What tile to choose for the kitchen on the floor: the material properties of the floor

For the flooring material is a popular tile. This type of flooring has many advantages and is well suited for the renovation of the kitchen, as in a normal apartment, and in the studio. About how to choose tiles for kitchen floorAs it happens, and what options it laying there, read on.

Requirements for the floor in the kitchen

Factors that determine the choice of material for the kitchen floor, a few. These include:

• convenience;
• hygiene;
• resistance to abrasion and mechanical stress;
• moisture resistance;
• comfort;
• quick and easy cleaning.

In addition, the kitchen floor must be resistant to various detergents, without being subject to erosion of or discoloration.

Ceramic floor tiles

To choose the right cover on the floor in the kitchen or in a studio apartment, it is important to know that the floor and wall tiles are not the same - the first thicker because it must withstand the pressure of the furniture, appliances and walking on it. When you select a tile on the kitchen floor, note the following points:

• surface of the material must not be slippery;
• coating material were resistant to aggressive chemical compounds;
• Tiles must be resistant to mechanical damage, which is caused by the number of firings;
• optional high wear resistance rating.

To understand the properties of these tiles on the floor in the kitchen or in the studio apartment, it is useful to know that means one or the other markings. Generally, for every floor tile should foot icon. But durability class has several levels:

• 1-2 is optimal for a room in a not very high load, for example, it could be an office in an apartment or a kitchen-living room in the studio, where a person lives;
• 3 implies the possibility average load on the floor, it can be choose for the kitchen;
• Grade 4 is ideal for laying such tiles in the hallway, hallway, kitchen, studio apartment;
• Class 5 is the highest, so the material is purchased for the decoration of offices, supermarkets, shops and public institutions.

Also understand that the tile is durable, will help the shaded foot depicted on the packaging.

It is important to pay attention on the friction coefficient - the lower it is, the more slippery is tiles and stack the kitchen unsafe. these values ​​can vary from 0 to 0.75 and above. Thus for kitchen tile is better to choose a coefficient of friction of 0.5 or more.

The surface of the tile

By purchasing floor tiles, it is necessary to examine both its front surface and the back, which she will be laid. The outer side determines many things - the color, luster, strength of the material. Tiles coated with a glaze for kitchen premises rarely used, the most preferred embodiments, without enamel. If the coverage is, what it is thicker, the stronger will be covering.

As for the back, "wrong" side of the tile to the floor, then it may be a glass, and rough. The first does not absorb moisture, but does not provide a firm grip. The porous tiles is able to absorb water, but this is possible only in case of poor stacking. The advantage of such a surface of the rear wall is that it is well coupled with the adhesive, and therefore kept much stronger.

Other types of floor tiles

In addition to the usual ceramic, there are several other types of tiles for the flooring in the kitchen.

Cotto - is also a tiled material, but it is made from the finest clay extrusion method. It has a reddish hue, it is not covered with glaze and fits perfectly into the style of the type of country or English discreet design space. Kitchen - not the most common place to use a tile, but if it is qualitatively laid, then its life will be long.

Since this species has no coating, after its laying treated with preservative based wax.

Metlahskoy - is another type of unglazed floor tiles. Its peculiarity is that it is very strong and durable, and is produced by extrusion technology. You can select how a corrugated and smooth, and this option allows you to implement any design ideas with the ability to be the most complex geometric patterns.

Kottoforte - this tiles created from different types of clays, including fire-resistant species of fireclay. It is usually covered with an opaque glaze of different colors.

The polymer polyvinyl chloride tiles - this is the most budget option for flooring. Use it as the flooring in the kitchen, as well as a studio apartment, it is not recommended, since this material is not resistant against aggressive detergents and not very durable.

What do you need for laying?

Before we laid the tiles on the floor in the kitchen, you need to prepare the room - remove the skirting boards, door jambs with. The floor surface must be level, clean and free of moisture and fat.

• level;
• Tile designed for thick tiles;
• pencil;
• roulette;
• container and a mixer for mixing an adhesive composition;
• trowel, spatula and trowel to distribute the adhesive on the surface;
• plastic corners and crosses to align the tile joints;
• a bucket of water and a cloth to remove excess solution.

Tile layout options

repairers wizard previously used three basic ways of laying tiles on the floor - the diagonal, checkerboard, and longitudinal and transverse. However, with the expansion of the range of colors and variety of shape and material it has an opportunity to lay the tiles in a different way, for example:

• with offset effect;
• highlighting the contrasting area;
• various geometric patterns;
• with an ornament on the edge of the room or, for example, around a certain area (dining or island);
• in the form of panels, carpet or an interesting mosaic.

With all of this it is necessary that the tile work on the floor looked harmoniously in the interior of the kitchen or studio apartments.