TILE INSTALLATION

Tile Installation for Westchester County and New York City

There are certain home improvement projects that lay people can undertake, including tiling. The benefit to working with a professional is avoiding common mistakes, benefitting from awareness of the latest trends, and not having to meticulously assemble numerous pieces.

At Acosta Home & Air Pro we have decades of experience in selecting, designing, and installing tile that will be aesthetic, durable and functional. When undertaking a tile installation project, here are seven things to be on top of:

design options
material
underlayment
adhesives
sealers
patterns
integration

Tiles range in size from mosaic to "large format" where at least one side measures sixteen inches or more. Shapes include rectangles, squares, or hexagons. Ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, and glass are popular materials. Among tile patterns or styles are herringbone, subway, and penny. Two options currently trending are 3-D tiles and encaustic. Then caulk, bullnose, or caps are needed to transition from one type of tile to another tile or surface. In other words, design and material variations are endless and to narrow down options, it helps

to know what works in which setting.

After the selection process, what the tile will be placed upon, the underlayment, is the next thing to get right. The underlayment has to be level to prevent chipping and to have an even floor. For a bathroom or kitchen, where there is likely to be water or moisture, waterproof backer board is essential to prevent rotting or other problems. To place the tile together, usually grout or some other epoxy will be needed. To keep the grout lines and the tile from discoloring or looking worn, sealants have to be applied accordingly.

Now it is time to design the layout. A straight alignment is simplest and would take the least time. Usually, it is best to start from a center point and then proceed to laying tiles outward to the room's edge. We include the appropriate tile spacers in our test run. In some instances, it may make sense for your "cornerstone" piece to start at a room's far or near edge. Depending on the room's sight line or what would be most noticeable, it is not always optimal to start at the center of the room. If it is decided to go with a more complicated pattern, the tile installation will take more time and cost more money. While everyone would rather spend less than more on a given project, keep in mind that you will have to look at the end product every day - possibly multiple times a day. A few extra dollars here for years of enjoyment might be worth the investment.

Tile design should be creative and can be fun. To stretch your budget, consider using accent tiles sparingly among mostly field tiles. An accent wall can liven up a room at a fraction of the cost of doing the entire room.

Use tiles of different texture, sizes, or colors to separate functional areas. For example, in bathroom design, make a visual pattern distinction between the shower area and the rest of the room.

Geometric tiled layouts are endless. For example, a tile that comes in a large, medium and small sizes - say 12 x 12, 6 x 6, and 3 x 3 - offers endless combinations. For example, one large size in this example takes as much space as 4 mediums or 16 small ones. Add to these configurations the possibility of adding varying color and the combinations proliferate. Special applications, such as shower niches add to the possibility of injecting more personality or interest on your tile "canvas." There's always the possibility of placing a decorative tile that celebrates a region, event, school colors, or favorite fictional character of an adult or child.

We could go on but hopefully, we've spurred some ideas. Let's continue the conversation.

Call us at (914) 875-3266 or stop by our Westchester County showroom in Mamaroneck so we can help you select, design and then install your tile project as soon as possible.