How to clean grout between wall and floor tiles

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Susan

Grout Cleaning

Over time, you will find that the tile grout joints between your wall tiles and floor tiles may start to discolour and you want clean grout joints.

Removing mould stains from wall tile grout

Bathrooms tend to experience damp and humid conditions on a regular basis, which aid the growth of mould and mildew on the grout in between the wall tiles. Popular branded wall grouts include a fungicide as standard, but eventually dark patches of mould will develop, unfortunately, this is inevitable. So, what can you do to remove it and have clean grout?

Try using a specialist mould and mildew cleaning product, such as HG Mould Spray. It immediately destroys any fungus and related grey and black spots through its bleaching action. You can clean grout between tiled walls including marble, but if in doubt, first test it out in a discrete place.

HG Hagesan Mould Spray

Choose the Stream or Spray setting and spray the surface from 3-5cm distance.
Leave it to work for 30 minutes.
For stubborn stains, spray again and leave for another 30 minutes.
Clean the area with sponge and water.
Elastic grouting such as silicone paste must be washed off after 30 minutes and treated again.
The grout discolouration maybe caused by limescale, in which case use HG Hagesan Blue.

Clean grout stains

In most instances, unless protected, a floor grout will tend to go grey – this is why most tilers recommend you have grey grout in the first place. You only need to look at the floor grouting in public restrooms, bars and restaurants to see how it darkens. The build up of dirt, cleaning product residue will take its toll on your grout.

For clean grout, use a specialist grout cleaner, such as HG Grout Cleaner – it is a specially formulated buffered, synthetic cleaner to clean all grout joints particularly between glazed wall tiles and floor tiles. It is also safe to use on coloured grout too, but not high gloss painted grout joints. Do not use on lime-containing tiles such as marble or other natural stone tiles.

HG Hagesan Grout Cleaner

Dilute the cleaner 1:4 in lukewarm water.
Apply the solution with a brush or scrubbing sponge.
Leave to work for approximately 10 minutes then scrub with the applicator.
Clean with lukewarm water to remove the dirt (you will need to clean the applicator repeatedly in clean water).
Leave to dry.
If necessary, repeat the application for clean grout.

Protecting grout to keep it clean

Now that you’ve done all the hard work to get your grout looking clean and fabulous, you don’t want the effort to be wasted. So now is the time to protect the grout. HG Super Protector for wall and floor grout is ideal. It adheres to the cement joint and provides a transparent protection against the penetration of (food) oil, fat and moisture. Plus black mould is prevented from developing as the joints can no longer absorb liquids. The grout protector is especially recommended for use on light coloured floor grouts such as white, cream and limestone to maintain clean grout lines.

HG Hagesan Super Protector

Ensure all joints are clean and leave to dry for 24 hours prior to using.
Apply to floor grout joints using the pipette provided (the 250ml bottle will cover approximately 30-40 sqm with a 30x30cm tile and 0.5cm tile joint). Uses 1-2ml liquid per running metre of the joint.
Apply to wall joints with a brush (preferably a similar width to the grout joint). Leave to dry for 1 hour then apply a second layer. Remove any surplus with a clean cloth.
Discolouration is possible if the instructions are not followed and too much product is used.

Recolouring grout joints between glazed wall tiles

If you haven’t been able to get the grout looking as clean as you would like, then you can recolour the wall grout using HG Grout Colour.

HG Hagesan Grout Colour White

Roughen up very smooth grout joints to provide a key.
Do not apply on silicone grout or grout joints previously treated with a water repellent product such as the super protector.
Fully hardened after 3 weeks.

If you are unable to restore your grout as desired then as a last resort you can remove the grout using either a grout rake or grout remover.

Run the grout tool up and down the joints to take it out, taking care not to scratch the tiles.
Once removed, brush the area to remove any dirt or dust.
Re-apply a new grout according to the manufacturers instructions.

Potentially a laborious and time consuming job, but perhaps less costly than a complete re-tiling job.

Contact Creative Tiles and Laminates for further help or assistance in how to clean grout lines and keep them looking pristine between your wall or floor tile joints. Check out the bathroom cleaners and tile grout cleaners.

Do I need to use insulation with Underfloor Heating?

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Susan

If you want to save on energy costs then the installation of insulation boards with electric underfloor heating systems is highly recommended. In all cases, warmup times are reduced which lead to lower running costs.

Save on Underfloor Heating Energy Costs

The insulation increases the efficiency of the underfloor or undertile heating system used.
It will take less electricity to maintain your floor temperature setting.
Less energy is also wasted through the concrete or floor void.
If you are fitting undertile heating to an un-insulated floor then the use of insulation boards is especially important.

Using insulation boards with an electric underfloor system is not a cheap option. You may need to budget about 50% of the cost of the cable mat heating system. However, with constantly rising fuel bills you will soon start to reap the benefits. If you read the Sunday Telegraph column by Jeff Howell, you will know that installing insulation is extremely beneficial, as long as it is fitted correctly.

Buy good quality insulation boards

Insulation boards can be called by different names depending upon the manufacturer, e.g. tile backer boards or marmox boards. Brands include Varme, Heatmat, Marmox and Wedi and boards come in a variety of thicknesses. However, not all boards are the same, so check the type you are going to use. Ensure your boards are coated, with some uncoated foam boards the tile adhesive may separate from the foam which could result in the floor lifting.

Varme tile backer boards are made of waterproof extruded polystyrene and are available in 6mm, 10mm, 20mm, 30mm, 40mm, 50mm and 60mm thickness. They have a fiberglass mesh embedded onto each face into a cement polymer coating which provide exceptional compressive strength and rigidity. It also means they are suitable for use in a wetroom installation.

: Varme Tile Backer Board

Deciding on the insulation board thickness

The board thickness you decide to use may depend on:

height restrictions
you need to bring the floor height up by a certain depth.
you may want to use the maximum amount of insulation board possible.

Generally, a 10mm board is installed as standard.

How to install your insulation boards

You need to ensure the boards are fixed securely before fitting your underfloor heating and floor tiles.
On a concrete floor, the boards should be adhered with the use of a rapid tile adhesive such as 20kg Ultra Rapid PB.
For wooden floorboards, chipboard or plywood fix the boards with both rapid tile adhesive and galvanised screws at regular intervals.

For more information or to purchase tile insulation boards visit the insulation section of the Creative Tiles and Laminates website. Or if you require help in deciding which board to choose or need further advice, please call on 01922 610015.

Posted in Floor Tiles, Underfloor Heating | Tagged insulation board, insulation boards, tile backer boards, tile insulation, underfloor heating, underfloor insulation, undertile heating | Leave a comment

New Carpets and Vinyls Showroom

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Susan

Creative Tiles and Laminates have emphasised the Creative in a big way with the opening of a new Carpet Shop, to complement their existing home refurbishment ranges with a wide variety of carpets and vinyls .

A shop within a shop gives you an idea of what to expect when you step into the showroom. Amongst the well laid out displays of laminate wood flooring, ceramic and porcelain tiles, natural stone tiles and complementary accessories is an additional 1000 square foot carpet showroom. The expansion was made possible by extending into an inefficient storage area without requiring the need to extend the existing building or open a carpet shop in new premises.

So, what do you get with the new carpets showroom? The carpets and vinyls sit alongside the existing ranges at Creative Tiles and Laminates and you certainly get lots of advantages not available elsewhere. For a start, the exceptional service and customer oriented approach always offered is automatically extended to carpet browsing customers. But the big plus is that when you have chosen your laminate flooring for the living room and need to complete the re-decorating with hallstairs & landing carpets, you won’t have to jump in the car and traipse around a bunch of shops to find it. When the bedroom carpet is chosen and you need a complementary porcelain floor tile for the en-suite, you no longer need to take swatches around town for the next few hours. Kitchen tiles, natural varnished oak hall flooring and luxurious lounge carpets - ALL IN ONE PLACE.

Once chosen, another time consuming task can also be taken out of your hands with the Creative Tiles & Laminates in-house fitting service. The worry of whoyou can trust to fit this correctly is irrelevant. Creative Tiles install all of the products they sell with the same exceptional level of service that has been prevalent since the company opened in 2003. All fitting services come with a free 12 month guarantee to ensure you are completely happy with the installation - you won’t have to spend hours trawling search engines, telephone directories or asking everyone you know who is the best person for the fitting job.

The new ranges include everything you would expect from a high street retailer including wiltons, saxony/shag pile, twists, berber and cord carpets. Each range has different styles and grades within it, to ensure the carpet will match the customers needs. Matching accessories are available with an extensive variety of underlays, door bars and even barrier matting for the doorwell.

Creativity really comes to the fore with cushioned vinyls, as every conceivable pattern is covered from tile effects to wooden planks, mosaics, stone effects, parquet flooring, commercial kitchen style – the list is endless. There are even ‘plain‘ colours for that non-pattern effect or if you like simple contemporary to give your floor that modern edge.

A visit to the new Carpet Showroom at Creative Tiles & Laminates enables you not only to expand your DIY creativity but also saves you time, gives you peace of mind with fantastic products and exceptional service all under one roof. Call it a One Stop Shop or Everything in One Place or even a Shop within a Shop, but whatever you call it, the simple fact is Creative Tiles and Laminates now have it ALL including Carpets, they truly do Quote Deliver and Fit. For shop details, location and hours, visit Creative Tiles and Laminates.

Posted in Carpets | Tagged bathroom flooring, bathroom vinyl, bedroom carpet, carpet, carpet shop, carpets, flooring, hallway carpet, lounge carpet, luxury carpet, vinyl, vinyl flooring | Leave a comment

Blue Floor Tiles – Back on Trend?

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Susan

It seems that you are not alone if you are fed up with only finding cream and beige floor tiles offered by your local tile shop. We have noticed a peak in interest for our blue floor tiles, so can it be that times they are a changing?

Blue Floor Tiles – Suggestions

Creative Tiles and Laminates popular blue floor tiles are: Blue Slate with a textured finish and blue-grey colour and Galileo Blue a smoother finish tile with slight veining and an indigo blue hue. Both these porcelain blue floor tiles are suitable for use on a bathroom or kitchen floor, utility or such like.

Blue Slate Floor Tiles

Galileo Blue Floor Tile

Over the years, fashions have changed in both wall & floor tiles for a bathroom, not only in the size of tiles used but also the colours and finishes. In Europe today, customers still demand coloured tiles – in blue, green, red, purple & orange, whereas UK customers turned their backs on colours years ago and look to a neutral or natural coloured tile scheme for inspiration. The benefit of which allows you to change the accent colour on a whim using different accessories; towels, soaps, candles, flower arrangements, blinds, glassware & plant pots etc. These we can change easily when we get fed up, tiles are another matter completely.

So, if blue floor tiles are seeing a resurgence…can it be that we will once again start using brightly coloured tiles once again in our bathrooms? I think perhaps it is the floors where this is most likely to happen. For one thing, this tends to be the smallest area in the bathroom plus floor tiles are easier to swap out if you fall out of favour with them or just fancy a change.

We might also see manufacturers increasing the colours used on tile decors, adding a bit of interest here and there but without being too dominant. Hopefully, I think the sanitaryware for now will remain white and the return of the olive, blue and pink suites are still some way off. But then again, what do I know?

Check out the full range of floor tiles online at Creative Tiles and Laminates or instore.

Posted in Bathroom Tiles, Floor Tiles, Kitchen Tiles, Tiles | Tagged bathroom floor tiles, bathroom tiles, floor tiles, glazed floor tiles, kitchen floor tiles, tiles | 2 Comments

Top Kitchen Tiles for a Backsplash – Be Daring

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Susan

Choosing Kitchen Tiles

Kitchen tiles for a backsplash – choosing the right colour can be an absolute nightmare, do you play it safe or be daring?

You’ve decided on the type of kitchen units you want to have plus the co-ordinated worktop, be it granite, corian, quartz, solid wood or laminate and now it’s time to choose your choice of top kitchen wall tiles. What on earth should you pick?

Colour shading for wall tiles

The choice of colour for kitchen tiles will tend to fall into either one of two categories – neutrals or whites.

Neutral shading will introduce creams, browns, beiges, terracotta, pale greens, salmon pinks and similar shades of tiles. These kitchen tile colours are perfectly suited to wood kitchens such as ash, beech, maple, walnut and oak. A popular choice is the Mediterraneo range of kitchen tiles which although ceramic have a travertine effect, with each tile different in design to create the perfect natural stone look. You can either stick to one design which will highlight the light and dark shades within that one colourway or mix the various colours together.

Mediterraneo Range of Kitchen Tiles

For white shading, this starts with the monochrome palette but it can be supplemented by bright colours, ie. white, grey and black plus blues, greens and reds. These colours work well with white kitchens in either a matt or gloss finish. So if you are looking to be daring and make a statement in your new kitchen, check out the Mexicana range of kitchen tiles which are available in a rich blue, red, pearlised white, mid grey, dark grey and black variety.

Mexicana Range of Kitchen Tiles

Kitchen tiles are available in a variety of different formats. What do you need to consider?

Square or rectangular kitchen tiles?

Lately, kitchen tiles have moved away from traditional 6″ square ones (15cm x 15cm) to smaller 4″ tiles (10cm x 10cm), although a few designs are still available in 6″ such as Breda Blanco or the Cuarzo range. There has also been a recent trend towards towards rectangular tiles for a kitchen, either matt or gloss and with either a flat or bevelled finish. Will you be fitting square or rectangular floor tiles – should they be the same shape? Choosing a brick shape tile tends to be a personal choice – you either love them or hate them.

Shiny gloss or matt kitchen tiles?

There is no difference in the ease of cleaning a shiny or matt tile, they will both clean the same, so don’t let this be your deciding factor. A shiny gloss kitchen tile will reflect the light which might be a consideration in a galley style kitchen or one with little natural light. Are all the other surfaces in your kitchen gloss, ie. the worktop, units and floor tiles – don’t forget to consider this.

Hopefully this has given you a few kitchen tile ideas and things to consider when deciding on your choice of wall tiles, you can also check out the full range of kitchen tiles at Creative Tiles and Laminates.

Posted in Kitchen Tiles, Tiles, Wall Tiles | Tagged ceramic kitchen tiles, kitchen tile designs, kitchen tile ideas, kitchen tiles, kitchen wall tiles, kitchen wall tiles design ideas, wall tiles | Leave a comment

3 New Cream Floor Tiles by Pamesa

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Susan

Spanish Tile Manufacturer Pamesa have an extensive range of both wall and floor tiles from which to choose, in fact it is hard to decide which new floor tiles to add to the current Creative Tiles and Laminates range.

However, after much debate and looking at tile samples, the design team have for the moment picked an additional 3 new cream floor tiles from Pamesa. Suitable for both kitchen and bathrooms, these ceramic floor tiles will also be included in the Conservatory Range of floor tiles.

Tirol Crema Floor Tiles 45x45cm

Tirol Marfil Floor Tiles 45x45cm

Both Tirol Marfil and Tirol Crema are a 45 x 45 cm ceramic tile with red body. The Tirol design chosen are either ivory cream or beige in colour with a very slight, bumpy texture, which many customers prefer. The cream tonal floor tiles have a matt finish with faint mottling to create interest to your tiled flooring whether chosen for your bathroom or kitchen floor.

Pireo Marfil Floor Tiles 45x45cm

As a contrast, Piero Marfil is a smaller floor tile with a high gloss finish sized 31.6 x 31.6 cm. With a light marble effect design, this cream tile is suitable for all floors around the home but could also be used as a wall tile to provide a luxurious floor to ceiling marble effect bathroom design.

When laying floor tiles, a tiler generally uses grey grout as standard, but as these tiles are fairly light in colour, you may prefer to use a complementary limestone grout. But don’t forget to protect your grout using HG Hagesan Super Protector to prevent it from discolouring over time.

Check out other cream bathroom floor tiles or cream kitchen floor tiles in the Creative Tiles and Laminates Online Shop.

Posted in Bathroom Tiles, Floor Tiles, Kitchen Tiles, Tiles | Tagged bathroom floor tiles, bathroom tiles, bathroom wall tiles, ceramic kitchen tiles, conservatory tiles, floor tiles, glazed floor tiles, glazed tiles, kitchen floor tiles, kitchen tiles | Leave a comment

Wood Effect Floor Tiles – New Addition to Maderas Range

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Susan

Maderas Tilo Wood Effect Floor Tiles

The popular Maderas range of wood effect floor tiles by Azulejos Borja have been supplemented with a new design called Maderas Tilo.

These ceramic floor tiles measuring 16cm x 45cm have the resemblance of rich dark oak flooring. An excellent uptodate modern style which is a great deal harder wearing than real wood flooring and offering great value.

Lay these rectangular wood floor tiles in a grid style for a contemporary design or add movement to your flooring by using a herringbone or staggered effect – ask your tiler to advise.

Perfect ceramic wood tiles for your hallway, kitchen or conservatory floor.

Check out this wood design floor tile along with others in the Maderas range in our online store. Creative Tiles and Laminates the number one choice for wood effect floor tiles.

Posted in Floor Tiles, Kitchen Tiles, Tiles | Tagged ceramic tiles, floor tiles, hallway tiles, kitchen floor tiles, kitchen tiles, wood effect ceramic tiles, wood effect floor tiles, wood effect tiles, wood tiles | Leave a comment

Creative Tiles Online Shop Video Released

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Susan

Take a look at the new video displaying the Creative Tiles and Laminates showroom along with examples of tiling and laminate fitting carried out by the in-house team of tilers and fitters. The

We carry a large stock of wall tiles and floor tiles suitable for bathrooms, kitchens, conservatories and anywhere else around the home and are also able to supply or supply and fit the full range of Quick-step laminate flooring. And if it’s electric underfloor heating you are after, then look no further – as specialists in the field, fitting undertile heating on a daily basis, we should be able to answer any of your technical questions.

If you like what you see, then why not call into our tile shop in Walsall – click here for a map or buy tiles online at the Creative Tiles website.

Posted in Bathroom Tiles, Floor Tiles, Kitchen Tiles, Laminate Flooring, Tiles, Underfloor Heating, Wall Tiles | Tagged bathroom tiles, creative tiles, creative tiles and laminates, floor tiles, kitchen tiles, laminate flooring, Quick-step, tile fitting, tile retailer, tile shop, tile stockist, tiler, underfloor heating, wall tiles | Leave a comment

Top 10 reasons to choose Wood Effect Tiles

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Susan

Deciding on the right choice of flooring for your home can be a nightmare, so many things to consider and materials to think about.

What is the purpose of the room? Which colour would suit it best? What is your budget? Should you choose carpet, linoleum, ceramic or porcelain tiles, natural stone, thermoplastic, laminate or real wood flooring?

Tabla Arce Floor Tiles 21x63cm

If you do decide you want a wood look to your floor then you could also consider the use of wood effect tiles. Here are 10 advantages of choosing floor tiles with a wood look:

Floor tiles in either ceramic or porcelain are harder wearing than wooden flooring.
They will not fade or darken in the sun unlike real wood flooring.
Wood effect floor tiles do not scratch or mark.
They can be laid in a variety of styles such as herringbone, brick-bond or a grid layout, as wooden floor effect ceramic tiles tend to be rectangular in shape.

Maderas Cerezo Floor Tiles 16x45cm

Porcelain or ceramic tiles are easy to clean and maintain.
There are a wide variety of styles to choose from light to dark brown wood shades including oak, pine, zebrano, wenge, limed oak, mahogany.
Floor tiles are waterproof and will not warp if you have a flood, so perfect for use in rooms such as a kitchen or utility.
The benefits of an underfloor heating system are enhanced when combined with a tiled floor.
Tiles are beneficial in a hallway or conservatory as they act as a natural barrier from the rest of the house, against grime, dirt and grit carried in from outside.

Maderas Roble Floor Tiles 16x45cm

If you are unlucky enough to experience a damaged tile, it is easy to replace a broken or chipped tile than to carry out repairs on all other types of flooring.

Creative Tiles and Laminates carry a large range of porcelain and ceramic wood effect floor tiles in a variety of shades, sizes and prices; click here to view the wood effect tiles range.

Maderas Haya Floor Tiles 16x45cm

Dakota Brown Floor Tiles 44.7x44.7cm

Leno Wenge Floor Tiles 21x63cm

Posted in Floor Tiles, Kitchen Tiles, Tiles | Tagged ceramic kitchen tiles, ceramic tiles, choosing tiles, conservatory tiles, floor tiles, hallway tiles, kitchen tiles, porcelain tiles, utility tiles, wood effect ceramic tiles, wood effect floor tiles, wood effect tiles, wooden floor effect tiles | Leave a comment

Wall Tiles for your Kitchen – Liso Kitchen Tiles new range

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Susan

A new range of Kitchen Tiles is now available from the Creative Tiles and Laminates online shop. The extensive Liso range of tiles for your kitchen wall includes 7 different colours and 3 different sizes in brick or square shape. Choose from:
- large rectangular (brick) tile 10cm x 30cm
- smaller rectangle (brick) tile 7.5 x 15cm
- standard square tile 10 x 10cm

This modern wall kitchen tiles range includes: a standard white (Liso Blanco), mid grey (Liso Perla) and black wall tile designs (Liso Nero); plus tiles incorporating a cream palette: a muted cream (Liso Beige), biscuit beige (Liso Plata), mocha brown (Liso Ceniza) and chocolate brown (Liso Marengo). (Please note Liso Ceniza is only available in 10x30cm and Liso Plata in 7.5x15cm and 10x10cm).

Liso Blanco Kitchen Wall Tiles

Liso Perla Kitchen Wall Tiles

Liso Nero Kitchen Wall Tiles Small

Liso Beige Kitchen Wall Tiles Small

Liso Plata Kitchen Wall Tiles Medium

Liso Ceniza Kitchen Wall Tiles

Liso Marengo Kitchen Wall Tiles Medium

These ceramic kitchen tiles are very modern, contemporary and stylish in design and have a flat matt finish with straight edges – an ultra chic tile design. They would be a perfect addition to your new kitchen design as a splashback or for a general makeover.

Below are several kitchen tiles ideas using a varied mixture of colours from the Liso kitchen tile range. Hopefully, these designs will provide you with inspiration on how to create your own beautiful kitchen display.