Tile flooring has come a long way in the last few decades. We've gone from hideous shag carpeting or sheet vinyl flooring being the norm, to having a wide variety of beautiful flooring options. Floor tile is one of the most versatile of these options.

To choose floor tile for your home, first consider the type of tile you'd like to get. For a quick, do-it-yourself job, vinyl peel and stick tiles are a good option. As the name implies, you peel paper of the back of each individual vinyl tile and stick it down. Peel and stick tiles are also economical, but there are plenty of designs available that don't look cheap. You can get peel and stick tiles that look like other flooring surfaces, like wood or ceramic tile flooring. Peel and stick floor tile can even resemble a solid floor surface if put down carefully. They also hold up well, if you want something for a medium-to-long-term fix.

Another popular type of floor tile is carpet tile. This is basically sections of carpet that fit together like puzzle pieces on your floor. Once installed and vacuumed, the seams of carpet tile are invisible. Carpet tile is a good option if you're worried about possible staining. If a carpet tile gets stained, you can replace just that part, without the expense of redoing the whole room, or having to live with or try to hide a stain. Carpet tile is somewhat new, and a bit on the expensive side, but it is a very nice option. 

The most popular floor tile by far, however, is ceramic tile. Ceramic tile has been around for a long time, and most people are very familiar with it. It also allows you to customize the look of your floor with coordinating or contrasting grout colors between the tiles. Ceramic tile is a great choice for bathroom tile floors, although it does have a tendency to get cold. You can solve this problem by adding attractive bath mats or rugs on the floor. Or, if you'd like to heat the entire floor, you can have a radiant heating system installed before the tile goes down. These systems use heated water pumped through a grid of pipes to keep the floor at a comfortable temperature for bare feet. Ceramic tile may also be used in the kitchen, but you really have to be careful. Ceramic tile can crack if a glass is dropped on it, and it certainly will crack if something heavy like a pot or pan is dropped on it. 

No matter what type of floor tile you choose, there are a few things you should know. With the exception of peel and stick vinyl, most tiling jobs are best left to the professionals. If you do choose to install your tile yourself, always begin in the middle of the room with full tiles. Any cut tiles should always be against the wall where they aren't as obvious. You should also try to plan the layout so that the cut tiles on each side of the room are roughly the same width, for a balanced look. When purchasing floor tiles, you should always purchase at least 10% more than you need, to account for these cuts, as well as a dozen or so extra tiles to keep on hand in case of repairs. For carpet tiles, you could probably just purchase 6 or so extra, due to their expense. Make sure all boxes of tile that you purchase have the same lot or run number, to ensure your flooring will be a consistent color throughout.

Any type of floor tile can add value and beauty to your home, especially if it is installed well. Always check out your installer with the BBB for your peace of mind, before allowing any work to begin in your home. Follow this advice, and you will enjoy your new floor for years to come.