The choice of ceramic tiles for the bathroom

Ceramic bathroom tiles will never go out of style or become outdated. A variety of design options, attractive appearance and excellent performance leave competing materials far behind. We invite you to plunge into the world of tiles and learn all about the intricacies of choosing bathroom tiles, the possibilities of design and decor, as well as the characteristics that it has.

Tiles are the best bathroom material

Tiles have been and remain the ideal material for finishing the walls and floors of the bathroom and toilet. Especially for those who doubt the choice of finishes for the bathroom, experts give several weighty arguments in favor of tiles:

1. The chemical passivity of the material ensures the safety of the tile and resistance to any detergents.
2. The natural composition with clay as the main component makes the tile a natural and environmentally friendly material.
3. Practicality and compliance with high sanitary requirements are ensured due to the inability of the tile to absorb dirt and ease of washing.
4. Wear resistance, long-term preservation of the pattern and resistance to mechanical stress and shock make the bathroom tile finish very durable. Over the years, you only have to renew the seams.
5. Ease of installation and the ability to correct laying throughout the life of the tile allow even non-professionals to work with tiles.
6. The widest selection of colors, decors and types of tile surfaces allow you to recreate any style of design in the bathroom interior.

Performance characteristics of tiles

When choosing a tile for a bathroom, the first thing that people usually pay attention to is the color and decor. But in order for the tile to serve for a long time and not disappoint you during operation, the choice should also be based on the quality characteristics of the finishing material, which the symbols on the packaging can tell about.

• The image of the palm indicates that the tile is intended for wall cladding, the imprint of the foot indicates that this tile is a floor tile.
• The flask design means resistance to aggressive chemicals often used in the bathroom, the resistance coefficient of the tile will be indicated in the form of the letters A, B, C, D, where A is high resistance and D is minimum.
• The designation in the form of two letters AA on the packaging of the tile indicates a high degree of resistance to acids.
• Small mosaic squares warn that bathroom tiles from different batches may vary slightly in shade from each other.

Tip: the final shade of the tile surface in production may change during the firing process, therefore, in order to avoid discrepancies in color, it is advisable to buy tiles from the same batch that were fired at the same time. During the shopping process, compare products from different boxes by color.

• The double image of one symbol indicates an increased severity of a separate property of a tile.
• The class of wear resistance and resistance of tiles to abrasion is indicated by Roman numerals from one to five. Class I is the lowest, products above class III are not used in residential premises and are intended for public buildings.
• Be sure to indicate the thickness of the tiles for the bathroom, which varies from 6 to 12 mm.

According to international standards, there are three grades of ceramic tiles, each of which has different values ​​for the acceptable percentage of rejects. For tiles of the first grade, this figure is 5% per 1 m2 of finish, for the second - 5% per 2 m. Varieties of tiles are indicated on the packaging using the color:

• 1 grade - red color;
• Grade 2 - blue;
• Grade 3 - green.

Tip: for the bathroom and toilet, it is best to choose top-grade tiles with the least possible amount of defective products.

Choosing the size and shape of elements

The sizes of tiles for floors and walls can vary significantly, and therefore they are divided into four types:

• mosaic tiles having the smallest side size not exceeding 6 cm;
• small, the side of which can have dimensions from 6 to 19 cm inclusive;
• medium, the width of which varies from 20 to 25 cm, length - from 20 to 40 cm;
• larger, with more significant parameters.

The shape of a tile can be:

• square;
• rectangular;
• diamond-shaped;
• curly;
• round.

In order to choose the right size and shape of tiles, you need to know how much space your bathroom or toilet occupies, and how high quality aligned walls.

• The small size of the tile allows you to hide small irregularities in the wall, while the large tile requires careful leveling of the surface.
• There are no restrictions for large rooms, you can choose your favorite tile of any size and shape.
• For small bathrooms as well as for separate toilet it is best to choose a tile of large or medium size. A large number of seams on the wall between small elements will visually reduce the already modest room.

Tip: When choosing a large tile, keep in mind that it will most likely need to be cut. Buy material with a margin in case of damage when cut.

• Large rectangular tile elements, located horizontally, visually expand the space, so they are often used in the toilet. With a vertical arrangement of rectangular tiles, you can achieve a visual increase in the height of the ceiling.

• Small tiles or mosaics are suitable for large and medium-sized spaces. It goes well with other finishing materials, it can be used for facing convex or curved surfaces.

• A medium-sized tile is most often used in the interior of small and medium-sized bathrooms; it can be used to lay out various patterns, especially for square elements.

An additional advantage of large tiles is the minimum number of seams, which favorably affects the moisture-proof properties of the finish.

Choice of floor tiles

What should be a quality floor tiles for the bathroom? Floor tiles are subjected to greater loads than wall coverings, so they must meet certain requirements.

1. The main safety requirement is a non-slip surface. It is best to choose a matte rough material - porcelain stoneware, tiles with a corrugated surface are also suitable.
2. The thickness of the tile must be at least 8 mm.
3. It is advisable to choose a tile with the AA marking - it will withstand the effects of any detergents well.
4. Moisture absorption of tiles should be minimal so that moisture does not seep inside, destroying the structure of the finish.
5. If you move around the bathroom in soft slippers or barefoot, tiles of I and II wear resistance classes will suffice. If a large number of residents use the bathroom and toilet, the load on the floor increases, so it is better to choose class III tiles.

Important! Never use wall tiles as flooring, they will not withstand loads and crack.

Why do you need tile corners

One of the most difficult moments in the process of laying tiles on a wall is its joining at the outer and inner corners. It is difficult for a novice master to correctly combine the elements or trim them at an angle of 45 degrees.The simplest, most effective and most aesthetic way to connect tiles at corners is to use special corners, sometimes called corner borders or skirting boards.

Corners for tiles can be made of plastic, ceramic or metal.

1. Metal corners are highly durable and blend well with the shiny surfaces of faucets and other elements of the shower enclosure.
2. Plastic (PVC) corners are available in a wide range of colors and are lightweight, flexible, and can be glued with silicone sealant or self-adhesive surface.
3. Ceramic corner borders are most often produced as part of the tile collection, therefore they are ideally combined with the lined surface, making up a single whole with it.

Benefits of using tile corners:

• the use of corner fittings makes it possible to simplify the procedure for laying tiles at the corners;
• external corners with installed PVC corners become safer;
• corner fittings additionally protect the seams between the tiles from moisture;
• installation of corners allows you to give the room a more aesthetic appearance;
• the corner increases the strength of the finishing layer due to the fastening of two rows of tiles.

In addition to masking tile joints, the corner for the inside corner or corner border successfully solves the problem of the gap between the lined wall and the edge of the bath. Sealing gaps is extremely important, since water ingress into hard-to-reach places sooner or later leads to the development of mold and damage to the finish. For these purposes, a special border tape or ordinary decorative borders laid at an angle can also be used. However, a special concave plinth with a rounded surface looks much more harmonious and aesthetically pleasing.

Important! Some corners are mounted under the tile in the process of laying it, others - on the finished finish. The former perfectly waterproof the joint, but their installation is quite complicated, the latter can be mounted even by novice craftsmen. A plastic border is usually attached to a tile using Liquid Nails glue or sealant, ceramic - using tile adhesive.

How to choose quality tiles

When choosing tiles for wall cladding in the bathroom, use the following tips:

• The tile should have even sides. To check, you can attach two elements to each other alternately with different sides, the gap should not exceed 0.5 mm.
• Pay attention to the front surface of the tile - it should have a uniform color without stains and streaks.
• All elements must have the same size without deviations.
• The reverse side of the tile should not have defects in the form of cracks and chips, its structure should be homogeneous. The corrugated surface will contribute to better adhesion of the finish to the wall.
• Make sure that the tile does not have bulges or deflections.

Color matching

What color scheme is better to choose when creating a bathroom design? It depends on what effect you want to achieve.

• A choice of popular blue and green tile shades will create a feeling of coolness and freshness. If you have a not very warm or large bathroom, with this design of the walls, it will seem even more cold and uncomfortable.
• The terracotta color of the tile, shades of pink, yellow and beige will make the room visually warm.

• You can visually enlarge a small bathroom with light-colored tiles in combination with light-colored grouting.
• You can improve the illumination and visually expand the space with the help of correctly placed inclusions of mirror tiles that reflect the light of the lamp.

• Bright tiles are not the best choice for bathroom walls, they quickly become boring and irritating. It can be used dosed as inserts.
• If you are attracted to white bathroom tiles, to avoid the effect of a hospital ward, choose embossed tiles with patterns, use accent inserts and accessories, buy sanitary ware in non-standard colors.

It is quite difficult to choose tiles of different colors that match each other, so it is better to choose tiles from one collection. The standard collection usually includes:

• light background tiles for walls;
• dark background material;
• border;
• decor;
• floor tiles.

Choice of design and style

Tiles are a universal material for design research, with its help you can create absolutely any style of bathroom interior. The design of the wall tiles will depend on the chosen style of the room, although it may happen that the tile you like will tell you the direction of the overall style.

• The most popular is the classic tile design in the bathroom. It suggests a special way laying tiles, in which the material of a darker shade is located at the bottom of the wall, the light tile is located at the top. To avoid monotony, the interior is enlivened with inserts, panels and other decorative elements. The classic option is a glossy tile in blue, white or beige tones, complemented by gold or bronze decor.

• The luxurious Mediterranean style in the design of the bathroom requires the use of natural shades of the sea coast for tiles: green, blue, blue, sand. Mosaics, themed panels and photo prints are used as decor.

• Of particular interest are photo prints, which are a printed image on separate tiles, which together make up a single pattern. A tile with photo printing can have any image, most often these are photographs of landscapes and architecture, paintings on various topics. With this technique, you can visually expand small bathroom.

• A high-tech bathroom embodies convenience and functionality and is suitable even for very small spaces. To decorate the floor and walls in a modern style, white, gray or silver tiles are suitable. Graphic patterns, mirror tiles, metal inserts and borders can be used as decorative elements.

• Art Nouveau style involves the use of tiles in pastel natural shades as a background. As accents, saturated colors, tiles with floral motifs, large panel. Mirrors and plumbing lined with mosaics will look great.

To create different interior styles, you can use thematic tile collections offered by domestic and foreign manufacturers.

Arabesque Tile Collections

Arabesque is the name of a series of ceramic tiles offered by four different manufacturers and characterized by a unique combination of colors and shapes. Which one to choose is up to you.

Cersanit's Arabesque tile is a false mosaic and has an intricate oriental pattern enclosed in mosaic squares. Bathroom tiles from this collection have a glossy-smooth surface and versatile cream and chocolate tones. The Arabesque series contains floor and wall products, as well as borders and inserts. The floor tiles have a thickness of 8 mm and dimensions of 333x333 mm, the thickness of the wall tiles is 7 mm and the size is 250x200 mm. Cersanit's Arabesque tile collection is suitable for creating a bathroom interior in different styles, such as oriental, art deco or modern.

A completely different impression is produced by the Arabesque collection from Gracia Ceramica (Russia, the Shakhtinskaya plitka enterprise). The tile for the bathroom has a matte non-slip surface and is made in three colors: blue, purple and brown.The Arabesque series contains stunningly beautiful decorative panels imitating watercolor sketches that will perfectly fit into the interior of a bathroom and even a small toilet. The wall tile has the shape of a rectangle with sides 250x600 mm, the size of the floor tile is 450x450 mm.

Glossy curly tile "Arabesque" from the Italian company Tonalite has a non-standard design that allows you to lay out individual elements according to the principle of puzzles, getting an unusual shiny finish. The Arabesque collection contains tiles in three colors: black, white and grey. With its help, you can create a unique, sophisticated and rich bathroom interior.

The Arabesque series from the Spanish factory Halcon Ceramicas is made in milky and beige shades, contains background tiles for the floor and walls, decorative inserts, panels, borders. The surface of the base elements imitates noble marble, the decorative elements are complemented by relief stylized flowers with four petals. The "Arabesque" tile in this version is able to create a luxurious and monumental interior.

Tile "Bamboo"

One of the varieties of imitation of natural materials with the help of a tile is a “bamboo-like” tile. Graceful and original bamboo is increasingly found in the interior of apartments; wallpaper is made from it. Due to the special conditions that are typical for the bathroom and toilet, natural bamboo cannot be used in these rooms. Lovers of nature, Chinese and Japanese motifs choose tiles that imitate bamboo for the bathroom. The peculiarity of such a tile is that it not only has a characteristic "bamboo" pattern, but has a relief surface that imitates the structure of bamboo. Most often, such tiles are made in brown, greenish, beige shades, characteristic of natural bamboo.

Collections of tiles "Bamboo" are usually supplemented with various decorative elements that allow you to diversify and emphasize bamboo canvases. These can be moldings imitating bamboo trunks, borders and inserts with flowers, leaves and floral ornaments, panels with images of oriental landscapes.

Tile "marbled"

Since ancient times, marble decoration has served as a confirmation of luxury and wealth. The beautiful pattern of mountain marble attracts many and causes a desire to use it in the interior of the apartment. Unfortunately, even without taking into account the high cost of natural marble, this material is not suitable for finishing the bathroom. Marble is absorbent, able to absorb dyes, does not tolerate contact with household chemicals and acids, iron-containing veins can be damaged by rust. In this regard, it would be wise to use high-quality ceramic tiles in the bathroom instead of marble, outwardly almost indistinguishable from marble slabs.

Marbled tiles can be floor and wall, have a different format and texture, a wide color palette and many variations of the pattern of natural marble. Advantages of tiles imitating marble:

• even the most expensive tile will cost you less than natural material;
• when used in the bathroom, tiles outperform marble in terms of performance;
• the design option for marbled tiles can be found at any manufacturer in every store of finishing materials;
• the beauty of the marble pattern can be emphasized with the help of decorative elements offered by special collections of tiles.