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What Is Backsplash Tile & Where Should You Put It?

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Kitchen Backsplash Tile

Backsplashes are an expanse of material that usually sits on bathroom or kitchen wall between the countertops and cabinet. Done well, today’s backsplash designs can be a beautiful accent for rooms in your home by completing the interiors of your space with interesting patterns, colors and designs.  Ideally you will want to install a backsplash during your kitchen or bath counter installation. It is best to work with a professional for this type of project.

What are common types of tiles to use for a backsplash?

The most common tiles use for a backsplash are ceramic, porcelain, stone, marble and sometimes even glass.  You should be mindful that not all tiles will cost the same. Tiles are priced by square foot and the cost can vary depending on the type of material. Shopping smart can give you the look you want at a price that’s comfortable for you. Here are a few types of tiles to consider for your backsplash project.

  • The look of marble for less: To mimic the look of expensive marble go for a glazed porcelain tile, with high gloss coated over its surface for shine.
  • Porcelain and ceramic tiles: These types of tiles have many options to make your kitchen traditional to contemporary. With endless designs and options – you’re sure to find a tile that makes your kitchen unique.
  • Stainless steel and natural stone: This material offers a wealth of warmth to your kitchen space. Used together, these materials can create one of a kind looks.
  • Mosaic tile: Mosaic tile packs in smaller patterns and seemingly offer more bang for your buck. Depending on the range of materials – this can be an easy way to turn your kitchen space into a work of art.

Where is the best place to install a backsplash?

Most kitchen backsplashes will be on back walls surrounding sinks and stoves serving both an aesthetic appeal as well as a functioning component to protecting your walls from stains and damage.

In the bath, a backsplash can be added behind toilets and sinks, surrounding showers and even as a functional design element enclosing a sunken tub.  Recently there has been a trend to install a backsplash on a ceiling to define a shower alcove and prevent water damage.

Working with the design professionals at Fred Callaghan Carpet & Flooring will keep your project moving smoothly and help you find your design style.  Give us a call to make an appointment or stop by our Showroom to take a look at the many options available.

White Carrera Marble Tile In Your Kitchen and Bathroom

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Carrera Marble Tile

With the rise in the popularity of all white kitchens, and retro European style baths, white Carrera marble has become a sought after choice for many homeowners who love the rich look and feel of traditional white marble. When you get right down to it, nothing really compares with marble.  This is the perfect tile for both kitchens and baths and there are plenty of ways to redecorate with it.

For your kitchen tile, white Carrera marble can be a chic addition on your kitchen floor or walls and can add sophisticated elegance when it is front and center on a kitchen island. Polished white Carrera marble gives any kitchen a contemporary ambience, but is not the best choice for flooring as it can become very slippery when wet. Honed white Carrera marble tile provides a warmer, earthier feel in the kitchen for counters and walls and will not scratch or etch as easily as polished marble tile.

Carrera as a bathroom tile works well on the walls in the shower area. Or perhaps you have a bathtub that needs a revamp from its old look; a mosaic Carrera look is absolutely perfect for this occasion, especially when you want that natural relaxed look. Carrera marble can also be the background that highlights your bathroom vanity, bringing the vanity details to full view highlighting major attractions like the faucets or the traditional design.

White Carrera marble tile is made of natural stone, so it is resistant to splashes or spills but it can be a bit demanding to maintain.  If the thought of regularly resealing your marble every six months feels unrealistic, consider the many options of faux Carrera Marble tile that look good, will work perfectly for most kitchen and bathroom projects and can be more cost effective.

Marble, with its pros and cons is truly an authentic look that over time develops a lovely natural patina. Perhaps that is why it has been the stone of choice for hundreds of years in many European restaurants and bakeries.

Be sure to stop by our newly expanded Showroom and a take a look at our latest selection of tiles.

Wood Look Tile from Daltile

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A new popular flooring trend is the use of wood look tile. This type of tile is not new to the flooring market, but recent advances in the specialized technology used in the manufacturing process have recently led to an increase in its popularity.

Wood Look Tile

There are many pros to using wood look tiles in your home design project:

  • Durability
  • Easy maintenance
  • Sustainability
  • Goes well with under floor heating systems
  • Highly Customizable
  • Can be installed anywhere including floors, walls and countertops
  • Affordable

A leading natural stone and ceramic tile manufacturer since 1947, Daltile currently offers ten lines of wood look tiles, each one featuring color variations and a specific aesthetic. They offer a wide variety of sizes to choose from and a distinct collection of tiles with the look of worn-out weathered hardwood.

If you want to find the most realistic wood-look tile on the market, you’ll need to know what you are looking for. Here are some tips from Daltile experts to help you find the best wood look tile for your project:

GRAIN

The first thing you notice with wood-look tile is the graphic. This is the wood grain and color that is printed on the tile. Specialized technology can be used to scan real wood and replicate it on tile with ink jet printing.

Realistic wood graphics should have color variation with highlights and lowlights. Knots and other irregularities make the graphic look more realistic. Also look for a high number of “faces” in the wood-look tile. Faces are how many individual tiles in a series have a different graphic before it starts repeating. The higher number of faces, the more authentic the tile looks.

STRUCTURE

Structure is produced by the tile mod and puts texture on the surface of the tile that enhances the grain.

Other elements of structure that lend authenticity are hand-scraped textures, divots, and chatter marks. These all are found in real wood flooring and add to the rustic nature that is inherent in natural wood.

FINISH

The surface finish is another thing to look for when looking for the most realistic wood-look tile. As with natural wood flooring, some finishes are polished and bright, others are more matte and rustic. Wood-look tile offers the same thing. Newer to the market is a higher gloss tile finish for a clean, polished, and modern looking wood floor.

Finding a realistic wood look is really about the details. A complex grain, touchable texture, and a finish that echoes real wood make for tile that’s hard to tell apart from the real thing without a very close inspection.

Visit Fred Callaghan Carpet & Flooring for a complete selection of Daltile wood look tiles.