Archive for April, 2012

The majority of us in the UK have carpets throughout our living and dining areas. They provide great warmth and comfort but when weighing up all the factors are they really an all round better choice than tiles. Below we take a look at the pros and cons of both carpets and tiles on the floors of your living and dining areas.

COST: Although the initial cost of tiling your living and dining room floors is expected to be more than that of laying down carpet, installing tiles could save you a lot of money in the long run. Carpets become worn a lot easier than hard wearing tiles and therefore need to be replaced far more regularly. Well laid, high quality tiles on the other hand can last a lifetime.

Verdict: Tiles

CLEANING: There is no competition in this one. Carpets are notoriously hard to clean and can be permanently stained by food or drink spillages. Constant cleaning can soon result in their colour fading and the fabric becoming frayed. Tiles, however, are easy to clean making spillages far less of a problem as they can be simply wiped away and forgotten about.

Verdict: Tiles

WARMTH/COMFORT: Carpet, with its soft feel and ability to retain heat naturally has the advantage over tiles here. There are, though, ways to improve the warmth and comfort levels of a tiled floor. A large rug in living rooms will not only provide you with something comfortable to walk over in bare feet but can also add immense character to your design theme. There are also highly effective under floor heating mats which are specifically designed to heat a tiled floor.

Verdict: Carpet

SAFETY: This is a tough one because although tiles present a greater risk of slipping and also have a less unforgiving surface, carpet is flammable. If you’re going to choose tiles for your living and dining areas then it is wise to choose ones with a matt finish as this provides a slip resistant surface.

Verdict: Draw

SOUND: A room with tiles in can sometimes produce an echo whenever there is any noise. Also if you drop something, walk with shoes on or move a chair etc this will create more noise on tiles than it will on a soft carpet surface. To decrease the echo within a tiled room, soft furnishings can act as a sound buffer.

 Verdict: Carpet

STYLE/LOOK: This one is largely down to personal preference. In terms of the variety of colours, styles and designs available, tiles are a clear winner. There is a vast range of natural stone and engineered tiles to choose from, which will help you to create the perfect look within your living or dining area.

Verdict: Tiles

Overall Verdict: Tiles

So there you have it – tiles just edge out carpet in the battle for supremacy on the floors of living and dining areas!

The good folk of England like nothing more than a bit of nostalgia. Reminiscing over the ‘good old days’ is one of our favourite pastimes. And what better way to spend this St George’s day than to look back at some significant moments throughout England’s history.

• 1509: The infamous Henry VIII becomes King of England: The man who was to change the course of English history, led a colourful life to say the least! In total he had six wives – two of which were beheaded at his request! Henry VIII puts the current crop of celebrity wannabes to shame with his outlandish antics and wild lifestyle!

• 1564: William Shakespeare is born: Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer the English language has ever known. He went on to write several plays that are still popular to this day, such as; Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth and Twelfth Night. Incidentally, Shakespeare died on St George’s Day 1616. Shakespeare’s work is regularly studied in schools and colleges all over the world.

• 1735: First Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street: Probably the most famous abode in England housed a prime minister for the first time. Since Sir Robert Walpole there has been over 50 different prime ministers, including Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and the current political leader David Cameron.

• 1815: Battle of Waterloo: It was such a famous battle in fact, that Swedish super group Abba decided to write a song about it – around 160 years after it was over! To cut a long story short; allied forces including the United Kingdom and Netherlands defeated the French army and Napoleon did surrender…. apparently

• 1966: England won the football World Cup: A Geoff Hurst Hat trick helped England to a 4-2 victory over West Germany at Wembley. Unfortunately English football has never witnessed a day like it since and the national side are now considered as perennial underachievers. With Euro 2012 fast approaching could this be the year in which England put 46 years of hurt behind them?

As you can probably tell, we quite enjoyed our little journey back through time to celebrate St George’s Day. For traditional home decors, our advice is to take the best aspects from a range of eras. This can even include contemporary designs which provide a stylish contrast. At Tiles Porcelain we have a range of tiles that are extremely well suited to traditional designs. For that homely and rustic look within your home natural stone limestone, travertine and sandstone tiles are an exceptional choice. If you wish to create a stunning wall feature in living and dining areas then we recommend you take a look at our exquisite selection of rock cladding tiles (pictured).

It’s not long now before London hosts the 2012 Olympic Games – 100 days to be exact! We are already counting down to what is sure to be a memorable two weeks – in which the best athletes from around the world will compete for medals. Below we take a look at a few of the events you can look forward to watching between the 27th July and 12th August.

On the right Track

The athletics track events will be held at the brand new Olympic stadium and are contested over distances ranging from 100 metres to 10,000 metres. All eyes will be on three time gold medal winner and Olympic record holder Usain Bolt (pictured) who will be looking to once again finish on top of the podium this summer.

In the tile industry, Tiles Porcelain are the equivalent to Usain Bolt with an incredibly fast shipping system which includes next day delivery to anywhere in the UK! And just like the Olympics have a range of distances in their track events we are extremely versatile when it comes to the size of the jobs we supply for. We believe no order is too big or too small so whether you’re after 100 square metres of tiles or 10,000 square metres of tiles we are the company to come to.

Displaying Great Strength

A real spectator favourite of any Olympic Games is the weightlifting event. It’s a sport which takes immense strength and also technique to compete at the highest level. Despite being one of the most straightforward events at the Olympics, weightlifting can be exhilarating to watch, combining suspense, drama and emotion in equal measure.

If you’re after tiles that display unbelievable natural strength and will last a lifetime in your home then granite (pictured) is an exceptional choice. Granite is formed over thousands of years deep within the earth’s continental crust making it one of the strongest natural materials available. We have a premium range of natural stone granite wall and floor tiles along with bespoke granite worktops.

3 is a magic number

One of the most gruelling events of the Olympic Games is the Triathlon (pictured). This comprises of three separate activities; swimming, biking and running. This year’s event will take place in Hyde Park and is sure to be a big favourite among spectators.

At Tiles Porcelain we have three steps which make the process of buying and installing tiles quick and easy for you. Firstly, you can order as many samples of our premium quality engineered and natural stone tiles as you wish. Secondly, we provide delivery to your door. Last but not least, Tiles Porcelain will arrange for a reputable tiling contractor to install the tiles for you.

If you’re the superstitious type then Friday 13^th will mean you are taking extra care today. As always there will be no stepping on the cracks in the pavement or walking under ladders and additional precautions are guaranteed to be taken around mirrors. At Tiles Porcelain we don’t believe in any of that old codswallop, which is why today we are giving you a closer look at our premium quality I13 Grey Glazed Matt Porcelain tiles.

Strangely, folklore also has it that you should also avoid getting your hair cut on this day but David Rozman obviously looks upon superstition with a similar disdain as we do, as he chose the I13 tiles for his Hair Salon in Manchester.

With many of us obsessed with doing everything possible to avoid an accident on this day, these matt finish tiles in fact have the ideal surface for preventing any untimely slip ups as David Rozman explains: “We are very aware of health and safety especially when you work with hair products that may increase slip hazards and that is why we chose tiles with a matt finish.”

The I13 Grey Glazed Matt Porcelain is an excellent choice for walls and floors and we believe that you’ll be the lucky ones if you choose this tile.

On Saturday April 14 Aintree will host the 2012 Grand National – a horse race which has been enthralling the nation since 1839.

It is always one of the biggest events of both the sporting and social calendar – with thousands of hopeful punters set to descend on this grand old racecourse for the world’s most famous steeplechase. Many more will be watching in homes, pubs and betting shops throughout the UK with vested interest.

When it comes to tiles, we are extremely strong in our field and below we explain that by choosing tiles from us you are guaranteed to be backing a winner:

• With a huge selection of premium range natural stone and engineered tiles, there are great odds on you finding the tiles which are ideally suited to your intended project, and you can make extra sure of this by ordering samples of our porcelain, quartz, travertine, marble, slate and granite tiles.

• We really go the distance by providing next day delivery to anywhere in the UK.

• Look through the News and Features section on our website for tips and advice on how to best use our tiles.

We can’t promise you chocolate eggs this Easter I’m afraid but if its tiles you’re after then you’ve came to the right place! We have a high quality range of both natural stone and engineered tiles for walls and floors. Below we’ve featured two tiles – the names of which are strongly linked to the Easter period!

CHOCOLATE Brown Quartz Tiles (pictured left) have a rich brown colour and sparkly mirror particles. The highly polished finish will enable you to clean these tiles with ease. They are ideal for bathrooms and do not require sealing.

TP Tips: Complement chocolate brown quartz tiles with lighter colours for stylish and contemporary home decors.

EGG Shell Porcelain Tiles (pictured right) have a cream/beige colour and subtle black speckled effect – hence the egg shell comparison. The matt finish makes these premium quality porcelain tiles an outstanding choice for kitchens.

TP Tips: For a warm surface install an electrical under floor heating mat beneath egg shell porcelain tiles.

Here are our opening times over the Easter weekend:

Open Friday 6^th April 09.00 – 17.00

Open Saturday 7^th April 09.00 – 17.00

Closed Sunday 8^th April

Open Monday 9^th April 09.00 – 17.00

Spring is in the air. It is a season synonymous with new life and fresh ambitions. Spring has been referred to in arts and culture throughout the centuries, probably most famously in William Wordsworth’s poem, ‘Daffodils.’  Below we take a look at the issues worth considering in your home and give you a few ideas on how to capture the vibrancy of spring.

Colour: Sounds obvious but getting the right colour combinations in your home is very important. We are currently in the transitional period between winter and summer and therefore recommend colours which are light and invigorating but at the same time not too overpowering. Colours such as white and beige perfectly encapsulate this time of year.

Light: We are getting increasingly more minutes of sunlight now each day – so why not make the most of it. Replace those heavy winter curtains with net curtains to accentuate the light and space within your home. In terms of artificial light, spotlights on the ceilings of kitchens, bathrooms and dining areas are an excellent choice.

Style: Elegance is the key here. By using simple colours and non complicated features you can create a refined, classy and sophisticated decor. For example, tiles with a contemporary floral pattern like the ones pictured in this bathroom can make all the difference and will provide the room with a genuine wow factor. These Isadore Floral Black on White ceramic tiles are from the reputable Laura Ashley range.

Easter gives us all a great excuse to pig out! No doubt you will have eaten all of your chocolate Eggs before Sunday – by which point your taste buds will be going wild again at the prospect of a traditional roast dinner!

If you are anything like me you’ll be particularly looking forward to the smell of freshly baked hot cross buns wafting in from the kitchen at some point over the weekend.

And speaking of the kitchen; it is sure to be a hub of activity in many homes over the next four days.

The modern kitchen is now a multi-functional room and much more than somewhere for merely storing, preparing and cooking food. A lot of kitchens incorporate dining areas and also have electrical appliances such as radios and TV’s to keep you entertained. Practicality and style should work side by side in the design of any modern kitchen. After all it is a room that many now use for entertaining guests in contrast to a traditional living or dining area setting.

Below we give you a few helpful tips on creating the perfect kitchen design

See the Light: Kitchens are invariably positioned at the back of the home and there is therefore no excuse for not making the most of the natural sunlight at your disposal. We recommend you use big windows to take advantage of this, which will accentuate the space in your kitchen. So step into the light and you will soon appreciate what a difference it makes to the look of your kitchen.

 Make a splash: Chic and contemporary splash back features above worktops are an excellent idea. Polished mosaic tiles in a subtle contrast of colours will provide an exquisite look and are also easy to clean and maintain. Mosaic tiles are guaranteed to add immense class, style and character to your kitchen decor. The Ancient Romans were very keen on mosaics and who would want to argue with them!

You’ll be a big fan: Extractor fans in days gone by were certainly not the most glamorous or quietest of additions to a kitchen design. But now they are available in a range of chic and trendy designs and are altogether more efficient and aesthetically pleasing nowadays. So get stylish and practical with a modern extractor fan.

We all live busy lives these days and it is often difficult to get round to doing everything that is required in and around your home, whether that’s cleaning out the garage, fixing the garden fence or even organising your paperwork. It can soon mount up which is why this coming Easter weekend presents the perfect opportunity for you to really get stuck in to some of the tasks you may have put off for several months, or even years!

A classic example is replacing a damaged tile. You know the feeling when every time you walk into a room you can’t help but noticing it straight away, no matter how minimal the damage may be. Tiles provide a hard wearing and durable application for walls and floors but will crack, chip or even break in certain instances.

Hopefully you will have a few spare tiles put aside just in case something like this does occur. Replacing a damaged tile yourself will save you time and money and is an easy enough task if you follow these four simple steps:

1. Mask Off
Your first job is to mask off the tiles surrounding the one you are going to replace. This will prevent the surrounding tiles from getting damaged when you are working on the broken tile. Scrape out the grout from around the broken tile. Now stick some tape in the middle of the broken tile to stop the drill from slipping and then drill three or four small holes in the centre of the tile.

2. Chip Out
Starting from the holes in the centre begin to break up the tile by using a small cold chisel or an old woodworking chisel. Gradually work your way out until the whole of the tile has been broken up and removed. Take care near the edges or you risk dislodging the surrounding tiles as you work.

3. Remove Adhesive
Using a cold chisel remove the old tile adhesive but do this carefully as you do not want to damage the wall or floor underneath. Then simply brush away or vacuum out any remaining dust.

4. Fix the tile
Apply your tile adhesive to the back of the replacement tile and press it carefully into place. Ensure the gap around the edge is uniform by using tile spacers. Leave this to dry into place for the recommended time and then apply the grout. Once dry, simply clean and your wall or floor will look as good as new!

*We sell a premium range of Grouts and Adhesives*