Tag Archives: tile

Home Week in Review: January 21 – 27

Here’s a quick review of this week’s articles: Redoing the Kitchen Follow along with Mary Ann and her family on their do it yourself kitchen redo adventure. Redoing the Kitchen: Flooring Choices Mary Ann is open to suggestions. Feel free to share your favorite flooring choices or other words of wisdom that those making such choices may find useful. Travertine Tile FAQ Travertine is a popular choice in home improvement materials. Learn more about this option. Decorating for Valentine’s Day Do you decorate for Valentine’s Day? You can go all out or it can be as simple as adding a … Continue reading →

Redoing the Kitchen: Flooring Choices

As I mentioned earlier, we want to take on an update to our kitchen. It is stuck in the 1960s at the moment. While we won’t be redesigning the kitchen or affecting the floor plan, there is still a lot of work to be done. Overwhelmed with the choices, I hope that you will help us make some decisions. In the earlier blog, I went over some of our choices for the kitchen cabinets and the kitchen countertops. Now here are some more decisions that we will need to make. Flooring There are so many different types of flooring. Hardwood … Continue reading →

More Tile Tips

Yesterday, in New Ways with Old Tile we talked about cleaning, re-grouting, and finding ways to use less than favored tile colors to your advantage. One of the best things about tile in an unusual color is that everyone else won’t have the same thing. You can play up the color or tone it down, but if you do it right, it will look like it was intended as part of your very original design plan. You can always use your imagination and try something a bit more daring than the previous suggestions. Instead of a crisp white against turquoise, … Continue reading →

New Ways with Old Tile

If you have an older home, it may have tile in one or more bathrooms that isn’t exactly your idea of stylish or attractive. In many cases, the colors that were popular in the past don’t really do much to inspire us in coming up with updated design ideas. Sometimes, it’s simply a case of being old and showing signs of wear. What’s a homeowner to do? Start by scrubbing the area thoroughly. Next, decide if re-grouting tile is necessary. Fresh grout can make your tile look like new, so consider Re-grouting Instead of Replacing Tile. After re-grouting, you might … Continue reading →

Kitchens and Baths

We have all heard the saying that kitchens and baths sell homes. Well, even if you’re not selling your home, your kitchen and bath(s) may still be the most important spaces. Of course, they must be functional, but you also want them to be attractive. There is nothing more embarrassing than having unannounced guests see your kitchen or bathroom if it’s dirty. Frankly, for most of us, it doesn’t even have to be really dirty. Anything less than spotless makes us feel like we have to apologize or make excuses. This is true even if you have just scoured from … Continue reading →

Getting Good Deals on Flooring

There are several different ways to get good deals on flooring for your home. You can check with flooring outlet centers or online liquidators, but keep in mind the cost of shipping. If shopping online, which can sometimes be the best choice, simply make sure the company you plan to shop with doesn’t eat up your entire discount in shipping charges. You’ll also hear people rave about how “cheap” carpet and vinyl flooring remnants are but you might be surprised by the prices when you walk into a showroom. Often times, remnants are not exactly cheap. The retailer still needs … Continue reading →

Trivets

Trivets are handy for protecting surfaces from hot pots, pans, and dishes. It is especially important to use them when placing hot items on countertops and furniture made of wood and other sensitive materials. While a doubled up dishtowel or a potholder may work in a pinch, having a couple of trivets around is still a good idea. Besides, they look much nicer. You can purchase inexpensive trivets at most department stores, discount centers, and home shops, but you can also make your own. You can start with a ready made trivet and embellish it to your taste, or if … Continue reading →

How to Paint Tile

We already talked about re-grouting tile instead of replacing it. Doing so is a great way to save money and time. However, if your tile is outdated or simply a color you do not care for, re-grouting may not be enough. If you aren’t able to replace the tile, you can update it with paint. Yes, you can actually paint tile to freshen it up. Most people assume that it isn’t possible to paint tile. It’s true that you can’t just take a paint brush or roller straight to the tile, but you can paint it if you prepare the … Continue reading →

Outdoor Decor: Address Plaques

Stylish address plaques not only help people locate your home, they also welcome your guests. They are also important in case of emergency to help responders locate your home. Make sure your address plaque is clearly in view, and that your house numbers are at least 3″ high. While there are various styles of ready-made plaques to choose from, you can also have them custom made of even make your own. Instead of the typical styles, create something unique. Do you have a hobby, play a sport, have a favorite animal, or love flowers? Anything you like that expresses your … Continue reading →

Re-grout Instead of Replacing Tile

If you are planning to replace your tile, you might want to consider re-grouting first. Many times, old, dirty or damaged grout detracts from the appearance of tile. Your tile may not need to be replaced at all. Re-grouting is not as difficult as you might think. It is obviously easier and much less expensive than replacing tile. Clean the Tile and the Grout Start by cleaning the tile and grout. Scrubbing with a toothbrush works great. If there is mold or mildew, spray the area with bleach, let it set for an hour or two, scrub, and rinse thoroughly. … Continue reading →