Tiles are available in an ever increasing range of designs. Which should you choose?
Ceramic tiles
Ceramic tiles are the most popular for bathrooms and laundries and also good for floors in kitchens, entrances, dining rooms, lounges and bedrooms.

Ceramic tiles are energy savers. In winter, the sun heats the tiling and the concrete slab below, keeping the home warmer; in summer, if the surface is shaded, the tiles and slab remain cool.

Ceramic tiles come in traditional soft biscuit and glazed types; quarry and paving tiles; monocottura (single-fired) and bicottura (twice-fired) fully vitrified tiles (laid with adhesives not sand and cement); and in tessellated and period tiles for restorations.

If you choose imported tiles, buy enough for your needs, plus some extras, as the colour can vary from batch to batch.

Ceramic tiles expand a wee bit in the first few years and are laid with joints of 3-6mm filled with a flexible grout.

Terracotta tiles
Terracotta tiles are made of fired clay and can be used indoors or out. They are relatively soft and porous, so if used indoors, they'll need sealing.

Outside, they will absorb moisture and are best left uncoated - if coated, white salts become trapped under the sealer.

Paving tiles
Individulal tile size does vary. Some are quite thick and have prominent ribs on the back. They are laid on a thick bed of adhesive with a grout joint of 12mm or more. They are durable and usually withstand wind and weather very well.

Natural stone tiles
These include slate, marble and granite. They are durable, easy to care for and often polished, but best laid by professionals.

Slate
Slate tiles are rigid and need a solid base, although there are special adhesives for laying them on timber floors. Over time, slate can become loose and drummy (hollow-sounding in places). Unsealed slate isn't always easy to clean because its surface is irregular.

Sealing brings out its colours and helps repel moisture and stains, but you'll need to recoat regularly.

Marble
Marble tiles are used for entrances and bathrooms. Polished marble scratches and stains easily and loses its polish if acids, such as wine and vinegar, are spilt on it. This rules it out for kitchens and dining areas.

Granite
Granite is very hard, resists scratching and needs minimal grouting joints.

Vinyl and cork tiles
Resilient floor coverings such as vinyl and cork are softer underfoot than other tiles, just the thing for kitchens and family rooms.

Vinyl tiles are durable and easy to maintain if they're on a suitable underlay. If laid directly over floor boards, the imprint of the boards may show through and lead to cracking. The timber floor must be well ventilated and dry, as vinyl is moisture-resistant and can trap water underneath, damaging the timber over time. Concrete floors must cure for at least three months and be thoroughly dry before tiling.

Buy vinyl tiles from the same batch to avoid differences in colour.

Cork tiles come raw or polyurethane coated and are always laid on an underlay. Thickness varies from 3.2-6mm. Thin tiles are for light use only; thick tiles are for heavy traffic.

Pre-coated cork suits family rooms, dining areas and other non-wet spots. Raw tiles given a polyurethane finish (3-4 coats) will do duty in kitchens. But be careful, if the underfloor area is damp, the polyurethane finish will bubble rather than allow moisture through.

Cork floors can be damaged by sharp chair and table legs. Re-coat every 5-10 years.

Source: Tiling (Murdoch Books)