Tile MaintenanceTiles are a great flooring choice for inside your home, as well as outdoor areas like patios and porches. But how do different types of tile stand up to wear and tear, and how much maintenance will the tile and grout need once it's installed? We went to a tile expert for the answers.
Tisa Adamson started art school at California State College, Los Angeles when she was only 12, and went on to receive a scholarship in Fine Arts and Music from the Creative Studies program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1997 she joined the family business, South Pasadena's Mission Tile West, where she serves as General Manager and Co-owner and showcases her artistic prowess in the form of ceramics, terra cottas, and stone tiles. Here she offers some basic tips for protecting and maintaining different types of tile:
- Porcelain tile: long-lasting.
According to Adamson, putting porcelain tile on your floor is a bit like putting cast iron on your floor. The tile requires no sealer, and will likely last for as long as you own your home.
- Seal grout to keep it clean.
If you want the grout between your tiles to look its best and be easy to clean, you will need to seal it. Sealing the grout will protect it from permanent stains, but you will still have to clean it to get rid of everyday dirt.
- Terracotta vs. Glazed.
Terracota tiles should always be sealed. This will make cleaning easier and extend the life of your tile. Like stone, terracotta does need occasional maintenance. Glazed tile, on the other hand, needs no maintenance.
- Outside: use weather resistant tile.
If you want to use tiles outdoors, make sure they are specifically designed to be used outside and are resistant to cracking in freezing temperatures.
- Outside: let it get old.
Adamson views sealing and staining outdoor tile as a waste of energy, because the sun quickly breaks down the coating. She tells customers using tile outdoors to seal it once really well and then let it get old.
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