For most Nigerians, a house is never fully built until adorned with beautiful tiles of all sizes and shapes. This aesthetic endeavour, though very expensive, has since led to several deaths and injuries to house occupants.

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 250,000 people worldwide above the age of 15 are injured yearly in the bathroom. Obviously the combination of water and the slick, hard surface of the tile make the bathroom a risky place for injuries/deaths from slipping.

A tiles dealer, Mr Celestine Purity, said some amateur tilers usually use glaze tiles for floors which is very wrong owing largely to their super smooth surface. He added that such tiles are expected to be deployed on walls to decrease cases of slipping while still achieving a very beautiful wall pattern. He said any tile that has a substantial amount of surface grip is to be used for ground designs especially places prone to water spillage. He said the best tiles for any tiling work are glazed tiles because of quality and durability.

He said unglazed tiles overtime peel off on the surface and can be very sharp especially if its edges are exposed thereby causing accidents. He, however, advised that all tiles used on the floor must always be kept dry to avoid unnecessary injuries and or death. He decried the rate at which people source for cheap but not so good tiles.

According to him “when people are moving to a rented apartment, they often source for cheap tiles because they believe they cannot be spending money on another person’s house, but the fact is if any harm comes as a result of that, they will bear the consequences alone”.

He went further to list the new price regime of tiles to be, Italy Bluepale of a 30 by 60 size as N18000 per square meter, while 60 by 60 of same brand is N22,000 per square meter. China variant of a 30 by 60 and 40 by 40 per square meter vitrified glazed tile is however put at N2500 and N1700 respectively with a sharp decrease in price compared to its Italian variant.

An expert Buldr Musa Yakubu said a professional should know the kind of tiles to use. Even if a client wants him to use the wrong one, the professional should advise against it.

Yakubu, former FCT chapter chairman of Nigeria Institute of Builders (NIOB), said tiles are designed for different purposes and places and enjoined prospective home owners to always seek professional advice before choosing tiles wether for the living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms.

“Don’t say because you like a tile you would just use it without professional advice. It is not particular to toilets alone even bedrooms and kitchens. You can slip and fall especially when your feet are wet,’’ he said.

He said rough surfaced tiles are most suitable for commercial areas like banking halls, office spaces, complexes and shopping malls

“There are tiles that suit commercial areas and such tiles surface are rough. It can absorb wears and not slippery but because they don’t look beautiful, shining most people don’t prefer it,” he said.

He said ceramic tiles are surface coated so they can be very slippery and cautioned for proper usage as most people prefer it because of its glossy look and cheap prices.

“I know a lady who slipped from a stair case floored with slippery tiles and had to be flown abroad for treatment even at that she limps. So, we should not choose tiles just because they are beautiful or cheap without taking precaution of the dangers they pose,’’ Yakubu advised.

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/property/watch-those-tiles-you-beautify-your-floors-with/175609.html