How to choose a tile for the bathroom and toilet

Tile for the bathroom to this day remains one of the most successful options for floor and wall covering and has practically no alternatives. Durable and wear-resistant, it is extremely unpretentious in operation and with very minimal maintenance can serve for decades - right up until the moment it becomes obsolete or trite will not get bored. And the bathroom tile is notable for its excellent moisture resistance and mechanical strength - it can easily withstand the fall of a solid object, and in most cases you can not be afraid to flood the neighbors from the bottom. Of course, only in the case when the tile for the bathroom is selected and laid correctly.

content

1. Bathroom tile selection options
2. Types of bathroom tiles
3. Which bathroom tile to choose - expert advice
4. The best manufacturers of tiles for the bathroom. Which company to choose
5. How much does a bathroom tile cost?

content

1. Bathroom tile selection options
   
2. Types of bathroom tiles
3. Which bathroom tile to choose - expert advice
4. The best manufacturers of tiles for the bathroom. Which company to choose
5. How much does a bathroom tile cost?

Bathroom tile selection options

In order for the procedure for laying the bathroom tile to pass quickly and not to cause any particular hassle, and its functional characteristics fully coincided with the expectations of the owner, there are a number of key characteristics that you should pay attention to when choosing.

Purpose of the coating

A parameter indicating what kind of surface the tile is intended for. Allocate wall or floor tiles, and the specific type of a particular model indicates a special icon on the package. “Hand” in this case means wall tiles, and “leg” means tiles for laying on the floor.

Resistance to mechanical stress and wear

It is a coefficient in the PEI measurement system that shows how much a tile is able to withstand a mechanical impact. Gradation of values ​​- from 1 to 5.

1. Tile 1 class - the most "soft", and therefore suitable only for laying on the wall.

2. Grades 2 and 3 are considered the most versatile and are excellent as flooring.

3. 4 and 5 class - tiles, characterized by maximum durability and used in rooms with a constantly large number of visitors. There is no point in buying such a tile for a bath.

Permeability

A parameter that directly indicates how well the tile resists moisture, as well as whether or not you flood the neighbors from below.

1. Classic ceramic or glass tile - materials that have almost zero moisture permeability, and therefore they are not afraid of even the flood.

2. Ceramics, on the contrary, very willingly “drink” water, and therefore, to protect against moisture, it should be covered with several layers of varnish or special glaze.

Roughness

It is of paramount importance, first of all, for bathroom tiles. This parameter indicates how slippery the tile is and whether you fall down with wet feet on it.Preference should be given to models whose roughness coefficient is not less than 0.8.

Tile thickness

Everything is quite simple here - the thicker the tile, the more durable and resistant to mechanical damage it is. However, the stick here is about two ends: a greater thickness automatically leads to an increase in weight. Marked on the packaging horizontal strip, enclosed between two arrows.

The physical dimensions of the tile

Without exception, all bathroom tiles can be divided into four main classes:

1. Large tiles, the physical dimensions of which exceed 35x35 centimeters;

2. A medium-sized tile with a side diagonal from 20 to 25 centimeters;

3. Small tile, the side of which is 10-20 centimeters;

4. Mosaic tiles - tiny fragments with which you can create intricate patterns;

Degree of resistance to aggressive effects

A criterion that indicates how well bathroom tiles resist household chemicals. It is indicated by the symbol of a small flask on the package and by the letter of the Latin alphabet: And in this case it indicates the tile most resistant to chemistry, D - the least resistant tile;

Types of bathroom tiles

Attention should be paid not only to the above characteristics, but also to the appearance of the tile. In many ways, it depends on the functional characteristics, as well as appearance.

Ceramic tile

This is a classic, well-known tile, which is based on a clay mixture baked at high temperature. Depending on the specific destination, it can be glossy, slippery, and matte, with a high roughness coefficient. Properly processed ceramics perfectly resists the effects of moisture and are widely used for laying in bathrooms, baths, saunas and other rooms with the highest possible humidity.

Virtues

• High resistance to mechanical stress and abrasion;

• Differs in high durability;

• With proper processing is not afraid of moisture;

disadvantages

• High brittleness - a light blow with a sharp object can lead to splitting;

• Due to the drying of the clay during firing, the geometric dimensions of the tiles, even of one batch, may differ;

• Relatively high cost;

Glass bathroom tile

Relatively new, modern coverage. In terms of its characteristics, it is almost as good as ceramics, differing from it in a much greater variety of colors and shades. The sizes are also different - besides the traditional models, you can buy mosaic tiles of different colors and lay out some fancy construction from it.

Virtues

• A huge variety of model range, a large number of colors and shades;

• Full water tightness in any conditions;

• Resistance to mechanical stress and abrasion;

• High abrasion resistance;

disadvantages

• Great weight;

• High price;

Porcelain stoneware

According to many tilers, the perfect material for the bathroom. It incorporates all the advantages of modern materials and is almost devoid of their disadvantages. Differs in high strength and resistance to mechanical stress, perfectly resists abrasion, and in terms of moisture resistance is much higher than conventional ceramics.

Virtues

• High strength and abrasion resistance;

• Affordable cost;

• The high level of resistance to mechanical stress is much higher than that of ceramics;

• A large number of colors and shades;

• Maximum moisture resistance and water resistance;

disadvantages

• Excessive weight;

• Requirements to qualify the wizard performing the installation;

Rectified tile

A very interesting type of material, each tile of which is a set of pieces connected together.As a result of this design, being laid, the tiles create a feeling of a complete picture, and the seams are almost imperceptible. Rectified tile can be made of almost any material - stone, granite, ceramics.

Virtues

• A rich selection of textures, shades and colors;

• With the right installation creates a feeling of a single picture, without any seams and joints;

disadvantages

• High price;

• Demands ideally equal basis for laying and high qualification of the master;

Which bathroom tile to choose - expert advice

1. Tile laid on the floor should have the highest strength and resistance to mechanical wear, as well as be matte and non-slippery. The best choice is a tile or porcelain stoneware belonging to class 2 or 3 according to PEI and with a roughness coefficient of about 0.8-0.85;

2. Practically any tile will be suitable for laying on walls, and you can ignore the parameters of moisture resistance, roughness and other criteria affecting the price;

3. If you want to lay out a beautiful mosaic and create some fancy pattern - the small glass tile and its mosaic counterpart become the ideal option;

4. Those who do not want to deal with cleaning tile joints that are blackened with time and moisture will prefer rectified tiles. Due to its design, such tiles fit almost the joint into the joint and have no seams;

The best manufacturers of tiles for the bathroom. Which company to choose

Traditionally, the largest manufacturers of bathroom tiles are large European concerns. Most of them have been working in this field for more than a dozen years, and the range of their catalogs includes hundreds of different models. Italian and German brands are good, Spanish and French tiles are considered to be quite good. In general, products of the following manufacturers can be recommended for purchase:

1. Kerama marazzi

2. Golden tile

3. Cersanit

4. Fap Ceramiche

How much does a bathroom tile cost?

The prices for bathroom tiles vary greatly and depend on the material, design and, of course, the manufacturer:

1. The simplest tile available to everyone. It costs about 300-500 rubles per square meter;

2. Glass tiles, depending on the specific model, can cost as much as 600-800 rubles, or 15-20 thousand rubles per square meter;

3. The average price of ceramic granite is from eight hundred to eight thousand rubles;

4. If you want to get an exclusive, like painted ceramic tiles made of white clay, be ready to lay out 5000-6000 rubles. But not for the "square", but for one thing.

In the following articles, our experts tell how to choose a towel warmersecrets shell selection for bathroom, features selection of bathroom faucet and main criteria choosing a quality bath.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.