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5 Strategies to Selecting the Right Tile for Your Kitchen


Set a Budget, Determine Work Areas, and Choose Style and Colors

© 2013 by Jennie Reedy; all rights reserved; content may not be copied, rewritten, or republished without written permission.

Ceramic floor tiles in the kitchen
Ceramic floor tiles in the kitchen; photo by Jennie Reedy






This article was updated on 08/16/20.



The kitchen is one of the most important rooms of the home; therefore, it is the one room that people want to be the perfect room. As a result, most home remodeling projects begin with the kitchen.

People have to decide on the color of the kitchen, what type and brand of the kitchen appliances, and what type of new cabinets they will have in their newly remodeled kitchens.

However, even though all of these items are important, the most important aspect of the kitchen is the tile. With so many different options for tile, people often become overwhelmed with choosing the one that will work best for their kitchen.

After all, it's likely that you'll lay ceramic tile on the floor, the countertops, and even the backsplash. However, if people follow these five simple strategies, they won’t have any trouble choosing the tile for their kitchen.

  1. Determine Your Remodeling Budget

    Before any styles or colors can be determined, it is important to think about the construction budget. The budget will not only include the purchase of the building material itself, but it will also include the labor, which you can save on by doing as much as possible yourself.

    Finding a reliable contractor or handyman to handle your job is critical at this stage. Don’t just depend on ads; get local reviews specific to your area from a service like Angie's List or Nextdoor Neighbor.

    Also, consider that some tile is more expensive than others; however, if the cost of a specific type of tile is not able to fit into the budget, then similar tile that is less expensive can be chosen.

    For example, there are many types of vinyl that look very similar to the ceramic variety; however, the vinyl will be much cheaper. To stretch your budget, consider going with vinyl on the floor and matching ceramic on the counters.

  2. Sketch out the Location

    The next step is determining where the tile will be located. It can be placed in different locations in the kitchen depending on your situation.

    The three most common places are the floor, the countertops, and the backsplash. If the tile is going to be placed in all three places, it is best to make sure the tiles all match or at least complement one another.

    However, if the tile is just going to be in one location, then it is best that the tile is a neutral color. Therefore, the tile will complement every aspect of the kitchen, and this includes complementing the appliances.



  3. Choose Your Type of Tile

    One of the reasons that tile is so popular for the kitchen is because there are so many different types of tile to choose from.

    Most people know about ceramic tile and vinyl tile; however, there are many more types of tile. Some of the other types of tile include bamboo, glass, and porcelain tile. For a loft, reddish quarry tile is very popular and quite affordable.

    It’s important to note that not all types of tile will work for the place that the homeowner will be installing in. For example, it’s important to not add glass tile to the floor, but ceramic can be used for the floor and the countertops.

    If it is being added to the backsplash, then glass tile would be a good option.

  4. Consider Your Family’s Lifestyle

    The lifestyle of the family is also a determining factor in selecting the tile. If the family is a highly active family, then tile that is durable should be chosen.

    Each type of tile will function differently. For instance, ceramic tile is often used on countertops because of its resiliency against heat from a cookware item. Also, ceramic tile on a countertop will be easier to clean than other types of tile. However, if the family is highly active, ceramic may not work well on the floors. Since ceramic can easily break, it should not be used on the floor of a highly active family.

  5. Options for the Backsplash

    Most people have difficultly choosing tile for the backsplash, but because of the location of the backsplash, almost any type of tile will work well.

    Because the backsplash is not in the direct path of heavy traffic, it is not susceptible to wear as the floors or countertops.

    However, since it may be behind the stove, it is important that it is heat resistant. Therefore, the tile that is chosen should be a type of tile that will bring a decorative flair to the kitchen.

Finally, Grout Considerations

How wide are your grout lines? Generally, 1/8” or less takes unsanded grout, wider than that takes sanded grout. The color is a matter of personal preference.

Remember to apply at least two coats of a high-quality grout sealer. Grout is somewhat porous by nature and if too much moisture soaks through there is a possibility of the tiles popping.

Follow these 5 strategies to selecting the right tile for your kitchen and be sure to research the options available; this way it will be easy to get the perfect tile. Do you have any tips? Share with our readers in the comment section below!

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Photo of Kelly R. Smith and Frankie, Southern Black Mouth CurKelly R. Smith was a commercial carpenter for 20 years before returning to night school at the University of Houston where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. After working at NASA for a few years, he went on to develop software for the transportation and financial and energy trading industries. He has been writing, in one capacity or another, since he could hold a pencil. As a freelance writer now, he specializes in producing articles and blog content for a variety of clients. His personal blog is at I Can Fix Up My Home Blog where he muses on many different topics.

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