Is tile flooring a good options for your Ottawa home?

You are looking at the floors in your Ottawa home and wondering if floating ceramic tiles are the way to go. Floating ceramic tiles seem to hold all that is positive about tile floors but eliminate the negatives about installation. Because the tiles are attached to plastic, interlocking trays, they are automatically spaced, which controls alignment. Add to that the elimination of thin-set mortar, and it seems like a dream come true. Ottawa tile is always a good option, and floating ceramic tiles are even better.

What is the difference between floating tile and traditional tile?

The idea is that the floating flooring attaches to itself and not to any surface below it or to the walls. It is held together through its weight and friction. Traditional tiles are set onto a bed of thin-set mortar applied to the underlayment or subfloor using a trowel. The mortar keeps the tile securely on the subflooring and also fills any gaps. Floating tile uses no mortar. The plastic trays set the tiles in place. The tiles cannot be removed from the trays but stay in place indefinitely.

Traditional tiles require grout-filled seams. Unless you are a professional, these seem can be quite a challenge. Most use spacers to create the seams with proper spacing. As the tiling continues, the spacers are removed. Floating tile has spacers built into the plastic trays in which the tile sits. The trays are made with teeth on the edges to interlock and form their own spacing, and secure the tiles in place.

Traditional tile uses grout in the seams to fill the gaps or spaces. Floating tile uses a urethane-based grout that accommodates the tile’s slight movement as people walk over it.

Advantages of floating tiles include:

• Automatic spacing
• No mortar bed
• Faster installation
• Spacing is even

Disadvantages are:

• Higher cost
• Adjusting for cabinets, etc. means cutting the plastic backer as well as the tile
• Seams cannot be changed for aesthetics
• Currently, only a few manufacturers produce floating tiles

There is speculation about whether the floating tile is just a fad and will fall away or will become accepted like laminate flooring. One manufacturer conducted a test to see if it really was faster to lay than traditional tile. They found that floating tile was completed over 70% faster and cleaned up easier and quicker.

Floating tile is designed to install over almost any existing surface, including secured vinyl flooring, wood, concrete, plywood, or OSB subfloors. It takes little or no preparation. One of the disadvantages of traditional tile is the time it takes to prepare the underlayment and then apply the mortar. Floating tile doesn’t need that time or effort. It seems to be a great product with self-alignment and the elimination of the lips that are hazards to walking and other movements. If you have a small area you would like to have tiled, why not try floating tile and see how it works?

Choosing a reliable Ottawa tile installation company.

If you are planning a tile installation and are looking for a reliable Ottawa tile installation company, you have come to the right place. At Continental Flooring we have many years of experience in the tile industry, and we can help you with every step of your installation project. Contact us today!