Floor tiles are an affordable and popular type of floor covering. These are also much easier to fit than most other types of flooring. Because these are small tiles it's much easier to design and create patterns with them.
Creating patterns with floor tiles is actually much easier than you might imagine, with the right tools and accessories you shouldn't have a problem creating some snazzy designs.
Designing Your Pattern
Before you can create beautiful patterns using floor tiles you will first need to design your own pattern. If you're artistic then this might be something that you can do yourself, however if you're artistically challenged then you can draw inspiration from the Internet or in books.
When designing your pattern it's worth bearing a few things in mind. Firstly you don't actually have to use these tiles whole. It is possible to cut parts of the tiles out and use them to create unique designs. If you do decide to cut the tiles then this will be more difficult and you will need a lot more time to make this a reality.
Design Help
If you are having trouble imagining how a certain design will look then you can take a photo of it and use your computer to superimpose the design on top. A slightly lower-tech version would be a piece of paper and a pencil.
Materials
There are many different types of floor tiles, including ceramic tiles, carpet tiles and mosaics. Each of these types of floor tiles need different tools and equipment to work with. Carpet floor tiles are very easy to work with as you only need a craft knife to cut the tiles. Ceramic tiles are much more durable but much harder to cut.
When working with ceramic tiles you will have trouble creating very intricate patterns, and you won't generally be able to cut complex shapes out of the tiles.
Sample Tiles
Once you have chosen your basic pattern you should get some sample tiles in the colors you want to use. Lay these out on the floor and check that they work well together and also suit the rest of your decor. You may need to make some changes to the initial design if you encounter any problems.
When the design is finalised you should then purchase all of the floor tiles needed to complete the project. Try and buy the same batch number for all the tiles, this will mean that the colors should match perfectly. If working with ceramic tiles then it's likely you will break a few of these trying to cut them. Buy a few extra boxes just in case.
Checking the Design
Before you start cutting all of the tiles it's a good idea to check that the design will still work. Ensure that you have the right number of tiles and that the design will definitely work.
Cutting Tiles
Cut and fix the tiles to the floor by following the directions. The method of cutting the tiles will depend mainly on the type of tiles you are using. Cutting requires patience, especially if you are using ceramic tiles. Grouting the tiles may also be necessary depending on the type of tiles you are using.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
