Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Tiles What Are

By Rio Calven

Tiles, when they show the first signs of chipping, cracking, or having a dull, hollow sound; must be replaced upon the soonest possible time to avoid compromising the integrity of your whole floor, and neither is the safety of your family, especially if you have kids. A damaged tile could lead to slipping, wounds due to sharp edges, and even major injuries that could prove to be quite dangerous. Never underestimate the danger of a rogue tile.

First thing when buying tiles for a floor to be newly installed is to keep extras of it in your garage or basement. In cases when one of the tiles breaks, you wouldn't have to rush over every hardware shop in town to look for a tile that looks exactly the same like the one on your floor. Having extra tiles will make your job, or your hired professional's job, ten times easier.

Replacing tiles may be easy, but it's not as easy as one two three. After a successful tile replacement, the professional might suggest a sealing method to make sure that the floor will be more resistant to damage, dirt, and any other nasties. Consider your options.

If the grout is damaged, consider re-grouting or using a sealer to fix the problem. There are a lot of conditions that can destroy grout, some of them being water intrusion, chemicals, high traffic, incorrect grout sealing, and others. Restoring grout is something that is highly recommended for professionals only. Amateur handymen best keep to the sidelines, as re-grouting is almost similar to laying out the foundations of the house.

The initial re-grouting will determine how strong it is over the years. Professionals carry the proper grouting materials, tools needed, experience required, maintenance products and the knowledge to strengthen and maintain the grout. Richmond Tile and Grout Cleaning, for example, does a fine job with removing mold-infected grout, which could be hazardous to your family. - 15790

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