Ceramic or porcelain tile has come a long way over the past few years. It’s tough to plan any type of home improvement without incorporating tile somewhere.

Tile is a great building material for do-it-yourselfers because it demands little in the way of tools or experience. You don’t need a special mud mixing machine; you can mix the thin set adhesive in any ol’ bucket with a stick. The few tools you will require for cutting and laying are inexpensive and available everywhere.

Tile had been for years the domain of the specialist tile setter. Tools were hard to get and the whole idea of installing tile was rather complicated. Within the last ten or fifteen years the boom in do-it-yourself home renovators has brought tile to the forefront right along with many other home improvement materials.

Tile installation is easy to learn and can be very forgiving for the beginner. Do-overs are the name of the game. It takes hours before the tile is set so you can go back and make adjustments as you progress. If you don’t like the pattern or you don’t have the grout lines correct just wiggle them around till you get it the way you want.

This makes it a great project for first-timers. The size of your tile projects can go right along with the experience you gain from each successful project. Start small, of course, like with a bathroom floor or backsplash, then graduate to the kitchen floor or laundry room. You can even try a different pattern with the tile so yours doesn’t look like the washroom at the bus station.

Almost every week I see some sale or inventory clearance on good quality tile. Even if it’s not on sale there are hundreds of great tile options available all over town. I think this process of selection can be the hardest part, there are just too many to choose from. It takes time to get the right tile when there are so many to pick from.

Tile is a very useful building material because it can go all over the house. I even see it now on coffee tables and end tables. It’s not just for the shower any more. Tile is a smart selection for the entranceways of the house. It also works great as a floor covering for the laundry room. It can take the abuse and is a natural for these potentially wet areas.

Tile makes a great floor in the kitchen too, again because it can take the abuse of spills. I have installed several tile counter tops over the last year as well. It’s something different on the counter top and with the new sealers available today it is very stain resistant. The tile on my own counter has proven to be a lot easier to care for then the laminate I had before.

Overall tile is much easier to look after than other materials simply because it can take the abuse of water, stomping boots and toy trucks. Just sweep it up and mop it down. Lino is still a great flooring material that can take water and mess but it will show signs of wear sooner or later where tile just takes it all in stride.

Another big plus with tile is that it can be repaired unlike lino or carpet. If you somehow damage a tile you can smash it out and replace it with a new one. It is clear that tile is very durable as a building material and with the options of colour and design it can be matched to any décor.

Tile can be a very elegant solution to any surface with a cost that fits the budget. See for yourself. Price out the cost of tiling your backsplash in the kitchen. I’ll bet you find that you can produce an amazing accent to your kitchen for under $200 if you do it yourself. What a great first time tile project.

Home improvements can only be enhanced with good quality materials and a very low cost. If we can save a bundle here then there will be more available for the dozen or so other projects you have planned around the house.