How Often Should You Clean Your Carpet & Area Rugs?

Your floors are among the most heavily used features of your home. Without proper care, your area rugs and carpet can become ragged, worn, and stained. It may be tempting to neglect care for your carpet and rugs, but doing so will lead to a shortened lifespan and deteriorating appearance. To keep your flooring in good condition, follow this simple cleaning regimen.

Vacuum Often

Running your vacuum is one of the primary ways you can combat carpet and area rug damage. Vacuuming keeps dirt, dust, and other stain-causing substances from settling into the fibers of your area rugs and carpet. Vacuum your whole home at least weekly. For areas with high traffic, vacuuming more often can help prevent wear and tear. Be sure to adjust the height setting to accommodate the various lengths of fibers throughout your home. If you are a pet owner or you have small children, vacuuming daily can help to keep staining and soiling at bay.

Spot Treat Immediately

Untreated spills are the enemy of carpet and area rugs. The longer stains have to sit, the more they will penetrate into the fibers of your flooring. For wet spills, first use a clean, dry towel to soak up the excess moisture. Then use a specialized carpet cleaning spray or a simple vinegar and water solution to treat the remaining stain. Never use bleach on your carpet as it can interact unpredictably with dyes. If you are having trouble getting the stain out, you may want to contact a professional carpet cleaner. Trained experts can identify and treat your carpet with a specialized system.

Professional Clean Yearly

There are a number of different ways to protect your area rugs and carpet from damage. One of those ways is to schedule regular, professional cleanings. Professional cleanings are an excellent way to extend the life of your carpet and rugs. Even though your floor may not have any specific stains, the overall condition of your carpet will benefit from a professional carpet cleaning. Professional carpet cleaning will

• Remove dust and allergens
• Freshen the carpet’s smell
• Ease carpet maintenance
• Improve indoor air quality
• Restore carpet’s appearance

Keeping your carpet clean with pets

Clean and dry paws when pets come inside

To help keep your carpets from getting as dirty, it helps to clean paws when pets come in from outside. Keep an old towel by all the doors to your home and make sure that all family members know that they need to wipe paws before pets are let back into the whole house.

In the north, consider covering pets’ paws with paw wax or booties in the winter before they go outside. It will help with muddy paw prints on carpet but, more than that, it will protect paws from salt that is so often put down to melt ice on sidewalks and streets. Deicing salt can irritate paws and pets can then ingest the salt when they lick their feet after a walk. Then either take off the booties or wipe off the wax when you get home!

Use area rugs or runners to protect high traffic areas of carpet

Another tip to keep your carpet protected is to use area rugs or runners, especially in hallways and other high traffic areas. Area rugs can reduce wear and tear on those spots in your carpet that get the most use – like the hallway between the kitchen and bathroom or the carpet in front of the stairs or couch. Another good thing about area rugs is that they are easy to move to vacuum around and easy to clean more often.

How Often Should You Shampoo Carpets?

Not only can carpet be beautiful to look at, but it is also comfortable to walk on, and it’s warm during the winter months. Carpet can add to the R-value of your floor’s insulation, which can help to lower your energy bills. And when properly cleaned, carpeted floors can actually help reduce allergy symptoms. The key phrase is “when properly cleaned.”

Household Size

Many carpet manufacturers and professional carpet cleaning companies recommend having residential carpets professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months. One of the factors that affects the frequency of shampooing is the number of people in the household. A couple with no children who do little entertaining would not need to shampoo their carpets as frequently as a family with several children who frequently entertain guests.

Pets

Pets that stay inside all or most of the time have a smaller impact on the frequency of carpet shampooing than pets that are permitted to go outside frequently. Pets that have unattended access to the outside via a doggy door can track significantly more dirt into the house and onto the carpet. This type of traffic will require more frequent spot cleaning and carpet shampooing.

Heavy Traffic Areas

Most homes have an obvious traffic flow. Because people tend to walk the same path between rooms, these areas of the carpet will get soiled much more quickly than other areas. Some rooms in the home, such as the living room or entertainment room, will get more foot traffic than a spare bedroom. These heavily trafficked areas will need to be shampooed more frequently than their less-used counterparts.

Environment

Environmental factors can affect how frequently you need to shampoo your carpet. During periods of heavy rain, it is easy for family members and guests to track mud into the house and onto the carpet. Dry seasons make dust a problem that can settle into the carpets, requiring shampooing. By asking everyone to remove their shoes at the entryway, much soiling can be prevented.

Prevention/Solution

Proper maintenance of your carpet can extend the time between professional cleanings. Regularly vacuuming the carpets, at least twice a week and more often on heavily trafficked areas, will help remove a great deal of dirt and debris. Spot cleaning stains as soon as they occur will also help to extend the time between shampoos.

Why care about your carpet cleaning calendar?

Dingy carpet hurts your business far beyond merely looking a little ugly. Clean carpet serves your business in a variety of ways…

• Regular cleanings extend the life of your carpet, saving you money.
• Own commercial building space? Regularly cleaning carpets cuts down on complaints and liability for building owners and managers.
• Clean carpets are part of the image your business projects, helping customers feel at home in your location and employees feel positive and productive.
• Clean carpet reduces loose particles, protecting indoor air quality – and subsequently the health of your customers and employees. Keeping carpets clean has even been shown to reduce exposure to cancer causing substances that can be collected in carpet fibers.
• Clean carpet reduces illness-inducing biological contaminants (bacteria, viruses, mold, etc.) that can negatively affect your business.

When choosing a professional to get the carpet truly clean, it takes three critical components

“The first is adequate equipment. The equipment must be able to deliver heated cleaning solution, scrubbing action, and extraction. There are countless styles of carpet cleaning equipment. Not all of them provide all three attributes.

“The second component to getting the carpet truly clean is proper cleaning solution. Choose a cleaning solution that will not leave a soapy residue and that has a safe pH. Many cleaners will use lots of soap that clean well but leave a soapy residue that cause the carpet to re-soil quickly or they may have a very aggressive cleaner that leaves the carpet with dangerous residues that could cause skin irritations. The third component to getting the carpet truly clean is the technician. Choose someone who has been trained and certified.”

What sorts of cleaning products might be best for the job can also depend upon the material from which your carpeting is made

“Depending on the material your carpet is made of, different cleaning solution and cleaning method should be applied. For example, carpets made of synthetic materials such as polyester, are more durable and stains are easier to remove. On the other hand, carpets made of natural fibers such as wool are more gentle, so using harsh cleaning solutions is not advisable.”

How to remove carpet and refinish wood floors

Today I’m going to teach ya’ll how to pull up carpet and refinish those gorgeous wood floors that may be hiding under your carpet. This is a project I’ve wanted to tackle for a while and recently got the “go ahead!” from our landlords. Let’s be real, kids are hard on carpet. Carpet is great but there are always areas that just don’t hold up well in those high traffic areas. That was definitely holding true in our living room area and the main hallway of our home.

I’m going to take you through how WE did the process and I’ll try to show you a cost breakdown the best I can so you can budget for your remodeling project! First, the hubby vacuumed the carpet and we started at one end and pulled it up and rolled it in a giant roll. Next, you’ll do the same thing with the carpet pad. The carpet pad was not glued down as it is in some homes, but it was stapled to the wood flooring in various places.

Do you see all that paint on the floor? It looked like the people who renovated the house knew they were going to lay carpet down after they painted the room because there was pretty much just random paint splatters everywhere

We will need to get all that paint and old stain and poly off of the old floors. I didn’t want the rest of our house covered in dust so we used clear plastic drop cloths (from the dollar store) to tape off the open hallway to the rest of the house.

Next, comes the crazy part. Sand. Sand. Sand. Sand. Sand.

You will need to rent a drum sander for this step. Using a drum sander (you can rent these for between $30-50 from Home Depot depending on your store and how long you need it for.) We rented it for 4 hours and it was plenty of time to sand our living room and hallway. It took about 3 hours. You may need to rent for the full day if you have a larger space.

TIPS FOR CHOOSING COMMERCIAL CARPET TILES

Selecting commercial carpet is a much more intricate process than purchasing residential carpet. As well as considering budget and the aesthetics of each option, there are a wealth of practical considerations to balance.

To help you select commercial floor covering that’s best matched to your organization’s unique requirements, we’re sharing ten top tips, to help you avoid the most common mistakes people make when choosing commercial carpet tiles.

CHOOSE SUITABLE CARPET

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for commercial modular carpet: if your organization is very busy and lots of people use the space every day, you’ll have different requirements than a small office used by half a dozen people.

DON’T JUST FOCUS ON AESTHETICS

Flooring makes a significant contribution to the overall aesthetics of a space. However, if you want carpet that continues to look good for years to come, you must look beyond color, pattern and design.

CONSIDER THE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

Over the lifetime of flooring, purchase price becomes minimal. For installation alone, the cost differences between apparently similar carpet tiles can be astounding.

reasons why you should have carpet in your home

Of the many home decorations that are available today, carpet is considered as one of the most popular and the most widely-used home décor items of today. A lot of people choose carpet because this kind of home décor provides versatility and a good sense of fashion inside your home. The use of carpet in your home also offers a great sense of practicality and that is without doubt. Definitely, carpet is something which provides you with lots of advantages and benefits which can never be offered to you by any other types of flooring choices out there.

Slip Resistant

Carpet provides a surface that is slip-resistant. This is a benefit which is very essential because it prevents tripping and accidents which can cause injuries; if in case accidents happen, you will never have to worry on falling on to a surface that is hard and rough. Carpet comes with a cushion and padding that insulates your impact.

Gives Warmth to Your Feet

Carpet is a good choice to cover your floor. It is an ideal choice which is essential during cold weather. This simply means that it provides warmth to your underfoot. So, for those who stay in a place with cold weather, choosing a carpet for your floor should be given with high consideration.

Reduces Clatter and Noise

Other benefits which you can get from using carpet include the reduction of clatter and noise. This is great when you prefer walking inside your home without the annoying sounds of clatters coming from your shoes and slippers.

The Fact – Get Relief from Allergies

Carpets can help in the reduction of allergens in your home: that is a fact and this is especially true when you ensure carpet cleaning is done on a strict and regular schedule. On the contrary, if you happen to neglect regular carpet cleaning procedures, this will be the cause of certain health concerns and problems which you may not be aware of.

Questions & Answers

I just wonder if your hotel room are carpet floor or no… because we are looking for non carpet floor room

Rooms on the lower floors are parquet floors, whereas those on higher floors are carpet floors. If you want non-carpet room, please kindly write this when you book.

no, it did not have carpet. Keep in mind we chose the PH floor suite… so I don’t know if the other floors had carpet or not. But like the others have said, just phone and ask them to put you in a non-carpet room. They speak good english at the hotel

The room I had on floor nine was not carpeted. I cannot say if all of their rooms have similar flooring, but the rooms without carpeting feel cleaner and cooler too me, thus more appealing. This would be especially applicable to a place

My room had carpet but there was another couple with us that stayed in a room without it! So if you can contact them prior to your reservation they might guarantee the room the way you want!

Yes i am afraid it has a carpet, i would ask for a non carpet room and im sure they will ablige you, they are very nice people. Just to remind you my room was on the tenth floor at the front of the building. hope this helps. ps send them an email bearing in mind they are six hours ahead of us.

Carpet Luxury & comfort within your home

You wake up in the morning and stretch, stepping out of bed to put your feet on the floor. Your bare toes sink into the plush fabric of a soft and warm carpet. If you want to create this kind of luxury and comfort within your home, take a look at range of high quality carpets.

Carpet provides comfort all over the home that most other floor covering cannot compete with. You’ll find an excellent array of carpet colours and styles so you will be certain to find the right carpet to complement the unique decor of your home.

Luxurious wool carpet is practical because it is easy on your feet and prevents slips. It will also reduce the noise level and it is very attractive as well. offer a varied selection of styles such as twist carpet flooring, wool carpet and more. offer carpet tiles, which are easy to install and very practical for using in awkwardly shaped rooms. These tiles can be laid on top of concrete, vinyl or laminate and if a tile is damaged it will be easy to replace the tile rather than the whole floor.

also offer marine carpet, which is the ideal way to provide a soft floor covering inside your boat. marine carpets are able to stand up to harsh conditions including heat, UV rays and saltwater, while still remaining soft and stylish.

Take a look through selection of quality carpet products. If you have any questions about our products, friendly customer service team is happy to help.

How to Add Personality to Your Kitchen

While I realise there are plenty of people out there who adore the look of a cool modern kitchen with everything hidden away behind a sleek exterior, I admit, I am not one of them. I find these kinds of kitchens a bit too cold and uninviting when there’s nothing in them to give a peek at the personality of the home owner. I believe that every room in your home should tell the story of you and so when there is a lack of personal items even in a space that can be as utilitarian as the kitchen, it leaves me feeling a bit cold.

If you love the look of a personality-packed kitchen, you’ll love my post today. I’m going to be sharing some of the little details you can incorporate into your own kitchen to ensure it’s one that’s not soon forgotten.

Mix Old and New

I think what makes the above kitchen so appealing is it’s contemporary good looks combined with traditional touches. Mixing a rustic farmhouse table with modern cupboards  creates an eclectic look that’s beautifully warm and yet thoroughly up to date. Consider hanging some vintage artwork and adding textural accents like woven baskets to tie everything together.

Display Your Favourite Wares

While Scandinavian design may be all about beautiful function and simplicity in design, the above kitchen has loads of personality thanks to a carefully curated display of beautiful kitchenalia. From herbs and flowers to cups, plates and glasses, there’s little doubt someone who has great style enjoys this space. Consider displaying your own collections in open shelving or utilising rustic wine crates hung on the wall for a personality-packed space.

Add a Touch of Pattern to Your Flooring

This black and white kitchen gets a jolt of personal style from the inclusion of patterned tiles on the floor. By keeping the rest of the space light and bright, the addition of a bold floor can be just what’s needed to add some real personal flair to your kitchen. Check out our selection of feature floor tiles to get this look.

Go Dark

While a light and airy space may be something many of us wish for in a kitchen, why not buck the trend and go for a dark colour palette? Here, black and grey combine to create a luxurious look with splashes of colour in artwork, books and accessories. There’s no doubt this kitchen would be a unique space to entertain! A pale marble worktop and backsplash make a fabulous contrast to the darker cabinets and walls so be sure to add brighter touches to your space for the same unique look.

Bring in Art and Books

This thoroughly contemporary kitchen could lack warmth simply for the lack of colour or textiles in the space. However, the gallery wall of oil paintings combined with shelves stacked with books provides an eclectic balance for the serene space. Why not show off your personality with the artwork you love and the books you read within your kitchen? It’s clear you can still be a minimalist and yet create big style with careful details.

Kitchen tile ideas

1. Wrap the walls in chic white tiles

Kitchen tile ideas 1

Add interest to a shaker kitchen by wrapping tiles around the room. Give the white tiles a colourful lift by painting the remaining wall a punchy pink. Tiling half the wall this way is practical and will protect your walls from any kitchen splashes.

2. Add an extra dimension with hexagon tiles

kitchen tile ideas 2

You don’t need colour to make a statement,  filling a white kitchen with different textures, materials and shapes will add interest. Kitchen wall tiles are perfect for doing this. This honeycomb tile blends seamlessly into the white washed walls to create a sleek contemporary look.

3. Mismatch shapes and patterns

kitchen tile ideas 4

If you decide to tile your floor and walls, don’t be afraid to mismatch the shape, colour and even finish. On the floor it can be tempting to opt for a simple design, however in this room it is the floor that makes a statement with a decorative blue pattern. Instead the walls have been tiled in a popular herringbone pattern using plain white tiles.

4. Create interest around an island unit

Be adventurous with a statement floor. These patterned floor tiles have been used to border the island unit in this open-plan kitchen. When it comes to design, the sky’s the limit with mosaic tiles, as they can be used to create a variety of patterns and eye-catching details. This patterned tile injects an exotic flavour into a contemporary kitchen by combining pale stone with a Middle Eastern motif.

5. Choose a modern bistro-style vibe with metro tiles

If you have a large wall to fill in the kitchen, consider creating an entire feature wall of metro tiles. Brick-shaped or Metro-style tiles with a distinctive bevel are a popular choice and provide a retro twist. Choose matt flat or glass brick tiles to create a more contemporary feel. Be sure to choose the right grout. Not only is it practical bonding for durability but it’s key to determine whether your pattern stands out or blends in to the overall scheme. It comes in various colours and compounds so do your research.

Work in vinyl

Vinyl flooring is hard-wearing, durable and easy to lay. It is also much softer and warmer underfoot compared to stone and ceramic tiles, more forgiving with dropped crockery and a breeze to keep clean. A recent surge in popularity means there is now a wide range of modern, trend-led designs available. Thickness is a good indication of quality, for both sheet and tiled vinyl. Cheap sheet vinyl starts at 1mm thick, which will make it easy to fit but not very long-lasting. Aim for 3.5mm upwards.

Think about pattern

Make a feature of your flooring with beautifully patterned floor tiles – they’re definitely the standout piece in this stylish kitchen. Consider your colour scheme carefully when playing with pattern – here, the pale blues and greys are the perfect complement to the painted kitchen units.

Stick to stone

Natural materials such as stone are always a popular choice and lend authenticity to a scheme. A current trend is ‘mimica’ porcelains, which recreate the look of natural materials, while offering an easy-to-care for finish. Here, limestone flags have been laid in a mix of sizes for a relaxed look that matches the style of the units and farmhouse table.

Picking the Perfect Floor

When choosing a new floor for your home, asking yourself a few key questions at the beginning can dramatically increase your satisfaction in the end.

Questions on the Floor

What’s the size of the family that will regularly use the room, and how much traffic will the floor receive? Children definitely make a difference. Any pets? Will the floor be exposed to moisture regularly? How often is the floor likely to need cleaning? How long do you hope and expect your new floor to last?

Kitchens

For kitchen flooring, durability and ease of cleaning are top criteria. Good choices are linoleum, ceramic tile–both very common–and wood. Linoleum is inexpensive and provides an easy-to-clean surface and comes in countless designs. Ceramic tiles are even better. Also easy to maintain and available in a huge range, they offer superior durability, resisting most dents, dings and scratches. There are a couple of things to bear in mind about tiles, however. One is that if installed over a floor that has structural movement, ceramic tiles are prone to crack. So if your house is very old, it’s probably a good idea to replace your subfloor while you’re at it. A second point that’s worth thinking about, particularly if your family includes children or anyone with special safety needs, is that smooth tiles can be very slippery when they get wet, so you may want to consider ones with a textured surface.

Bathrooms

Even more so than kitchens, bathrooms obviously see a lot of moisture. Linoleum, ceramic tile, limestone, marble and granite are all popular and functional flooring choices, coming with a range of different price tags and requiring various levels of expertise to install. Working with ceramic or even vinyl tiles is relatively easy, and many homeowners should be able to successfully do it themselves. Ceramic tiles look great and provide superb durability, but they aren’t cheap. And if you should elect to go with an even more challenging and higher-end material such as marble

Choose the Best Flooring for Your Kitchen

Your kitchen floor, besides being practical and durable, is a major design statement as well. The floor you choose affects every other element of your design and with the variety of materials, colors and textures available today, your choices are nearly endless.

• Stone or tile is an excellent choice for heavy traffic areas. Ceramic tile is durable and available in assorted colors and styles with the option for decorative borders and designs.
• Limestone is a natural stone that offers an Old World look. It’s a porous material that must be sealed upon installation and then twice a year.
• Cork is a durable, versatile material available in a variety of colors. It is water-resistant and reduces impact noise.
• Wood is a popular choice for today’s kitchens. It feels good underfoot and creates a warm look. Today’s prefinished wood floors withstand heavy traffic and water stains. High-pressured plastic laminates are an alternative that provide the same look for less money.
• Vinyl or resilient flooring offers a variety of styles and colors in either tiles or sheets for those on a budget.

What do I need to install floor tile?

Selected Tile Material

You have seemingly endless choices when it comes to tile, including different materials, colors, patterns, shapes and sizes. The style of your room and the look you’re going for with the renovation helps you decide which tile to choose.

Not only do tiles come in various colors and designs, they also have different hardness ratings. Ceramic tiles receive a rating based on a hardness scale and divides them into groups. Group 0 tiles are not suitable for floor use, while Group 1 tiles will withstand light foot traffic. Group 5 tiles hold up even in areas of heavy foot traffic. Choose a tile that can handle the amount of foot traffic the area receives.

Adhesive Material

Adhesive is required to keep the tiles secured to the floor. Thin-set adhesive, also called Portland cement mortar, is a combination of cement, sand and methylcellulose. Thin-set adhesive is available as dry-set or latex-modified. Because of its water-repellent properties, latex-modified adhesive is ideal in areas with water exposure, such as bathroom floors. Although there are a few thin-set adhesive products at the ready, most require the addition of water prior to use. Mastic, or organic adhesive, is a pre-mixed tile adhesive. Type 1 mastic is suitable for floor tile installations, whereas Type 2 is not.

Sanded or Unsanded Grout

Your tile work isn’t done after sticking the pieces to the floor. You’ll also need grout to fill in the gaps between the tiles. Cement grout comes in sanded and unsanded varieties. Sanded grout is used in gaps larger than 1/16-inch wide. Because it’s hard to work sand into small tile joints, unsanded grout is used for tiles set close together. Both sanded and unsanded grouts are available dry or pre-mixed, and they come in a wide array of colors. Latex-modified sanded grout is more water-repellent than regular sanded grout and is a common choice for bathroom floor tile. Epoxy grout is more durable and water-resistant than cement grout, but it is more difficult to work with.

Miscellaneous Materials

Although these miscellaneous tile materials are optional, they certainly make the job easier or help the finished product last longer. Spacers are small pieces of plastic that go between the tiles during installation to keep the tile spacing symmetrical. Cement board is useful for slightly uneven or unstable floors. It provides a thin, hard surface ideal for tile. You can install cement board over vinyl flooring, allowing for installation of ceramic floor tile without removing the old flooring. Grout sealer is a clear, protective finish that helps prevent water absorption and staining of the grout. Tile sealer works to coat and protect tile which is useful for sealing porous tile, such as terracotta, prior to grouting. Tile sealer is not needed for glazed ceramic tiles.

Tiling Tools

Floor tile installations require both common and tile-specific tools. You need a few easily accessible tools such as a tape measure, a chalk line and a level. Tile-specific tools include a notched trowel, a rubber grout float and grout nippers. Wear safety glasses when using a tile nipper. You may find a grout bag is helpful for getting the grout into awkward places. You will need some sort of tile cutter. A portable tile cutter works with most ceramic tile, but you may need to use a wet saw if working with marble or granite tile.

Tile Installation

Ready To Use Tile Adhesive

Tile adhesive is ready-mixed and specially formulated from OPC, selected fine sand, and additives to improve its essential properties for laying tiles. High performance tile adhesive can be used to lay tiles on existing tiles, on polished cement, on wooden substrates (with the use of primer), or on other special substrates.

Easy to use

It’s very easy to use tile adhesive, it will be already ready to use after just mixing with water. Bagging product makes it convenient for transportation process, providing low dust and clean working space. Tiles are not needed to be soaked, just un-box them and lay.

Fast

Notched trowel is normally and efficiently used to apply the mixture of tile adhesive on the area of about 1 m2. Tiles are then continuously laid onto notched adhesive and quickly adjusted into the lines.

Working quality

0ptimum setting time of tile adhesive allows tiles to be easily adjusted within a certain period of time. It makes tiles being laid in line and gives the aesthetic final look. Applying tile adhesive with notched trowel provides full spread on back of tiles and will reduce many problems like broken tiles esp. on the corner, water seeping, and stain or efflorescent. Full contact of the adhesive on tiles’ back and substrate provides strong bonding strength and long lasting tiling work.

Variety of work

Tile adhesives are formulated according to specific applications such as to lay tiles, glass mosaics, large-size granito (up from 60 x 60 cm), to lay tiles on polished substrates, on dry wall system, on existing tiles without removing them, on external areas, parking areas, industrial areas, in swimming pools, and many more.

Economical reasons

Laying tiles by using tile adhesive with notched trowel requires less amount of material. Adhesive layer is a lot thinner than the mixture of sand-cement, and this leads to lighter load to building structure. A bag of 20 kg tile adhesive can be used to lay tiles on the average area of 4 – 5 m2. A bag of 25 kg tile adhesive can be used to lay tiles on the average of 6 – 7 m2.

Area coverage depends on substrate smoothness, working tools, and skill of tilers.

How Do I Choose Good Quality Of Tiles?

Following are the points need to be checked for tile works,

1. Living, Dining, Kitchen & Bedrooms – Flooring:

• Tiles should be laid with zero slope. So overall area should be in level without any slope or undulations
• Levels between tile joints should be equal; Tile joints spacing should be equal.
• Tile joints has to be filled with suitable grouts. Check the grout for proper filling, i.e., without gaps, undulations & colour variation
• Tile damages & chip offs has to be checked; Colour variation has to be checked.
• Skirting tiles – offset from wall should be equal; edges & corners should not be sharp; floor tile’s joints line should match with skirting tile; Also check for damages & colour variations
• Hollowness – randomly tap on the tiles and observe for hollow sound.

2. Toilets, Utilities & Balconies (TUB) – Flooring:

• Slope: Check floor slope by poring a bucket of water. Water has to drain fully with in two minutes.
• Check for the position of floor trap; it should be placed such a way that it facilitates water draining properly
• Levels between the tiles should be equal; Tile joint spacing should be equal.
• Tile joints has to be filled with suitable grouts. Check the grout for proper filling, i.e., without gaps, undulations & colour variation.
• Tile damages & chip offs has to be checked; Colour variation has to be checked.
• Skirting tiles – offset from wall should be equal; edges & corners should not be sharp; floor tile’s joints line should match with skirting tile; Also check for damages & colour variations
• Hollowness – randomly tap on the tiles and observe for hollow sound

3. Toilets, Utilities, Balconies (TUB) & Kitchen – Walls:

• All walls should be in plumb and right angle
• All the corners has to be filled with Silicone sealant (Sanitary Sealant)
• Levels between the tiles should be equal; Tile joint spacing should be equal.
• Cut tiles around the plumbing fixtures & Electrical boxes should be cut in proper shape and the cut edge should not be visible after fixing Plumbing & Electrical fixtures
• Tile joints has to be filled with suitable grouts. Check the grout for proper filling, i.e., without gaps, undulations & colour variation.
• Tile damages & chip offs has to be checked; Colour variation has to be checked.
• Hollowness – randomly tap on the tiles and observe for hollow sound.

Pros of SnapStone Porcelain Flooring

• Installation is easy. This is the main advantage to SnapStone, and it is a big one. This is a very easy floor for DIYers to install.
• Better sound-deadening. The bottom tray layer on SnapStone is made from a rubberized material that deadens sound transmission. This is a quieter floor than traditional ceramic tile.
• Can be installed over existing flooring. While tear-out of old flooring is often necessary with traditional ceramic tile installation, SnapStone can be installed over wood, vinyl, or concrete floors.

Cons of SnapStone

• Limited selection: Although selections have increased in recent years, there is still a relatively small selection of SnapStone when compared to thousands of colors and styles available in standard ceramic tiles. Currently, SnapStone offers 14 types of 6 x 6-inch tiles; 3 types of 18 x 18-inch tiles; 27 types of 12 x 24-inch tiles; and 7 types of 6 x 24-inch tiles.
• More expensive. SnapStone costs $5 to $7 per square foot when purchased from a home center. Even when you consider that you won’t have to buy cement board underlayment, SnapStone is more expensive than most stock ceramic tile. But costs are still more reasonable than for many high-end designer porcelain tiles.
• The floor flexes. Unlike a mortar or thin-set installation, a SnapStone floor will flex somewhat underfoot. This is one reason why this system uses a flexible urethane grout rather than traditional mortar grout, since grout lines would crack without a flexible filler. This tendency can be countered somewhat if the subfloor is very solid and well constructed.
• Structural reinforcement may be necessary. SnapStone installation guidelines carefully delineate how much floor deflection is allowable in the floor framing. This may require additional carpentry work if the floor is too bouncy.

Unsuitable or Poor Materials

Some materials should be avoided as underlayments for ceramic tile:

• Interior-grade plywood: This kind of plywood will swell upon contact with water, so it is best to avoid it as an underlayment.
• OSB sheets: Like interior plywood, OSB does not perform well with water.
• Multiple layers of vinyl: One layer of the vinyl floor is fine. More than one layer isn’t.
• Perimeter-bond vinyl: Sheet vinyl must have a full bond over its entirety in order to serve as an underlayment for ceramic tile.
• Hardboard: Hardboard sheets such as Masonite do not bear up to any moisture, so avoid them as an underlayment for ceramic tile.
• Drywall or greenboard: Although ceramic tile is sometimes installed directly against drywall or greenboard in the wall applications. It should never be used as an underlayment for floors.