Thanks to the popularity of vacation rental sites, many homeowners in the Myrtle Beach area have an easy way to make money. To make their properties appeal to discerning vacationers, these homeowners may install high-end tile on shower or bathroom floors. This tile, though, may not be suitable for these areas.
According to the Import Tile Center, all tile comes with a slip rating. To determine this rating, tile manufacturers consider the coefficient of friction. If a tile’s coefficient is too high, homeowners should not the tile on surfaces where water is regularly present.
The problem with DIY tile installation
Whether at big-box home-improvement stores and through online shopping, homeowners can choose virtually any tile they want. They also can install tile on a variety of surfaces. Unfortunately, though, DIYers may not have enough experience to determine whether floor tile is too slippery to be reasonably safe.
The dangers to your physical health
You want your vacation to Myrtle Beach to be fun and memorable. If you lose your footing on a slippery floor tile, though, your vacation is likely to turn into a nightmare. This is because slipping and falling on a tile floor puts you at extreme risk of physical injury. In fact, it is not uncommon for individuals to suffer traumatic brain injuries, organ damage and nerve injuries in slip-and-fall accidents.
The homeowner’s obligations
Before listing a rental property, a homeowner should be certain it is reasonably safe. Slippery tile may never be so, however. Therefore, until the homeowner can replace the tile with something else, he or she should warn you about the slip-and-fall risk. Alternatively, the homeowner can take the property off the rental market until he or she makes repairs.
Ultimately, if you suffer a catastrophic injury when falling on slippery bathroom tile, you may have grounds to pursue significant financial compensation from the property owner.