AW Eurostile

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Choosing Your Kitchen Tile

Any home makeover can be taxing whether it is new floors for your living room, cabinets for your kitchen, or tile for your bathroom. There are many decisions to be made and steps to be taken in the process of renovation and it is easy to feel overwhelmed, but the finished product is something to get excited about!



The kitchen is the center of your home, a great place to add tile to make it your own! Adding tile will enhance the look of your space and allow you to add a touch of your unique style.

AW Eurostile offers many of your tiling and stone surface needs for your home renovations, and would like to share some tips on choosing kitchen tile.

Decide where the tile will be installed

Your kitchen is the one room in your house that can have several different types of tiles. When choosing kitchen tile, consider where it is going to go first. Glossy tile that goes on a wall will not be the same as flooring tile. The type of tile intended for your floor has to be safe to walk on, and a glossy floor tile could be unsafe to walk upon.

Kitchen tile can be placed as a backsplash behind a stove, or on the wall to the underside of the upper cabinets. Tile is popular material for the countertop as well.

Determine the difference between tiles


The different types of material for kitchen tile includes quarry, stone, cork, vinyl, bamboo, ceramic, porcelain and glass.

Vinyl, cork and bamboo are most commonly used in the floor. Quarry, ceramic and porcelain can be used for counters and floors. Glass tile is typically used for walls and backsplashes.

Know your budget

Just like anything, kitchen tile can be very expensive or inexpensive. Do your homework before making up your mind about the look you desire!

Consider your household’s lifestyle

For countertops, ceramic tile is durable and will hold up to heat from hot pans. It is also easy to clean and maintain. On the contrary, a ceramic tile can easily crack or chip. Determine if your family’s lifestyle matches the tile finish you choose.

When choosing a floor tile, it has to be durable enough to withstand heavy traffic, spilled foods, pets and cleaning supplies. Make sure that your purchase is indeed floor tile, and not wall tile, which will be too slippery for walking. Consider choosing a floor tile that has a slight raised pattern or texture to allow for a safer finish. For a classy look, try quarry tile. The clay and limestone based tile is fired to look like natural stone. Unfortunately if you’re on a budget, quarry tile is on the expensive side.

Tile backsplash

This is your chance to get creative! Since your backsplash does not get hit with heavy traffic, glossy, and painted tiles are a perfect fit! They still have to uphold during hot oil splatters, grease and cleaning, however.

Choose from porcelain, ceramic, glass metal or stone materials for a backsplash that will bring certain flair to your kitchen.

There are many different tiles to choose from that fit your budget and personal style. Consider these tips when choosing tile for your kitchen and visit us in Shrewsbury to pick out your perfect tile! “Like” us on Facebook to stay up to date with AW Eurostile!