The first three things which come to most people’s minds upon the mention of ceramic tiles are the bathroom, kitchen, and the pool. However, with their many textures and colors, they can do so much more for your home.
Perfect stepping stones
You can use individual tiles as stepping stones and make a path throughout your garden. However, you can create perfect stepping stones with the use of broken tile pieces. Find an old pie or a cake pan you can sacrifice for this purpose. Fill this pan with mortar or concrete and push broken tile pieces into it. You can form a pattern or do it randomly. Make sure that you do not push them too hard in as they will get “swallowed” by the cement.
Alternatively, you can take a plain concrete stepping stone, soak it in water and cover it with a layer of mortar. Arrange the pieces of tiles on the mortar whichever way you want. Once you are done arranging, cover them with a layer of grout. Once you have managed to fill all the gaps between the tiles, you can remove excess grout with a sponge.
General flooring
Looking at the bathroom and the kitchen, ceramic tiles are traditionally used on their floors and walls probably mostly due to the water. They do not soak the water in and can prevent any damage caused by moisture. Another excellent feature of ceramic tiles is that they are very durable and easy to maintain, this is why they are a good choice for every area in your house which sees a lot of traffic. Also, ceramic tile floors are cold without floor heating or with the heating off, so they work very well in hot weather by making entire rooms cooler. With the right style, they might be an excellent feature in your hallway, living room, and even the bedroom.
Patio
We are still on the subject of ceramic-tile flooring. Another surface which works well with the tiles is your patio. It is simple to make, very aesthetic and durable. People from the industry, Stone and Tile Projects, advise that ceramic tiles are easier to maintain and less affected by water and staining than natural stone tiles and wooden decks. They are also very easy to replace and repair. One potential downside would be that glossy tiles can be slippery when wet. This is why you should either combine them with matt or choose matt tiles of rough surfaces. It is harder to slip on one of them, and some even resemble natural stone.
A tabletop
Did you know that you can use ceramic tiles to make table tops? Now you do. The top surface of your patio table, kitchen, or dining table will look perfect with your creation on top of it. Now to save yourself some trouble, find the right shape and size of tiles. This will save you some trouble of having to cut them or break them to make them fit. You can make your own table, revive an old one, or replace a broken glass top by using plywood and ceramic tiles. The principle is the same, regardless of the “subject” and the purpose. Make a pancake-like mix of mortar and apply it to the wooden surface, lay down the tiles. Let it dry. Once it is dry, mix grout and apply it. Same as the above, use a sponge to remove any excess grout.
Edges and borders
Smaller, narrow tiles or their pieces work wonders when you arrange them around your flower beds as edges. They can be laid down to represent a thick colorful line. Alternatively, you can dig narrow trenches and bury the tiles halfway into the ground. This way you can form a decorative fence around your flower beds.
Mosaic improvements
The beauty of the tiles is that they are so easily applied, and they come in a great variety of colors and textures. This is why they are a simple solution for any repairs you need to make on concrete objects, particularly outdoors. By using the same principle we have described above with the table and the stepping stones, you can cover any cracks and otherwise damaged surfaces with a tile mosaic. Even without a need for repair, a mosaic made of tiles is a unique personal touch you can use to enhance your home.
If you enjoyed the art class at school, you will enjoy working with tiles. With them, you can get excellent results by using your imagination and very little skill.