Natural Stone Flooring Choices on a Tight Budget

Even during these tough economic times, some jobs and tasks around the house still have to be done. Some jobs like replacing shingles, or repairing plumbing, or fixing a broken appliance simply cannot be overlooked. Many of those types of tasks are done on an as needed basis and it can be hard to find a great deal on supplies or on labor when a job has to be done at a moments notice.

However, there are numerous other home improvement tasks that are done because you are simply in need of an update. These tasks can be costly and many put off certain home improvement projects simply because we are experiencing tough economic times. If you have the time to shop around and be choosy, you can do nearly any home improvement project on a strict budget.

This article will focus on selecting natural floor tile for a bathroom remodel, a landing tile job, or a kitchen tile job. The key to staying on budget is finding a great deal on the tile called "stone" if the product is a natural product.

To begin the selection process, focus on what type of stone interests you. You can choose from slate, marble, travertine, granite just to name a few. These stones are popular choices for tiling any area of your home.

If you are tiling on a budget, you may want to rule out granite as it can be significantly more expensive than your other options. However, slate, marble, and travertine can definitely be found on nearly any budget. A little tip, if you want a dark shade for you flooring, consider slate. If you want a light shade for you flooring, consider marble or travertine (actually a tumbled marble).

Now that you have chosen a color, go out and compare prices. You will quickly notice that most of your budget choices are limited in colors. They are typically neutral tones and not as distinctive as the more expensive options. Furthermore, you will realize that larger tile sizes say 16 inches by 16 inches are actually cheaper per square foot than smaller sizes say 6 inches by 6 inches. There is a valid reason for the price difference. Larger tiles require fewer cuts from the manufacturer saving them time and money.

Large tiles are suitable for floor applications, but not particularly good choices for walls.

So you have selected you type of stone, color, and size based on your small budget. Now you must determine if you are willing to wait for a clearance prices or closeout on that particular stone or are you willing to make some small sacrifices to find a similar stone on clearance.

Most tile and stone stores clear out inventory and several of their products can be purchased significantly below the normal price. Usually you have to be willing to give something up though. Maybe just change the color slightly, or go from a marble tile you love to a travertine tile that you really like.

Being upon in your choices will save you a significant amount of money on your home improvement projects. In the case of stone and tile, typical tile may run $4.99 a square foot, a closeout tile may only cost $1.99 or less. The savings are substantial.

If you are on a tight budget, there is no need to put a home improvement project off. Carefully selecting products that fit into your budget will allow you to tackle that home improvement project immediately.