necessary part of any Essex County tile installation:

• Tiles may look perfectly uniform in size and shape, but anyone who is experienced with tile installation will tell you that's not the case. The reason they look uniform is that the grout accommodates small differences between the tiles and makes them look that way, so without grout lines, it'll be pretty obvious that the tiles are not identical.
• Buildings shift over time as part of the natural settling process, and grout lines give some "wiggle room" to allow for that movement to occur. Without grout lines, tiles will grind against each other and crack or pop loose from the mortar.
• No matter how perfectly the tiles are fitted together, there will be small cracks between them that will attract tons of dirt and grime particles, and after a few weeks, the floor will never really look clean again.

For all those reasons and more, we won't complete an Essex County tile installation without grout lines. We will, however, seal the grout lines so they are much easier to clean and don't get dirt ground into them that makes them look permanently grimy and grungy. If you still can't stand the thought of grout, you may want to consider a different material, such as luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) that are made to mimic the look of real tiles but don't require grout lines.

You may be tempted to try out your new tile floor right away, but it's really important to keep everything off of it, including your feet, for at least 24 hours. In some cases, your handyman may advise you not to walk on it for longer than that. This is because the thinset mortar needs a minimum of 24 hours to harden and cure. If you step on it before that, the mortar underneath the tiles will still be soft, and the tiles will sink in where you step, causing the surface to be uneven and look really bad. If that happens, a large portion of the surface will need to be redone. Before the tile installation begins, plan to give it ample time to dry. If it's in a portion of your house that you need to walk through to go about your daily routines, it may be best to actually stay overnight at another location following your Essex County tile installation.

Mr. Handyman of South Essex County provides exceptional tile installation and replacement services for homeowners around Essex, Boston, Peabody, and West Medford, MA. Our team of experts has the knowledge and experience to help you decide whether tile replacement or installation is the best investment for your home. Whether you want to invest in kitchen or shower tile installation or replace portions of existing tile, contact us today to schedule an appointment and get your tile project done right the first time. Schedule your service now!

Mr. Handyman of South Essex County proudly serves Beverly, Boston, Chelsea, Danvers, Essex, Everett, Gloucester, Hamilton, Hathorne, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester, Marblehead, Medford, Melrose, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Prides Crossing, Revere, Rockport, Salem, Saugus, South Hamilton, Stoneham, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wakefield, Wenham, West Medford.