Floor tiles for the bathroom - selection criteria

Floor tiles in today's world of advanced technology takes a special place. Not everyone can afford to buy floor tiles from exclusive manufacturers. But this disadvantage is easily compensated by the availability of inexpensive collections of Russian manufacturers in the market. Any style of bathroom with floor tiles will be transformed, adding originality. And the excellent quality will only delight and not cause too much trouble. All your dreams can be realized in the color palette, drawing or mosaic. Even geometric shapes on the bathroom floor will emphasize the uniqueness of the interior.

Ceramic tiles are quite durable and water-resistant method of finishing walls and floors, and are hygienic and environmentally friendly product. The market of construction materials provides a large selection of tiles for the floor, so each buyer can buy ceramic tiles, relying entirely on your taste.

Floor tiles for the bathroom have become so in demand that every construction store provides a great variety. But, nevertheless, we can distinguish four main types:

• 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 range of colors is provided only in natural shades. Clinker can be coated with a glaze.
• Cotto is also a fairly durable material, the main feature of which is porosity. If you buy this type of tile for the bathroom floor, it must be covered with special hydrophobic substances. This is to prevent the appearance of stains on the coating from water ingress.
• Monocottura is a tile that is covered with a glaze and underwent a single firing. Its main properties include high wear resistance and low water absorption. It can safely be used for bathrooms.
• Porcelain stoneware is particularly popular. This is the most reliable flooring, so it is used not only for bathrooms, but also lining the bottoms of swimming pools. After all, it has a high resistance to temperature changes and does not absorb water.

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

Floor covering in the bathroom should have special properties to have a long service life.

To the floor tiles have certain requirements:

• Resistance of the floor covering to water absorption. This condition is the main one, since in the bathroom water quite often gets on the floor. To prevent water absorption, ceramic tiles undergo 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 to clean the bathroom, especially the floors. And there is also a high possibility of getting hygiene products on the floor covering.
• Resistance to sudden temperature fluctuations and high humidity in the room.
• High slip resistance. The floor covering must be non-slip. The packaging always shows a number after the letter R. If the number is more than 9, then this type of floor tile is perfectly suitable for use in the bathroom. Experts advise to opt for a matte tile, 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 ceramic tiles. Sometimes you come across floor tiles that have a small depression in the middle. This tile will not last long because there will be a void in which the adhesive will not get in. Moisture will accumulate in this void over time, which will affect the adhesive's hold on the tile.
• A good quality tile face. Ceramic tiles should be smooth. If you feel roughness on the glossy surface, it means that the tiles were made by outdated technology. Make sure there are no bubbles on the enamel. The color of the tile should be uniform. If you can see even small discrepancies in the color shade, then this tile is of poor quality, it is not worth buying.
• Floor tiles for the bathroom should be characterized by a stable colorSo that the result is not a washout or burnout of the coating.

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

On the packaging of tiles there is always information about frost resistance. AI or BI means that the tiles can be used outdoors. Marking AIII or BIII is only possible for laying tiles indoors.

Depending on the wear and abrasion resistance criteria, there are also specific designations:

• group PEI I - is less resistant to abrasion, so it is recommended for use in the bathroom, where people do not wear shoes that are used on the street;
• PEI Il group - is also unstable, so it is used in rooms where the traffic is low. It cannot be used in the kitchen and hallway;
• PEI IІІ group - is designed for the floor of the kitchen, corridor or a glazed balcony, because it has medium values;
• PEI IV - group suggests use in commercial halls or offices where people wear outdoor shoes;
• PEI Group V - designed for areas with a large number of people and outdoors. Tiles in this group have no limitations, so they are the best option for bathroom floors.

Before buying ceramic tiles for any room, you should carefully examine the packaging, because there are a lot of useful information that will tell you everything about the tiles, of course, if you know the symbols.

And so, let's describe some of them:

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

Also on the package you can find information about the thickness of the tiles, 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 tiles in light colors. When the water droplets have dried, they will practically not be noticeable. Such a floor will not require a thorough frequent cleaning of the floor. It will be enough to simply wipe the floor after taking a shower or bath, and cleaning with chemicals can be done once a week.

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

Although it is possible to slightly adjust the aforementioned tones and combine the different shades into a single whole. For example, a dark tile should be placed where it is least likely to get water. Light tiles should be placed near the bathtub, washbasin and shower stall. This combination will help you get an original floor covering, and you won't have to constantly clean the floor.

The best option for flooring in the bathroom will be the use of mosaics. It optically increases the space of the bathroom, as well as masks all the irregularities of the floor. Mosaics 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 attack, not afraid of sudden changes in temperature and is waterproof.

Ceramic tiles are made by many companies from different countries:

• Italian glazed tiles has long had 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 production Also is quite in demand in the market of building materials. Compared with Italian tiles, they are cheaper, but not inferior in quality. Tile is characterized by a special design, as it mainly uses bright colors, as well as the play of contrasting patterns;
• Turkish tiles Kalebodur is also quite well-known among buyers with average incomes, because it is much cheaper than tiles from Italy or Spain. Kalebodur is a brand of Turkish tiles, which has excellent quality;
• Ceramic tiles made in Russia Have a good quality characteristics, because almost all industries 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 the Italian and Turkish production of tiles.

In addition to the above manufacturers of ceramic tiles, you should also add Belarusian tilesFrom Lithuania and Slovakia.

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

Nowadays, many buyers choose Italian or Spanish tile floor tiles. In every store you can see a large number of posters and advertising booklets with foreign names of companies producing floor tiles. All these countries are leaders in sales of luxury finishes. Also, China is not behind in the production of excellent product.

Popular is considered tile, which imitates different textures of any materials, such as wood, leather, plastic and others. Many buyers choose tiles that look like plates of metal that are attached to the floor with nails.

To date, very fashionable is a large format tile, such as 30x60 cm or 60x60 cm. It has many advantages. Firstly, the laying of square tiles will not take much time and effort. Secondly, such tiles do not create noticeable joints, the surface looks solid. Thirdly, it is easy to clean.

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

High quality floor tiles are quite expensive. But do not skimp on it, because the repair is done once for 10 or 15 years. If you buy cheap tiles for the bathroom, then the service life will not be long and after three years you will have to buy ceramic tiles for the floor again.

Floor tile models that are inexpensive break easily from impact. In addition, they do not tolerate the temperature extremes that often occur in the bathroom, the surface easily falls into disrepair from rapid abrasion.

Although the appearance of such tiles does not seem to differ from the expensive, be careful.

Experts know that there are many ways of laying floor tiles, but allocate only two main:

• The direct method, also called "seam to seam". Each row of tiles is placed exactly above the previous tile. Thus, using ceramic tiles of different colors, you can create color stripes, or place the tiles in a staggered order.
• The "scattered" method. It uses the displacement of the next row of tiles compared to the row that is already laid on the floor.

The process of laying ceramic tiles on the floor in the bathroom should be performed in the following sequence:

• To successfully install floor tiles, you should first make a marking of the floor, this will help to know the exact placement of each tile. First, the center of the bathroom is measured and a vertical and horizontal line is drawn through it.
• Based on the drawn lines, you should draw the location of each solid tile, as well as the one that should be cut. Tiles with a cut edge are better placed in hidden areas.
• Then you can move on to laying the tiles directly on the floor. First, the adhesive is applied to a small square of the floor with a trowel with teeth. And then, the tile should be laid immediately. When the square is finished, the action is repeated in the same way on a new small section of the floor.
• When the tile is laid on the glue, you should press it firmly to the floor. Also, when laying the floor tiles, do not forget to stick to the marking lines. Do the laying gradually row by row.

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

Laying tips:

• Sometimes you need to use extra tile spacers to form even seams.
• You should do the tile installation on one half of the bathroom first, only then can you move on to the other half.
• When the solid tiles are all laid, you can move on to the cut pieces to fill in all the gaps near the walls.

The buyer is often interested in the question of how long the tiles will last. If you choose the right kind of tile, which depends on the room where it will be laid, as well as do the laying according to the instructions, then ceramic tiles will serve for a very long time.