Determine Whether Your Tile is Glazed or Unglazed

Determine if your ceramic tile is glazed or unglazed.  Unglazed ceramic tile requires a bit more maintenance than glazed finishes.  The first step in keeping a floor clean is to have mats to catch dirt at entry points to the house.  Dirt and grime can scratch floor surfaces and wear down the finish.  Sweep or vacuum your floor and then mop with plain water.  This works well for wall tile too.  You can also mix 1 cup vinegar to one gallon of water and mop with this solution.  There are many commercial cleaners made specifically for ceramic tile.  Find the perfect cleaning solution for your individual tile to keep it looking shiny and new.

DirectBuy offers a wide selection of top-quality tile to help you express your style and creativity throughout your home. Great savings of up to 50% off retail helps you save money for other things in your budget.

Stylish Tile Designs for Your Bathroom

The bathroom can be one of the busiest places in the house.  You should make it comfortable and attractive.  Don’t use the same drab tile on the walls and floors. Mosaics or patterned accent tiles can help transform your bathroom.

There are many stylish and trendy designs available in natural stone , glass , or ceramic .  If you are going to spend a good amount of time in the bathroom, make it a pleasing place to be with decorative tile.

DirectBuy offers a wide selection of tile and natural stone to make your home and outdoor areas stylish and comfortable. Save up to 50% off retail prices on brand-name products.

Make Your Room Appear Larger with a Checkerboard Pattern

Tiles set in a checkerboard pattern can make a room appear larger.  The design gives one the perception it is actually wider than it is in reality.  You can select a white marble and a black marble to lend elegance to any room.  There are also many contrasting colors of limestone, porcelain, or carpet tiles which work well in a checkerboard pattern.  Lay floor tile in a checkerboard pattern to make your room classic and elegant.

DirectBuy offers a wide selection of tile of all types for use within your home and outdoors to help you express your style and creativity. Great savings of up to 50% off retail helps you save money for your budget.

Real Terra Cotta Tile is Often Hand Molded

Much of terra cotta tile is molded by hand.  True artisanship is used to create this tile.  Two predominant locations producing terra cotta are Mexico and parts of Europe.  Reclaimed terra cotta is obtained from many famous areas of Europe.

Porcelain Tile with the Look of Terra Cotta

Terra cotta comes in various sizes or patterns.  Choose varying sizes or patterns such as a four piece repeating pattern to add to your kitchen, den, or entryway.  Today’s technology even allows for the production of terra cotta colored porcelain tile .  You can have the rustic beauty you want for your home with terra cotta tile.

DirectBuy offers a wide selection of tile for use within your home and outdoors to help you express your style and creativity throughout your home. Great savings of up to 50% off retail helps you save money for your budget.

The Accent is on Accent Pieces of Stone

Stone accent pieces can be solid colors or they can be etched with unique and beautiful designs.  Place 4” x 4” stone strategically in shower wall amidst glass or larger pieces of stone.  Use mixed stone border pieces as edging around your kitchen backsplash.  Insert unique designs inlayed on stone where corners meet in your flooring pattern.  Smaller stone pieces can be the ideal accent piece you need to make any room in your home uniquely beautiful.

DirectBuy offers many different kinds of tile and natural stone for use within your home and outdoors to help you express your style and creativity throughout your home. Great savings of up to 50% off retail helps you save money for your budget.

Lustrous Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile is available in lustrous colors and can often resemble natural materials such as stone, slate, or wood.  You may prefer a more rustic look.  If so, select a Saltillo or tumbled ceramic tile.  Make a good first impression on your guests by installing magnificent foyer flooring in ceramic tile.

DirectBuy offers a wide selection of tile for use within your home and outdoors to help you express your style and creativity throughout your home. Great savings of up to 50% off retail helps you save money for your budget.

The great thing about subway tile is that it works so well in most any style home and in many different design styles. Another contributing factor to its popularity is the variety of different materials being used to create subway tile today. Ceramic is still a great choice, but you will also find subway tile being produced in glass and many other materials – even stainless steel.

Subway tile works in many applications in your home – great for bathroom remodeling and kitchen remodeling. It makes beautiful backsplashes and walls as well as various pool applications.

DirectBuy carries a wide range of different types of tiles for your home. You’ll find brand-name tile at manufacturer-direct wholesale prices that can save up to 50% off retail prices.

Since glass doesn’t absorb liquids it is a great choice for backsplashes and walls as a layer of protection.  Durable and easy to clean, you can usually clean up any spill or splatter with a mild soap and a dampened cloth.  Use a clean, dry cloth to dry the area thoroughly.

For a busy family, glass tile is a wonderful choice of materials to give your home a completely updated look while minimizing cleaning and maintenance time.

For all your home remodeling needs, whether kitchen, bath or any other area of your home, DirectBuy has top-quality products to help you create the perfect atmosphere for you and your family – all at wholesale prices to save you money.

With a cordless broom you can quickly clean up messes on the floor – left behind cracker crumbs, tracked in dirt and more. Keeping a cordless broom nearby will make tidying up any room a breeze.

Unfortunately, you can’t get away from the fact that any kind of floor needs a good mopping now and then, but if you incorporate the use of a steam mop, you will not only have shiny ceramic floors, you will have very clean and shiny ceramic floors. You’ll find many options in choosing the steam mop that will work best for you.

For a great selection in ceramic tile and other great products for your home, DirectBuy has a wide selection to help you create a beautiful home environment. From flooring to furnishings and everything in between, you’ll find brand-name products at savings up to 50% off retail.

Take into consideration the three main reasons slippery tile may not be the best choice for your home.

Children – children zip and run all over the house; it’s what they do! Keep them safe from harmful falls with slip-resistant tile.

Pets – pets can slide on slippery tile and injure themselves too. Make sure the tile flooring you select can accommodate their paws and claws.

Elderly – do you have a family member or loved one who is a senior citizen living in your home? Then you need to make sure your tile flooring is slip resistant.

There are other tiles that are much more compatible for these areas and still provide the stylish look you want for your home.

DirectBuy offers a wide range of tile varieties. You’re sure to find the tile that will work best for any area of your home – all at manufacturer-direct wholesale prices.

1.    Natural stone – natural stones which can be used on the walls can consist of marble, granite, travertine, limestone, etc.  You can use smaller formats such as 4” x 4” or larger formats such as 12” x 24” to suit your needs.  You can even use small square mosaic patterns of natural stone to accent any application.

2.    Ceramic – glazed, unglazed, crackled finish, the options are limitless and ceramic is a great choice for wet applications such as shower walls.

3.    Glass – hundreds of colors and designs.  You can even buy pre-made glass murals to fit your design scheme.

4.    Stainless Steel – stainless is a great choice for walls and even kitchen backsplashes.  There are many finishes available such as polished, brushed, honed, etc.

There are other choices available for wall tile but those listed above tend to be among the most popular choices.  If you are looking to spruce up an area of your home, consider some of the many choices available in different types of tile appropriate for walls.  It’s a great option to wallpaper or semi-gloss paint.

Whatever your choice, when you’re ready to remodel and add a new look to your home, think DirectBuy for the savings of a wholesale club, the selection of America’s top retailers, and the service of a high-end boutique.

Subway tiles work well with many style formats such as classic, retro, modern, etc.  The original ceramic subway tile had a flat glazed surface with square edges and normally measured 3” x 6”.  Today, the subway tile is produced with other materials such as glass, wood, and bamboo and is available in hundreds of colors.  The surface can be now be domed and the edges more round.

Many homeowners used subway tile predominately in the bathrooms.  With the popularity of these types of tiles ever on the increase, they can now be found in many other areas of the home such as kitchen backsplashes and pool waterlines.  Bring a bit of timeless design into your home by considering subway tile for your project.

DirectBuy offers a wide selection of tile in many styles, types and sizes so you can create the look and efficiency you want in your home without spending a fortune. Save up to 50% on top quality products for your home remodeling project.

When choosing your finish for natural stone, look for these types in making your selection:

Honed Natural Stone
This type of natural stone flooring is the first choice for any kind of flooring. It is not very glossy to look at, which is its most important characteristic. In areas with high traffic, this kind of natural stone flooring is more likely to hold up well against wear and tear. Its rough surface provides traction even though it is porous in nature. Unlike the polished type of natural stone flooring, the honed natural stone flooring has a dull and flat exterior.

Polished Natural Stone
Extremely glossy and highly durable, the polished natural stone flooring enhances the bright ambience of the room. The highlight of the polished natural stone flooring is its radiant color, making the room look bright and luminous.  Being highly resistant to moisture, the surface can be rather slippery when wet.  Used primarily on countertops and on the walls, the polished stone surface has a heavy sheen but you need to manipulate the stone floor to bring out the sheen.

Flamed Natural Stone
Manufactured under extremely hot conditions, the flamed natural stone tile is quite popular among homeowners. A surface with a distinctive texture is formed when the natural crystals are exposed to very high temperatures. Even though it is porous, the flamed natural stone tile offers a firm grip making it slip resistant.

Tumbled Natural Stone
The tumbled natural stone is widely used to get a classic and weathered appearance. Various types of natural stones are tumbled to create a rough texture and a worn out look on the surface. Marble, limestone and granite are the typical examples of natural stones used to generate a tumbled finish.

Sand Blasted Natural Stone
Sandblasted natural stone tiles are characterized by a somewhat glossy finish and an extremely textured surface. A sandblasted natural stone is also generally used to engrave images and create designs on the natural stone tiles.

Sawn Natural Stone
The Sawn tiles can be used in combination with techniques like sandblasting or honing   to manufacture natural stone tiles. The unique surface of the Sawn natural stone tile is formed by the use of a gang saw. It has an advantage over other type of tiles as it   has a natural and more common look and is mostly considered the vintage style tile.

When you’re ready for natural stone and other types of tile for your home building or home remodeling project, check out the great savings at DirectBuy at prices up to 50% off retail.

Though all types of natural stone tiles are extremely popular and are in great demand, manufacturers have now created various types of natural stone tiles by combining two or more of the different techniques.

Most homeowners prefer different tiles for their different rooms and also prefer to use different types for their interiors and exteriors. Specifications like color, size, design, and materials also differ nowadays. You can also get custom made natural stone tiles to match your decor and your personal needs.

Look for more information on types of natural stone flooring in Part II.

For beautiful tile flooring of all types, including natural stone, see what DirectBuy has to offer at prices up to 50% off retail.

Over the years, natural stone has found its way from the outdoors into the most beautiful homes all over the world. It’s perfect for floors, tub surrounds, kitchen backsplashes, and other indoor applications. Whether you choose marble, granite, travertine, or any other natural stone, you will be bringing a bit of nature into your home. 

From deep within the earth and years of metamorphosis, your natural stone will have distinctive patterns, colors and veining. Truly unique, natural stone makes a great addition to any home design.

Ready to install new flooring in your home? Let DirectBuy help you choose the right applications and products to help you create the look you want. With manufacturer-direct prices, you can afford to have the same kind of beautiful floors you see in home design magazines.

But today’s marble is not out of reach for the average homeowner. There are many options for working marble into your design. In many sizes, shapes and finishes, marble can add the look you want in your bathroom, kitchen or other areas of your home.

Marble is suitable for so many applications in your home  – walls, table tops, floors, vanity tops and more.  You will also find marble perfect for applications in we areas such as showers and tub decks.

An important consideration when thinking about using marble is that it is highly susceptible to damage from acids such as vinegar and citrus fruits. Dull marks and rings can result from acidic contact on marble, For this reason granite or quartz would be better choices for countertops.

You can choose various finishes for your marble – polished, honed, and antiqued – and the great thing about marble is how well it fits into any area of your home. You can create an understated look of elegance with a casual tone, or you can go with the full sophisticated effect with a more formal tone. The choice is yours with beautiful, versatile marble whether you’re building or remodeling your home.

DirectBuy carries marble and other natural stones to help you create the design and atmosphere you want for your home. With manufacturer-direct prices from leading manufacturers and authorized suppliers of top-quality marble, you can create the home of your dreams.

If you’ve chosen the tile that is just right for your décor, but the price tag is a little too high, try this: Choose several of the more expensive tiles to use as a focal point and surround them with a tile that you can afford.  You might just be surprised at the outcome that will result.

You can choose hand-painted, forged metal, mural reproductions or any of the hundreds of beautiful accent tiles available today for the focal point of your design. By carefully selecting a smaller number of the more expensive tiles and using a more affordable type for the major part of your installation, you can have a totally unique and stunning design without breaking the bank.

Create a beautiful tile design within your price range with manufacturer-direct prices from DirectBuy. You’ll find natural stone, ceramic, porcelain, slate, marble, granite and more to add the perfect look to your home décor.

Hard-wearing – a harder material than most ceramics, porcelain tile is baked at higher temperatures in the kiln than most ceramics. This makes it ideal for heavy traffic.

Completely water-proof – porcelain tile (specifically unglazed) is waterproof making it perfect for your bathroom, kitchen and outdoor patio.

Hygienic – flooring is prone to flooding and spills, especially in the kitchen. Food can fall on the floor and dishwashers, sinks and refrigerators can leak. Bacteria does not easily adhere to porcelain tile, so it’s perfect for the kitchen. It’s also perfect for the bathroom where germs and bacteria can grow.

Affordable – porcelain tile is affordable, yet it can add value to your property. So when building or remodeling, consider it a tile choice that will maintain its look and luster for years to come.

When it comes to choosing flooring, there are many options to choose from. But when you consider the characteristics of porcelain tile, it’s easy to see why it’s a favorite choice. Porcelain tile not only looks good, but it holds up just as well.

DirectBuy carries a wide selection of tile flooring options to make your home the showplace you want it to be. Manufacturer-direct prices help you choose high quality tile flooring and stay within your budget.