Tile on the floor in the bathroom: types, characteristics, manufacturers, styling

In recent years, the variety of types, types, shapes andthe colors of ceramic tiles are just off scale. To say that some kind of tile is better than others is subjective. Many options are suitable for each specific place. But the additional information will help to lean towards one of the solutions, which will depend only on your choice.

On the back of each package of tiles, very often put icons in the form of a list or tables.

We carry out educational program for a novice repairman:

• sign of a foot or a hand on a black background divides tiles into two main varieties: floor tiles or tiles for walls. If the foot is shaded in the image, then information is given on the increased resistance to abrasion.
• elongated rectangle with arrows above and below denotes the thickness of the tile.
• digit on flame tab 1 or 2 indicates the number of tile firing.
• a grid of squares of different tones warns about the possibility of heterogeneity of tints of color of tiles inside one package.
• Three similar cube icons with the inscriptions Kg., Mg., Pozzi. report the weight of the whole package, the total area of ​​the inside of the tiles and their number.
• pictograms with the letters Ag Au Pt inform about the content of such precious metals as silver, gold and platinum.

In addition to these characteristics, it will be interesting to learn about the properties of the tile:

• frost resistance, denoted by the silhouette snowflakes ,
• resistance to the action of reactive substances is depicted as drawing of the laboratory flask,
• sign of the shoe on the inclined surface tells about the slippery surface of the tile surface. A similar icon, but with a flat surface, will assure the buyer of the increased ability to delay sliding.
• tip of the scalpel on the surface - surface hardness,
• drill, included in the tile - abrasion resistance,
• halves of the sun, passing into a half of the snowflake, assures the stability of the tiles to temperature differences.

Some pictograms are given with digital information, some simply lack or presence tell about the qualities of the chosen product.

The doubling or tripling of any pictogram means that this characteristic of the tile is reinforced.

So abrasion resistance can be designated as a badge disk icon, double such an icon, and can be given in specific degrees of scale.

Likewise is the diamond cut icon indicating the degree of hardness and strength of the coating.

There is an icon of resistance to bending, which is also clear from the picture.

Some manufacturers in advance facilitate the life of customers and draw icons with a specific designation of places where it is recommended to use a tile coating.

According to the composition and method of production, the tiles are divided into the following types:

• Majolica, faience, cottages, terraces, monoporosa, biocotter are those species that are better remembered, but only for general erudition or not to take them for layingin the bathroom, as they have less moisture resistance, porosity and abrasion resistance than required in this type of room.
• But if you read the names sotto or monoculture, then think about this topic is already possible.
• In case of cotto inscriptions, clinker or especially porcelain stoneware - consider these options seriously. The quality of such tiles is just right for the bathrooms.

Let us consider in more detail what values ​​of characteristics should be limited when choosing a coating on the bathroom floor.

For lovers of exact figures and information: there is a generally accepted document that defines standards for the values ​​of the characteristics of tiled coatings - EN ISO 13006.

In accordance with this document, several items relating to a particular indicator can be singled out.

EN101 is responsible for surface hardness.

In the already existing table of the hardness of materials, 10 substances are listed, which increase in strength from 1, the corresponding hardness of talc and up to 10 - which the diamond has. Since the scratches on the floor are most often caused by the sand brought on the street shoes, it is not difficult to calculate that the tile should not be softer than this sand.

Translated into geological language, no less than the hardness index of quartz, that is - 8, 9 or ideal 10.

The chapter of the document EN154 is devoted to the of the abrasion resistance of tiles.

Based on this, the tiles are divided into 5 categories.

The weakest resistance is PEI I, followed by PEI II, PEI III, PEI IV, and the most resistant tiles are PEI V.

. The first type of tile can only be used in places where attendance is low and the probability of abrasive materials getting is almost eliminated. For example, bathrooms.

The second type can be recommended for places where there is more patency, and there are more damaging factors.(These are bedrooms, rooms, cabinets)

The third category is advisable to be used in hallways, kitchens, corridors, as it withstands considerable traffic and the number of damaging factors.

The fourth most reasonable flooring is where attendance is no longer personal, but mass, that is, offices, shops, etc.

And finally, if you choose the fifth type, then it is universal. And it is suitable even for airports, train stations and other similar places.

Choosing a tile for this feature, you can buy tiles for baths 1 and 2 points.

A study of the moisture permeability of the tile, , which in turn depends strongly on the porosity of the material, is far from superfluous, because the coating will be installed in a place where both steam and water will be present permanently, unlike other internal premises. It is expressed as a percentage.

The smaller this number, the more suitable the tile for use in the bathroom.

For comparison: majolica tiles have 15-25% moisture absorption, so it was not considered as a bid for baths in general, and for floors - especially. Numbers of 7 - 15% are already very good indicators, and from 0 to 6% - just perfect.

In porcelain stoneware, the value of the degree of vowel-tightness is at the border of 0.05%, which makes it very attractive for the desired option.

For chemical resistance, the following grades are known:

• AA ( highest, first degree of stability).As a result of the tests, it does not have any changes in the surface layer.
• A ( the group when minor changes occurred during the tests).
• B ( damage by degree may be considered average).
• C ( weak resistance to chemistry, changes after tests reach partial destruction).
• D ( very weak resistance, in which as a result of exposure to all aggressive chemicals, the tile is completely destroyed).

At this point, when repairing the bathroom you need to pay special attention, since the bathroom contains most of the stocks of detergents and cleaning chemicals. And there is a huge probability that unstable in this respect tile forms a stain, and even a hole in your beautifully planned picture.

Slip in a confined space - means possible fractures and other tragic consequences.

Make sure that there is a "Anti-slip" icon on the tile packaging, and good advice for reinsurance: after application of the floor, apply an additional compound on top of it, protecting it from slipping.

On the contrary, the indicator of coating thickness is one of the most understandable and least affecting the situation. Less than 7 mm.floor tiles simply do not release, swing on a layer more than 1.5 cm. It is simply pointless, the optimal floor height will be 10-15 mm.

All tiles produced must be of high quality. Otherwise it is a marriage and it is subject to return and / or destruction.

In general, in the production of tiles, standardization is not required.

But self-respecting firms claiming compliance of their products with generally accepted standards, capable of confirming this with various certificates and other technical documentation, adhere to certain boundaries, which it will be useful to know.

In principle, you can set the goal and buy the most solid, most wear-resistant, frost-resistant and waterproof.

But for this you will not just have to pay, but at times overpay.

For the buyer who does not want to overspend, the optimal combination of the quality and price of the tile, which is right for him, is important.

But surely the tile of the highest class will give you less unpleasant surprises, than it can happen with the tile of the lower class. There are three classes according to the standard, and they are usually distinguished by the color of the inscriptions on the package. Red color is 1st grade, blue is 2nd grade and green is 3rd grade.

When shopping in small, untested shops, you risk acquiring a tile that does not meet the quality standards. In addition, stocks in such non-global locations may also be small, which means that when you try to buy the missing tiles, you can face a situation where, due to two or three missing tiles, your whole idea of ​​the pattern will be broken.

When the optimum qualities of the tile are scheduled, the most favorable, though equally important, moment is the choice of the pattern. Once upon a time our consumer was only available Czech tiles, square, standard for soft colors.

Now you can confidently say that no matter what pattern the buyer does not desire for himself in the bathroom, you can choose the sizes and shapes and colors.

If you follow the fashion and want to keep up with it, then the best option is to look through the catalogs of the collection of branded companies. They will orient you to the most modern trends in fashion. It can be added that in recent years fashion extremes have been fashioned: either that is natural or indistinguishable from natural, the natural colors of nature - green, bright yellow with a lemon tint, violet and bellflow, the colors and texture of materials such as wood, leather, iron!!

You can lick over the imitation of chocolate or imitation of gold. More confidently enter into the fashion practical textures, which have a non-monotonous color, on which any extraneous droplet is noticeable, and "variegated" tiles in the form of small multidirectional squares.

To reduce the dangerous slip, tiles with a prominent small texture are willingly taken.

Another extreme is the super-modernity in the form of 3D tiles that change the spatial perception.

There are also glass, very expensive, in the case of special hardening, but creating unique types.

But let me draw your attention to the fact that the bathroom is usually finished with such a calculation that at least 5 years about this problem will not be remembered.

So at the peak of fashion can be only a year or two, or even less.

The calmer classic is eternal. You can try to invent a bicycle: to build your own, your own and only your version of the pattern, but sometimes it is enough to choose the popular color, and the rest is done according to generally accepted rules: walls are lighter than sex, moderation is in curbs and patterns, their relevance.

In the issue of selecting a manufacturer among the masters there is no truism. You need to focus on the quality of the tiles.

If to speak about producing countries, then:

• Italian tiles are famous for their quality and variety of collections.
• Spanish, French, Portuguese and German are more democratic in price.
• They are pressed by their positions Poland, Turkey, Ukraine.
• As a rule, manufacturers from Russia and China are not very reliable manufacturers, the choice of material from the companies of these manufacturers resembles the game of Russian roulette. Maybe lucky, maybe not.

When choosing a tile, be guided not so much by the manufacturer as by the characteristics of the tile. Buy materials only in trusted stores.

The question of prices is the most difficult. Experts argue that the most budgetary options for flooring in a medium sized bathroom - about 10 thousand.

The bathroom belongs to the premises of increased complexity in laying tiles on the floor.

Let's dwell on the main points that will not be interesting to experienced people in repair, but can be opened to America for beginners.

When you have thoughtfully come to buy the right amount of tile, glue to it, grout and tools( at least one notched trowel, or even two even ones, one of which is rubber or silicone for troweling), you can begin to implement the styling itself.

Rule number 1 : the floor must be flat, firm and clean.

Rule number 2: the floor in the bathroom is best waterproofed. There are a lot of ways. For example, to smear a special composition of the floor, including the connections to the walls and the corners themselves. It makes sense to lay under the waterproofing tape.

Rule number 3: in computer special programs or simply laying tiles on the floor in the right order, make sure the layout is correct. Do not hesitate, but do not rush, do not make mistakes in small things: spread a smooth spatula on the floor on an area of ​​not more than a square meter, put a strip on it with a notched trowel. Good advice - to spread and tile, too, but so that when applying it to the floor, the traces of the denticles are not parallel. This, according to physical laws, provides greater strength and mobility with a change in the slope of the surface during the pressing process.

Professionals can not do without a small rubber kyanki. Her tapping on the tile will determine the speed of work and the evenness of the result. It is ideal from time to time to check whether there is any void left under the tile. This can be done as follows: tear off the tile immediately after laying it and inspect the surface for the uniformity of the glue. Disadvantages consider and again, scratching the surface with the teeth of a spatula, put the tile in place.

Rule # 4: start at the far corner of the door. So you will gradually move to the exit and not be locked in the corner in front of the surface, which is best not to attack for several days.

Rule number 5: joints are controlled evenly with the help of special crosses. We advise you not to use floor-to-floor jointing, because it is rather difficult and has its limitations. After gluing all the tiles, allow the glue to dry. Then( as far as possible), clean the seams and apply the grout.

Another little bit of time and, washing( not wet rag) with a damp sponge, the surface of the tile, start to admire and indulge in delight.

Do everything in accordance with the instructions for glue and tiles. Do not violate these requirements. Will repay a hundredfold, will help to avoid ridiculous big and annoying little mistakes.