Floor tiles for bathroom - choice from experts

Floor tiles in the modern world of advanced technologies occupy a special place. Not everyone can afford to buy floor tiles from exclusive manufacturers. But this defect is easily compensated by the presence on the market of inexpensive collections of Russian manufacturers. Any style of the bathroom with the help of floor tiles will be transformed, add originality. And excellent quality will only please and will not cause unnecessary trouble. All cherished dreams can be realized in the color palette, and in the drawing or mosaic. Even the geometric figures on the bathroom floor will emphasize the uniqueness of the interior.

Ceramic tiles are a strong enough and waterproof way of finishing walls and floors, and is characterized by hygiene and is an environmentally friendly product. The market for building materials provides a large selection of tiles for the floor, so every buyer will be able to purchase ceramic tiles, relying entirely on their own taste.

Floor tiles for bathrooms have become so popular that each building store provides a wide variety. But, nevertheless, four main types can be distinguished:

• Clinker is the most durable type of tile because it is produced using the extrusion method. This tile is characterized by a smooth and even surface, but the color scheme is provided only in natural shades. The clinker can be covered with glaze.
• Cotto is also a fairly strong material, the main feature of which is porosity. If for a floor of a bathroom to get this kind of a tile it should be necessarily covered with special hydrophobic substances. This prevents the appearance of stains on the coating from water ingress.
• The monocotture is a tile that is covered with glaze and has passed one firing. The main properties are high wear resistance and low water absorption. It can be safely used for the bathroom.
• Porcelain tiles is very popular. This is the most reliable floor covering, so it is used not only for bathrooms, but also lining the bottom of the pools. After all, it has a high resistance to changes in temperature regimes and does not absorb water.

If among the above types of tiles choose the most suitable for the bathroom, then in the first place will be porcelain stoneware and clinker .Although often used and monocoature, thanks to its decorative design.

The floor covering in the bathroom must have special properties in order to have a long service life.

The floor tiles are subject to certain requirements:

• Resistance of the floor covering to water absorption. This condition is basic, as in the bathroom the water often falls on the floor. To prevent water absorption, ceramics tile passes a special firing technology. In this way, the tile becomes microporous, so water does not get inside.
• Resistance to the use of chemicals. Various household chemicals are used for cleaning the bathroom, especially for floors. And there is also a high possibility of hygiene products entering the floor.
• Resistance to sudden changes in temperature and high humidity in the room.
• High slip resistance. The floor covering must be non-slip. On the packaging, after the letter R, a number is always indicated. If the number is more than 9, then this type of floor tile is perfect for use in the bathroom. Experts advise to stop their choice on matte tiles, because its surface will be a little rough.
• Resistance to the action of abrasive materials.
• Good resistance to bending.
• Smooth surface of the back side of the ceramic tile. Sometimes there is a floor tile, which has a small hollow in the middle. This tile will not last long, as there will be a void in which glue does not fall. In this emptiness, moisture will accumulate over time, which will affect the adhesion of the glue to the tile.
• Good quality of the front side of the tile. Ceramic tiles should be smooth. If you felt a roughness on the glossy surface, this means that the tiles were manufactured using obsolete technologies. Take care not to have bubbles on the enamel. The color of the tile should be uniform. If you see even small inaccuracies in the color shade, then this tile has a poor quality, it is not worth buying.
• The bathroom floor tiles should be characterized by the stable color of the so that the coating does not wash out or burn out as a result.

The classification of floor tiles is diverse based on several criteria. If you understand it well, then you can easily choose the right option with the appropriate parameters for the bathroom.

The tile package always contains information on frost resistance. AI or BI means that the tile can be used outdoors. Marking AIII or BIII is only possible for laying tiles in the room.

Based on the criterion of durability or abrasion, there is a certain marking of the tile:

• group PEI I - it is less resistant to erasure, therefore it is recommended to use it for the bathroom, because there people do not walk in shoes that are used for street;
• group PEI IІ - is also unstable, therefore it is used in rooms where the permeability is small. Its application is impossible for the kitchen and the corridor;
• group PEI IІІ - designed for kitchen floor, corridor or glazed balcony, because it has average values;
• group PEI IV - involves the use in shopping halls or offices where people walk in street shoes;
• group PEI V - is designed for territories with a huge number of people and outdoors. The tile of this group has no restrictions, so it is the best option for the floor in the bathroom.

package. Before buying ceramic tiles for any room, you need to carefully study the packaging, because there is a lot of useful information that will tell you about the tile, of course, if you know the conventional signs.

And so, we will describe some of them:

• hand drawing - the tile is used only for walls;
• drawing feet on a black background - tiles are acceptable for laying on the floor;
• snowflake - the tile is frost-resistant, it is possible to use outdoors;
• drawing of feet on strokes - high level of wear resistance;
• figure near the fire pattern - how many times the tile was susceptible to firing;
• drawing of the bulb - is not afraid of chemical influences;
• shoe on the inclined line - coefficient of friction on the wet surface;
• crystal image - hardness of ceramic tiles.

Also on the packaging you can find information about the thickness of the tile, how strong it is in bending, the number of pieces in the package and the area where you can use, what resistance to abrasion.

The most practical option for flooring is tile in light colors. When the droplets of water get dry, they will not be practically noticeable. Such a floor does not require thorough frequent washing of the floor. It will be enough just to wipe the floor after taking a shower or bath, and cleaning using chemicals can be done once a week.

Some connoisseurs of fine use glossy black floor tiles for the bathroom. But you should be prepared that every spray will leave a divorce on the tile. Therefore, after taking a bath or shower, you should definitely wash the floor.

Although it is possible to slightly correct the above-mentioned tones and combine different shades into a single whole. For example, put dark tiles where the least possible is water ingress. Light tiles should be placed near the bath, washbasin and shower. This combination will help to get an original floor covering, and it will not be necessary to constantly wash the floor.

The best option for flooring in the bathroom is using a mosaic. It optically enlarges the bathroom space and also masks all the unevenness of the floor. Mosaic will decorate the room in any design.

Glass mosaic for bathrooms has become very popular, because it is characterized by a high degree of resistance to chemical influences, is not afraid of sudden changes in temperature conditions and is water resistant.

Ceramic tiles are made by many companies from different countries:

• tiled Italian tile has long been a good reputation, because it is characterized by excellent quality and luxurious design. Many companies are engaged in the production of tiles with white and red clay;
• ceramic tiles of Spanish-made are also quite in demand in the building materials market. Compared with Italian tiles, it is cheaper, but in quality is not inferior. The tile is characterized by a special design, as bright colors are mainly used, as well as a game of contrasting patterns;
• Turkish tile is also quite well-known among middle-income buyers, because it costs much cheaper than tiles from Italy or Spain. Kalebodur - a brand of Turkish tiles, which has excellent quality;
• ceramic tiles of Russian production have good quality characteristics, since almost all production facilities use only Italian equipment. The price policy will pleasantly surprise consumers;
• tiles from Ukraine has a good combination of price and quality. Ukrainian clay is popular not only at home, but is also in demand in Italian and Turkish production of tile.

In addition to the above producers of ceramic tiles, it is still necessary to add the Belarusian tile, from Lithuania and Slovakia.

Polish tiles are very popular due to the optimal price / quality ratio.

Currently, many buyers choose a tile for flooring of Italian or Spanish manufacturers. In each store you can see a large number of posters and advertising booklets with foreign names for companies producing floor tiles. All these countries are leaders in sales of elite finishing materials. Also, China is not lagging behind in producing an excellent product.

Popular is tile, which simulates different textures of any materials, for example, wood, leather, plastic and others. Many buyers choose a tile that looks like metal plates that are attached to the floor using nails.

To date, very fashionable is a large format tile, for example, 30x60 cm or 60x60 cm. It has many advantages. First, laying a square tile does not take much time and effort. Secondly, such a tile does not create appreciable joints, the surface looks solid. Thirdly, it is easy to wash.

Different manufacturers offer many ceramic tile collections to create a special bathroom design. Designers began to move away from calm color shades, bright, contrasting and aggressive colors became fashionable. For example, collections of Italian production use a combination of red and black, red and blue or red and green.

High quality floor tiles are quite expensive. But do not save on it, because repairs are done every 10 or 15 years. If you buy a cheap tile for the bathroom, then the service life will not be long and in three years you will have to again buy ceramic tiles for the floor.

Models of floor tiles that are inexpensive, easily break from shocks. In addition, they do not tolerate temperature differentials that often occur in the bathroom, the surface easily deteriorates from rapid abrasion.

Although the appearance of such a tile does not seem to differ from an expensive one, be careful.

Specialists know that there are many ways of laying floor tiles, but only two main types are allocated:

• Direct method or it is also called "seam in the seam". Each row of tiles is placed exactly above the previous tile. Thus, using a ceramic tile of different color scales, you can create color strips, or place the tiles in staggered order.
• The method of "descent" .For him, the next row of tiles is displaced compared to the row that has already been laid on the floor.

The process of laying ceramic tiles on the floor in the bathroom must be done in the following order:

• To successfully lay the floor tiles, you must first make a floor marking, this will help you to know the exact location of each tile. First, the center of the bathroom is measured and a vertical and horizontal line is drawn through it.
• Starting from the lines drawn, it is necessary to draw the placement of each solid tile, as well as the one to be cut. Tiles with cut edges are best placed in hidden places.
• Then you can move to the immediate installation of tiles on the floor. First glue is applied to a small square of the floor with a spatula with denticles. And then, you should immediately make a tile laying. When the square is completed, the action is repeated in the same way on a new small section of the floor.
• When the tile falls on the adhesive, it should be firmly pressed to the floor. Also when laying floor tiles, do not forget to stick to the marking lines. Do the stacking gradually row in a row.

Watch the next video about laying ceramic tiles on the floor.

Installation Tips:

• Sometimes you need to use additional spacers for the tiles to form even seams.
• First you need to do the tiling in one half of the bathroom, then you can move to the other half.
• When the whole tile is all laid, you can go to the cut pieces to fill all the gaps near the walls.

The buyer is often interested in the question of how many tiles will last. If you choose the right type of tile, which depends on the room where it will lie down, and also make the installation according to the instructions, then the ceramic tile will serve for a very long time.