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Room Size
If your room is small, select a lighter color to make the room appear larger. Rich, darker tones will absorb available light and create a warmer, more intimate environment in a large room. A narrow-width board or small pattern will work well in small rooms where the pattern is visually interrupted by an island or other furniture. However, a larger pattern can actually expand a room visually.
Existing Furniture & Cabinets
Be sure to choose a color to either coordinate or contrast with your current furnishings and cabinetry. To coordinate with a resilient floor, make sure your tones work well together. For wood and laminate, if your cabinets are brown-toned, stay with a brown tone rather than flooring with red or gray tones. For contrast, white or almond cabinets look great with virtually any floor. Painted cabinets can often pick up an accent color in a floor pattern.
Color
Darker wood tones usually have a more formal or traditional looked, while lighter floors lend themselves to more casual styles. Resilient floors are available in an array of the latest color trends for home design. Choose one of these colors to add interest and design excitement to your room. You might want to select a color family that coordinates with your countertop, wallpaper, or even dinnerware that you will use in the room.
What is Ceramic Tile?
Ceramic tile is made of clay and shale that has been baked and hardened in a kiln. The traditional baking, or firing method, is a double-fired process called bicottura. A more modern process called monocottura bakes and glazes the tile in a single firing. The single-step process has many advantages, including producing a tile that is more economical tile, more dense and durable, and has a harder glaze. Prior to the firing process, natural clay colors are sometimes augmented with pigments.
Types
The clay composition, in combination with the firing process, and whether the tile is glazed or unglazed, creates one of four basic tile types:
Glazed Tile
Ceramic tile with a fused facial finish composed of ceramic materials. The glaze is essentially a liquid form of colored glass that provides color and texture that can be manipulated to produce the desired design and finish. Ceramic tile glaze also provides a protective function preventing staining.
Unglazed Tile
Ceramic tile (quarry tile, porcelain or terracotta) with no surface glaze. Creates one of four basic tile types:
Keep in mind:
Glazed Tiles
- Have a surface that provides color, design and ease of maintenance.
- The higher the firing temperature, the harder the glaze.
- Light-colored glazes tend to be stronger than dark ones.
- Shiny glazes tend to be softer than matte or satin finishes.
- Offer a greater range of colors.
- Are more resistant to stains.
Unglazed Tiles
- Have a color produced from the tile's composition and/or added pigments.
- Tend to stand up better to wear.
- Their natural surface makes them more slip-retardant.
What is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring has a layered construction:
- Wear layer: This easy-to-clean surface contains aluminum oxide which protects the floor from stains, fading and wear.
- Image design layer: A photographic image of wood, stone, or virtually anything you can imagine.
- Inner core layer: The core provides the floor’s structural strength and stability. It is made from high-density fiberboard.
The core is often impregnated with a plastic resin called melamine to increase the floor's strength, stability and resistance to moisture.
- Backing layer: Found beneath the inner core, the backing is made with resin saturated paper. It creates a moisture barrier that protects the floor from warping.
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