Floor tiles are a popular option for homes as they are easy to install, relatively cheap, and come in different shapes, sizes, patterns, and textures, making it a versatile option that can fit any home style and design and can be used in different rooms and areas of one’s home. However, as with any flooring materials, tiles have their own set of issues and vulnerabilities that you, the homeowner or owner of the commercial establishment, need to watch out for:
Chipped Tiles
Chipping tiles are often caused by hard or dense objects being dropped on the floor, causing the tiles to chip away. A simple touch up paint on the chipped area can hide the damage and make the tile look new; you need to find and use the right paint and shade.
Broken Tiles
Tiles break if heavier objects are dropped on top of them, such as bowling balls or hefty wooden boxes. Chipped and broken tiles can cut or injure pets or anyone walking barefoot, so you’ll need to address these issues as soon as possible. Broken tiles would have to be replaced, but make sure that you use safety gloves when picking up or removing the broken tiles as they can be extremely sharp.
Expansion Joint Issues
The expansion joints are the junction where a tile meets a different surface; these joints need to be filled with caulk that can expand and not crack. Cracked expansion joints can also happen if the joints are filled with solid tile grout, which also crack. To fix this issue, remove the tile grout and fill in the joint with caulk or sealant.
Stubborn Stains and Discoloration
Sometimes, chemicals and other substances can heavily stain your tiles and grout to the point that simple soap and water aren’t enough. When dealing with stubborn stains and even “hard water” from your tiles, it’s best to use stronger cleaning chemicals, but make sure to handle the chemicals safely and correctly. To reduce risk getting sick or irritated from the chemicals and the fumes, and to avoid any further staining or damage to your floor, it would be a good idea to hire professional tile and grout cleaning services instead.
Loose Tiles
Tiles could loosen up due to poor installation, or from the expansion of concrete where the tile is placed on. It’s essential to address this issue as loose tiles could have protruding sharp edges, and are more susceptible to cracking and breakings.
Moldy Grout
This commonly occurs in tiled floors that are constantly exposed to moisture or high levels of humidity such as in bathrooms. Mold can grow in humid and wet conditions and can quickly spread. It’s difficult to fix this issue as scrubbing the tile and grout with chemicals would only be able to affect the surface, and using mold killing chemicals would cause damage to your grout as well. As with stubborn stains and discoloration, it would be best to leave these to the professionals instead.
Conclusion
Tiles are very versatile and durable, and they require less maintenance and cleaning as other flooring materials such as wood or carpeting. However, there is still the need to inspect and maintain your floor tiles once in a while to ensure the safety of people inside your homes, as well as to preserve your floor’s aesthetic appeal and cleanliness.
