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When you go to the trouble of installing tile flooring, you expect it to last for some time, and you don’t want human or animal carelessness to ruin it. Tile adds a great look to any home, and it can be pricey to put in, especially if you have to pay someone to tackle this job for you. When showing a home for sale, dirty or defaced tiles decrease the appeal of any room.

That’s why you may want to institute a few ground rules at home so everyone will know what is expected with regards to the floor.

1. Remove or wipe shoes at the entrance to your home. Some people keep socks, slippers, or house shoes near the door so family members can remove outdoor shoes or boots and help protect the flooring. At the very least, they should expect to thoroughly wipe or scrape their footwear before proceeding into the house. Lay out a front door mat on the porch or stoop as the first line of defense. Then place another indoor mat on the floor just inside the entrance. After two wipes, the shoes should carry considerably less dirt into the house.

2. Keep pets elsewhere. If your dog or cat enjoys free run of the house, try to keep them off the tile as much as possible. Their nails can scratch the tile surface, depending on how hard it is, and if the pets go outside at all, they can track in mud, dirt, excrement, or dust that is hard to catch with a doormat. Many pets like to hang around the kitchen, which is where many people use floor tile, due to the warmth and food odors that entice them. Find ways to entertain your pets in other areas when they first enter the house to help minimize the amount of traffic on the tile flooring.

3. Keep potential stain-causing substances in check. Don’t let the kids paint, glue, or carve hobbies in rooms that have tile flooring. These substances can drip or spill onto the floor, sometimes leaving permanent stains. Set up an area where they can safely work under your watchful eye in another area that doesn’t have tile flooring. Or at least cover the floor with newspapers in the area where the kids will be working.

4. Be careful when cooking. Many people put down kitchen throw rugs to catch drips and spills from cooking or cleaning. If you do use throw rugs, put down those with a non-skid backing. If you don’t use rugs, use care when mixing, processing, or cooking foods to reduce the likelihood of an accident.

5. Insist that smokers use ashtrays. If someone in your home smokes tobacco products, or you have visitors that do, be sure to set out ashtrays or ask them to smoke in designated areas (like the front porch). This may help to minimize the risk of someone spilling cigarette ash on the floor, which could cause burn marks.

In general, ask family members to use caution when walking on the tile floors. While you don’t want to be hypersensitive, a little thoughtfulness on everyone’s part will go a long way to keep your tiled floor tidy and in good condition.

Choosing house paint may be just another errand for some while for others it is a terrifying experience.  The colour of a house can make it very welcoming while it can also make it equally uneasy.  Choosing the right colour will add luster to your home.  Below are some tips when choosing paint colour for the exterior of your home:

1. Balance the Roof – The colour of the roof is most times already established. You’ll want to choose paint colour that complement your roof or roof shingles.  The paint colour doesn’t have to match the roof colour but it should harmonize. Some ideas:

• Green roof – Gray, green, or white house colors
• Black roof – Gray, blue, or white house colors
• Brown roof – Brown, tan, yellow, or white house colors
• Gray roof – Gray, blue, green, black, or white house colors
• Red roof – Gray, black, or brown house colors

2. Look for things that won’t be painted – Choose a colour scheme that will complement objects with colours that are unlikely to be changed e.g colour of steps and wooden doors.

3. Tips from your neighbours – You can get ideas from the neighbour’s house, not necessarily to paint your house similar to it but by choosing different colours that will make your home look very different and stand out.

4. Make use of environment – Say, in areas like Giraudel, which is decorated with beautiful flowers, ideas can be developed from the natural environment. Colour ideas can also be inspired by looking at other present natural resources like the sea, sky, sun etc.

5. Use of different colours for different finishings – You may want to make your house look more interesting, by using more than one colour but not too many. The window sashes, brackets, columns etc could be painted in a different colour from your wall.

1. Paint to compensate for poor architectural details – On occasions where there is a lack in your architecture, use bold colours to create a pleasant diversion. White and beige tend to bring out architectural faults on surfaces.

7. Effects of light colours – Light colours tend to make things seem large while dark colours do the opposite. White or pale cream colours are also used to create a sense of class.

8. Dark colours – Dark colours don’t easily show stains and dust. It can also add a sense of drama, however much consideration and control must be applied when painting in dark colours since they are more likely to fade, and attract heat.

9. Use a colour wheel to choose paint – Know the rule that saying “opposite attracts”? Pairs can be found at opposite ends. When put together, they bring out the best in each other, making both colours look clean and bright.

10. Paint Color Deceptions – Paint colour looks different depending on circumstances or areas, therefore it’s advisable to test your selected colour in one area before buying gallons e.g. colours look very different when they are brought out of the store and viewed in natural sunlight.