Grout Medic Denver Blog

Pros and Cons to Heated Flooring

By Grout Medic | 11-29-2017

With the season getting colder it means that you’ve probably turned on your heat. Your home might be nice and cozy however your tile floor is probably cold every time that you step foot on it. You might be considering getting heated tile floors in your home. They are commonly considered in bathrooms because of the size of it. There are always pro and cons when you’re considering a home project. Your leading experts in grout and tile want to share with you what those are when it comes to both radiant heating and hydronic heating.

The Difference

Both are good however one may suit your home better than the other. Radiant heating for tile floors is where there are coils running underneath the tile itself and is powered by an electrical current. Whereas hydronic heating includes tubes that are running underneath the tile as well. These tubes carry a fluid in them, most time water. To have a hydronic heating system you must have a boiler. The boiler heats the water and sends it through the tubes. This then gives off heat that transfers through the tile for your feet to feel.

Pros

There are many pros to having heated tile floors, the biggest one being that when you walk on it you and your feet like it because it’s warm. This means that you can keep the house a bit colder in the home during the winter months without having to have cold floors. In addition to these, if you ever decide to sell your home it is a key selling point because of it being a luxury. Many potential buyers will enjoy this added feature to your home. Not to mention that as time goes on it can increase the overall resale vale of your home.

Cons

One of the biggest cons is the amount of money that it costs. There is an average cost of $600 for the system not including the labor. The initial output for it may be a deterrent to most people. The other down fall to having heated tile floors is that maintenance work to them is very hard. When cracked grout lines occur or a cracked tile happens the replacement of such is very tricky. If a coil or line is cut accidentally in the process of removing the grout or tile the whole floor will lose its power. There are repair kits, but it doesn’t make it work like new again unfortunately.

Heated tile floors are a luxury. They are wonderful with every step that you take on them. With a beautifully warm surface that makes it nice to just stand on if you want. There are certainly draw backs to them though. One of the biggest being that maintenance work is very hard to perform. The Grout Medic knows everything you need to know about tile and grout. We make it look brand new again just by cleaning and sealing. We also do repair work for cracked and broken tiles. Call us today! We give free home estimates.

A Sparkling Bathroom Is Just A Pair Of Marigolds Away

| 11-6-2017

No one enjoys cleaning their bathroom but it is a weekly chore we must endure and knowing a few helpful tips might just speed up the process.
You can hide a dirty kitchen or a messy bedroom from a surprise guest but a grimy bathroom is a whole other story. Everything your guest needs to know about you is hidden under the toilet rim, around the bath plug and moulding between the tiles, from whether you're a messy or clean person to how good your personal hygiene is and they will judge accordingly. Unfortunately the bathroom is also the place where grime is mostly likely to build up due to the damp and humid conditions where mould tends to thrive so although your bathroom is always getting wet that doesn't mean it is self cleaning, that's up to you.

Pick the right material

Thankfully there are ways you can keep on top of the time consuming chore that is cleaning your bathroom and the easiest way is to choose materials that are easy to clean such as porcelain, marble, plastic or tile surfaces which are stain resistant. These materials need little more than a two sided scrubbing brush and some soapy water whilst more persistent stains can be removed with baking soda. Try to get into the habit of rinsing your bath tub out with soapy water every time you have a bath or shower to avoid marks left by bubble bath or general dirt creating a rather unsightly rim that could prove hard to remove if left for a while.
White vinegar mixed with water can also be used on shower doors, shower heads and mirrors to get rid of greasy smudges and build up whilst coating your tiles with furniture polish can prevent soap scum and water spots. If you have a material shower curtain you can hook the old curtain behind the new one on the same rings and remember to spray with a disinfectant every now and again to prevent mildew.

Finishing touches

Don't forget to clean the window sills, cupboards and drawers and wipe down any toilet roll holders or blinds which easily create dust. Some people prefer to lay down wooden floorboards or tiles on the floor rather than carpet as it is easier to clean stains from and takes less time than scrubbing a carpet, waiting for it to dry and then hoovering up the dust and hairs.

Cleaning the bathroom is a task that needs to be done at least once a week so turn up the radio and try to get your fellow reluctant housemates or the whole family involved.

Julie Weston uses very basic cleaning products in her home, here she offers some cleaning tips for your bathroon, written for Millbrook Distribution and Spares Limited