Modern homeowners have elevated tile from its place as a durable floor covering to a decorative interior design element.

“Tile has been used in commercial settings for years in restaurants and businesses as a sturdy floor or wall covering,” says Leanne Young, store manager for Flooring Gallery in Windsor Heights. “When we first began using it in our homes, it was just in small areas of the entryway. Now we’re seeing it expand to cover entire floors, walls, showers, backsplashes, and even countertops.”

Easy to clean and durable, today’s tile is beautiful, decorative, and an excellent way to reflect an individual’s personal style, she says. “The designs and colors we’re using now are so pleasing. You can get glossy, rustic, glass, or metal tiles in just about any size from a half inch up to 36 inches, and they come in squares, octagons, hexagons, and rectangles of all sizes.”

Colors and patterns are limited only by the imagination. “We’re not stuck with just black, white, and beige now,” she says. “Each tile or group of tiles can be very personalized. You can even put pictures in them.”

Listellos (small ornamental border rows often set in geometric patterns along walls, countertops, and backsplashes) are popular with Young’s customers. “I’ve worked with homes where the entire house—showers, kitchen backsplashes, even the bedroom floors and wainscoting around the walls—is tile.”

She cautions homeowners to remember this guiding principle: “You can always put a floor tile on the wall, but you can’t put wall tiles on the floor. Wall tiles are thinner and won’t take the weight of people walking on them.”

Nothing cleans better than tile, Young says. “It’s relatively inexpensive, and because it looks so nice it can really be worth the investment.”

Robert Steger, branch manager for Kate-lo Tile & Stone, sees glass tile as one of the latest trends. “It adds a touch of elegance and has become more affordable,” he says. “Technology has made it so that glass tile comes in a variety of sizes and colors, as well as being suitable for many applications such as backsplashes, countertops, bar areas, and even floors.”

Porcelain and stone tiles remain very popular, Steger says. “Marble and granite tiles are popular because of their natural beauty. Stone tile does require maintenance such as sealing due to its porosity.”
Porcelain tile is also a popular choice, he says. It is durable, low-maintenance, and comes in many sizes, styles, and colors. “You are only limited by your imagination. Stone and porcelain tiles are even being used as door and window trims, table tops, and exterior house facades.”

In choosing tile, Steger says following a few careful rules will make your tile experience successful. “First, research the tile process through Web sites, ask questions of the showroom person assisting you, and talk to people who have had tile installed.

“Next, look for quality material in both the tile and setting material used to install your tile. Cheap, poor-quality material may look good at first, but over time the tile may come loose or break, or your grout may become stained and discolored.”
He also says a good installer can make a world of difference. “There are so many things to know when installing tile. Where, when, and how do you waterproof an installation? What is the correct mortar to set the tile for a particular installation? Should you use regular grout or epoxy grout? A good installer can help you determine the correct installation.”

Tile may seem expensive at first, but if you look at the lifespan of tile versus carpet or linoleum, you will find that tile is actually much cheaper, he says. “Following these considerations, you can have a successful tile installation and will experience the beauty of tile for many years.”

sidebar: legacy of tile
Ceramic (glazed) tile can be traced back to 4000 B.C., when Egyptians dried clay bricks in the sun and began to decorate them with blue glazes made from copper. Ancient Romans adorned church walls with colorful tiles, Dutch artisans handcrafted Delft tiles, and Spanish conquistadors brought European tiles to the New World aboard their ships.
Although new materials, designs, and styles are continually developed, methods for making tile haven’t changed much over the years. Likewise, labor-intensive tile setting remains a handcrafter’s art. Designers and homeowners themselves keep discovering innovative ways to use tile, and ceramic tile is affordable enough to be used in almost any home.