Glossy floor or matt tiles - aesthetics or security?
Ceramic tiles are often used as flooring for corridors, bathrooms and kitchens, due to its excellent performance. However, if the shape of the tile, its color and style solution is easy to understand, then how to choose between its glossy and matte surface? Here, experts emphasize the safety of the coating. And in fact, even a little wet, the glossy tile becomes quite slippery and traumatic. Especially important is this nuance when it is laid in the bathroom and kitchen, where the risk of getting wet is high.
The practice of operating a tile with a glossy surface demonstrates the sad fact that even rubber mats do not save it from slipperiness. Due to the lower degree of processing and slightly more porosity, the floor mat is less slippery. If there are children in the family, it will be the most safe and acceptable option. So, having decided on the degree of security, many are wondering about, but will not the matte coating look less attractive or original than the glossy that so pleases the eye with its brilliance?
Most interior designers indignantly reject this assumption, as the matte tiles look reserved and noble, emphasizing the wonderful taste of the owner of the house.
Moreover, under sufficiently intensive illumination, it will not give cutting eyes of glare and will avoid the feeling of discomfort when in the room. If you choose a tile with a matt surface for the floor covering, it is recommended to choose a similar material for walls. However, when there is a lack of lighting, you should choose a tile with a glossy finish, which, reflecting the light, will make the room visually wider.
Tiles glossy and matte - is there any difference in care?
Ease of care is one of those qualities that is so valued in ceramic tiles, but is there a difference in grooming for a glossy and matte surface? If so, how important is it? It is generally believed that glossy tiles are less susceptible to contamination than matt, and easier to clean. This is due to the special treatment of the surface and the minimum degree of its porosity. The coating made of it does not absorb fat, moisture, etc.
For this reason, it is recommended to use a glossy tile for the kitchen on an apron or for finishing the walls of the bathroom. However, there is one nuance: on such a coating, all the divorces from cleansing, streaks and drops from water are perfectly visible. Ugly lime deposits of white, remaining after the evaporation of moisture, can significantly impair an attractive picture of the interior. Thus, you will have to regularly and thoroughly clean the surface of the glossy tile to keep it clean.
Modern matt tiles are a bit inferior to the glossy analog, as it has the ability to absorb contaminants, which, of course, complicates the care of it. However, the degree of its porosity is so small that it is necessary to try very hard to create a dirty or greasy stain on the surface of the finish. But if it for one reason or another appears, then it will be practically impossible to deduce such a spot. This disadvantage is compensated by the fact that the matte surface of the tile perfectly masks the marks from cleaning and moisture.
You will be spared the need to contemplate the stains and the marks from the drops of water, respectively, and from the daily washing of the tiles. To mask grease stains from splashes that fall on the kitchen apron during cooking, it is recommended to choose a matt tile of pleasant yellow or sand color. However, this solution should be consistent with the general style of the interior.
Is the tile glossy or matte, or maybe semi-matt?
If you can not choose between these two types of tiles and do not decide which advantages are more important to you, you can find the so-called "golden mean".To date, this is by right a semi-mat tile, the surface of which successfully combines the areas of matte and glossy. It attracts with its appearance, which subtly changes from the play of light, and invariably excellent operational properties. To care for it, the usual non-abrasive cleaners and synthetic brushes are used.
Such a tile will be appropriate in the corridor, and in the kitchen, and in the bathroom, regardless of the quality of lighting. It's easier to choose a stylistic solution, make it more original. Today it can easily be found in the collections of most manufacturers of this type of finishing material. Thus, choosing between tiles with a glossy and matte surface is not so difficult. It is only necessary to weigh all their advantages and disadvantages, to evaluate the operating conditions, after which you can safely go for a purchase.