Floor tile is a sturdy flooring alternative which retains the floor temperature cool and reduces allergens often seen in carpeting. In neighborhoods populated by condos and townhomes, tile is an ideal flooring option for smaller bathrooms or entryways. Floor plans with a limited amount of square footage require you to pick tiles carefully to prevent visually shrinking the space. Ceramic, ceramic, slate and stone tiles can be used in the majority of small areas.

Dimensions and Selection

Assess the width and length of the space and multiply those two numbers together to get the total surface area. Some tiles may have to be trimmed to fit in the area. Buy square tiles and fitting, color-coordinated grout to decrease the bold look of each individual square. Choose tile which is all the same color and size, preventing complicated patterns, diagonal designs and tile borders. Streamlining tile will open up the space and make the area seem more spacious. Elect for tile that’s light-colored to visually expand the area.

Tile Size

Select tile that’s size-appropriate to your space. Choose 1-inch from 1-inch or 4-inch from 4-inch tile to visually increase the size of this space. Tile Estimator says that little tiles are installed more often in small rooms, and large tiles seem better in large rooms. Prevent installing 12-inch from 12-inch or 18-inch from 18-inch tile in a small place, or the tile could overwhelm the little space. In small rooms with vaulted ceilings, 12-inch by 12-inch tile is also an acceptable alternative.

Setup Procedures

Install tile in a little room by beginning at the farthest corner and working toward the doorway or adjacent area. If you lay tile from the doorway and work toward the center of the room, you will likely end up trapped from the walls or scrunched in a corner. Apply mastic into the subfloor, add the tile and work in a linear development, row-by-row. Allow dry time, as stated on the mastic, and use grout with exactly the same row-by-row process, working from the outer walls toward the doorway or darkened area. This alleviates crawling or stepping on newly-installed tiles to get out of the little room.

Connecting to Adjoining Areas

Use brass or metal stripping to connect small tiled areas to tiled flooring or carpeted stairs. Elect for T-molding to connect tile to wood flooring at a doorway or junction that leads to an adjacent area. Connect a small tiled space to a larger tiled room with a grout line which blends both tile designs collectively. Avoid using broad wood trim borders or rectangular tile borders to link the little area to another place. Attention-grabbing border will stand out in the little area, dwarfing the size of this space.

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