Seattle Ceramic Tile

In Seattle, ceramic tile is almost as common as an overcast sky. Certainly, there are places where ceramic tile isn't the best choice, but between your kitchen and bathroom floor, shower stall, entryways, counters, and possibly a backsplash or two, few homes would be complete without some form of ceramic tile. More importantly, ceramic tile is crucial to home remodeling on a budget.

Understanding Ceramic Tile in Seattle, WA
Everybody has heard of ceramic tile, but not everybody knows exactly what it is or what types of ceramic tile are available. Simply put, ceramic tile is man-made tile fashioned from clay. Porcelain tile, its industry cousin, is a particularly strong form of clay tile. The other popular form of tile is stone tile, but even this distinction is far from clear cut. Slate tile, for example, is clay that has been folded and compressed by Mother Nature into a stone.

The ceramic tile versus stone tile debate is one that really resides on your particular situation and budget. Stone tile tends to be more expensive than ceramic, although stone tends to be stronger and less likely to crack or chip. Porcelain tile can be one answer to this common question. It's generally stronger, and some porcelain tile products have color that goes all the way through the tile, making any chipping less visible. Depending on the quality and the manufacturer, porcelain tile can also be as cheap as ceramic or as expensive as stone. Choosing the right tile is notoriously difficult and can alone justify finding an experienced Seattle tile contractor.

Seattle Ceramic Floor Tile
Though you can install ceramic tile anywhere, including outdoors where you may not even need high-density ceramic due to mild winters, the most common place is still flooring. In Seattle, ceramic floor tile is one of the most common floors in bathrooms and kitchens. The reason is simple: It's a high-end looking floor for a reasonable price. In living rooms and bedrooms, you want something with a cozier feel such as carpet or hardwood, but for high traffic areas that see more than their share of use and abuse, ceramic floor tile has the beauty and durability you need.

Cost of Seattle Ceramic Tile Installation
Interestingly, although stone tile tends to be more expensive than ceramic, the average cost difference is negligible: $1,860 for ceramic/porcelain, $1,945 for stone. Part of this mystery may be explained by the fact that stone tile is more common in smaller areas, ceramic for larger floors. Plus, many homeowners may justify a stone tile by choosing a cheaper line of stone tile, or alternately, choose a higher-end porcelain tile. By way of showing you the range of costs from high-end Seattle porcelain tile to the bargain basement ceramic tile, recent Seattle ceramic/porcelain installation projects have cost as little as $800 or as much as $4,000.

Seattle Ceramic Tile Contractors
Perhaps the best advice we can give you is to utilize all of your available resources. Too many Seattle homeowners believe home improvement chains will deliver the lowest price tile installation. This may, in fact, be the case, but often the opposite is true. Chain stores do receive significant discounts on their ceramic tile stock, but usually professional tile installers receive the same discounts. Moreover, chain stores are known for overcharging on installation. Unless you plan on dealing with the tedious, messy, and time-consuming prospect of laying the tile yourself, you would do well to use ServiceMagic's online service to compare local contractors with these chain store prices. Plus, local Seattle tile contractors are known for their personalized advice and going above-and-beyond to ensure your satisfaction with the finished project.