Every week Glenn Haege talks to more people about home improvement than any other person in the United States. As host of the nationally syndicated, "Ask the Handyman" with Glenn Haege radio show, Glenn is heard in all 50 states and Canada. Glenn has talked about Fair-Way Tile and Carpet and our products many times over the years on the air as well as in his newspaper column. With the Masterhandyman's permission,we've reprinted a few of his articles here.

Everyone I know is either buying new or remodeling. Either way, flooring choices become a major portion of the selection process, and ceramic tile is becoming an increasingly popular option for the bathroom, foyer, great room, kitchen, rec room and hallways.

In kitchens and great rooms, tile is often used in combination with different flooring materials to provide accents, define areas, or furnish an extremely tough surface for high-traffic areas.

The March 2000 issue of Flooring magazine pointed out that stone-look ceramic tile is a big fashion trend:

"Classical stone looks are now able to emulate those found in ancient villas with a semi-polished look that replicates the surface of stone that has been walked on for hundreds of years," contributing editor Robert Simpson said.

The average size of tiles has also changed. Those little 4-inch square, 6-inch square and even 8-inch-square tiles are out. The new standard floor tile is 12 by 12, 13 by 13 and 16 by 16. Even 18-by-18 squares are becoming strong residential flooring contenders. Commercial tiles get even bigger.

Combining multisized tiles into interesting patterns is also becoming more and more popular.

"The trend to large tiles started in Europe where the equipment was developed, then became popular on both the East and West Coast and has migrated to the Midwest over the past five years," says Phyllis Schoenherr, the manager of showroom sales for Beaver Distributors, (248) 299-8100, a large tile distributor.

"It seems that as soon as they got the ability to make larger tiles, the designers said, 'Let's go bigger,' and overnight everything was big tiles.

"People are looking for ways to make their homes distinctive. With tile you can make your home truly special," Schoenherr adds.

Another reason for tile's popularity, according to Dennis Langwald, one of the owners of Fairway Tile and Carpet, (248) 588-4431, "is that people can do it themselves, not just to save money, but to express themselves. When you have a beautiful-looking tile floor, you have not just something to walk on, but it can be a work of art. If you took the time to lay the floor yourself, you can take a lot of pride in the achievement," he says.

"The most difficult thing about doing a tile job is laying it out. My partner, Gene Perlman, is an engineer. When we provide the tile, Gene will often go to people's homes and show them how to do the layout," Langwald says.

"Many of the folks have been dealing with us for years. When they decide on a tile project, they borrow the tools from us, and automatically go to the back room and use our tile saw to cut any tiles that need cutting. It's like they're family," he says.

There's an old wives' tale that tile chips easily. That's definitely not true. The new glazes are actually harder than granite and fused to the tile surface by being fired at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you're in the market for tile you will find that there is an almost infinite variety of styles, finishes, textures and colors. Tile can be glazed or unglazed, have a matte, semi-matte or polished finish. They can be machine or handmade. Some look like weathered stone or old classic tiles. Some tiles showcase the earthen look of the clay used to create the tile. Others make the glaze the star and offer an incredible array of colors.

Tile is on the upper tier when it comes to cost. The installed price of vinyl sheet goods is about $5 a foot. Custom solid vinyl tile is the next step up and costs $7 to $10 a square foot installed. The installed price for ceramic tile is in the $12 to $14 range, according to Langwald.

If you are just buying the tile separately, some imported tiles cost $2 or less per square foot. The average range for American machine-made tile is $2 to $5, but can go as high as $8. Domestic handmade tiles are in the $15 to $20 range.

"Ceramic tile is also the ultimate no-wax flooring," Langwald says. "All you need is a little vinegar and water and a damp mop for daily maintenance. The glazes never dull, never need waxing, never need buffing or polishing," he says.

For an occasional deep cleaning, Langwald recommends Armstrong Once 'n Done, which has a little bit of ammonia and mild detergent. It will cut through any accumulated grease and grime and doesn't even have to be rinsed.

Tile's easy-to-clean, ceramic surface also means that it is an excellent substitute to solid surface flooring for people with dust allergies.

If you're looking for a long-lasting, knock-down-dead beautiful flooring material that is easy to care for, you couldn't do better than ceramic tile. It is definitely something that you'll be bragging about for years to come.