Tile Flooring Installation
Ceramic, porcelain and decorative tile, laid true for Flowood floors.
Floor tile laid out from the center so the cuts land at the walls, with glass and stone decorative tile for a border or inlay.
Chapter 01
Why tile floors crack, lift or catch a foot
Lippage is the word for it when one tile edge sits a hair proud of the one next to it, enough to catch a sock or a chair leg, and it almost always comes from a subfloor that flexes underneath rather than from the tile itself. Over a slab that moves with the seasons, or a wood subfloor with too much give, the grout line takes the strain first and cracks right along the joint. Left alone, a tile can eventually work loose entirely.
Glass and stone decorative tile is thinner and more brittle at a cut edge than ceramic or porcelain, so a bad cut on a mosaic border or an inlay ruins the whole accent strip rather than just one piece. It has to be scored and cut differently, and it is not the place to rush.
A long aisle of tile and plank sample panels over a wood-look floor
Setting tile so the cuts land where nobody notices
We lay out from the centerline of the room first, dry-laying a row in each direction, so the cut pieces end up at the walls or under a toe-kick instead of as a sliver down the middle of a doorway. Even a wide open room reads better set out this way.
Backer board and full thinset coverage go under every tile, and large-format porcelain gets a bigger trowel notch and back-buttering so there is no hollow pocket under the middle of the tile waiting to crack once weight rolls over it.
Glass and stone decorative tile works as a border or an inlay set into a ceramic or porcelain field, the same idea as a backsplash brought down onto the floor, and it is a standard part of the lineup at the Lakeland Drive showroom, not a special order. It is also the same material family as the ceramic, porcelain and granite tile we set on countertops, so picking a floor and a counter that speak to each other is one conversation, not two.
Chapter 03
Keeping grout and tile looking right for years
Grout is the part that needs attention over time. It is porous, so sealing it when it is installed keeps stains from soaking in, and resealing it every couple of years keeps that protection working, especially in a kitchen or an entry that takes a lot of foot traffic.
Clean with a tile-safe cleaner rather than vinegar or an acidic bathroom spray, which can etch grout and dull a stone finish over the years. If a tile ever sounds hollow when you tap it, especially near a doorway in a Rankin County home, that is worth a call to (601) 591-0902 before it becomes a full crack.
Ashley's Flooring. Call (601) 591-0902.