How to choose bathroom and toilet tiles

Tile for the bathroom to this day remains one of the most successful options for floor and wall covering and has practically no alternatives. Strong and durable, it is extremely unpretentious in operation and with very minimal maintenance it can serve for decades – exactly until it becomes obsolete or trite. And bathroom tiles are also distinguished by excellent moisture resistance and mechanical strength – they can easily withstand the fall of a solid object, and in most cases you can not be afraid to flood your neighbors from below. Of course, only if the bathroom tiles are selected and installed correctly.

Bathroom tile selection options

In order for the procedure of laying bathroom tiles to pass quickly and not cause much trouble, and its functional characteristics completely coincided with the expectations of the owner, there are a number of key characteristics that should be paid attention to when choosing.

Coating purpose

A parameter indicating what kind of surface the tile is intended for. Wall or floor tiles are distinguished, and a specific type of a certain model is indicated by a special icon on the package. 'Hand' in this case refers to wall tiles and 'foot' refers to floor tiles.

Resistance to mechanical stress and wear

It is a coefficient in the PEI measurement system that indicates how much a tile is able to withstand mechanical stress. The gradation of values ​​is from 1 to 5.

1. Tiles of the 1st class are the most 'soft' and therefore are suitable only for laying on the wall.

2. Grades 2 and 3 are considered the most versatile and are excellent as flooring.

3. Grades 4 and 5 – tiles with maximum durability and used in rooms with a constantly large number of visitors. There is no point in buying such a tile for a bath.

Water permeability

A parameter that directly indicates how well the tile resists moisture, as well as whether you will flood the neighbors from below or not.

1. Classic porcelain stoneware or glass tiles are materials that have practically zero moisture permeability, and therefore they are not even afraid of a flood.

2. Ceramics, on the other hand, very willingly 'drinks' water, and therefore to protect it from moisture, it should be covered with several layers of varnish or special glaze.

Roughness

It is of great importance, first of all, for bathroom floor tiles. This parameter indicates how slippery the tile is and whether you will fall if you step on it with wet feet. Preference should be given to models with a roughness coefficient of at least 0.8.

Tile thickness

Everything is quite simple here – the thicker the tile, the more durable and resistant to mechanical damage it is. However, there is a double-edged sword here: greater thickness automatically leads to increased weight. It is indicated on the package by a horizontal stripe between two arrows.

Physical tile dimensions

Without exception, all bathroom tiles can be divided into four main classes:

1. Large tiles, the physical dimensions of which exceed 35×35 centimeters;

2. Medium-sized tiles with a side diagonal of 20 to 25 centimeters;

3. Small tile, side length of which is 10-20 centimeters;

4. Mosaic tiles – tiny fragments that can be used to create intricate patterns;

The degree of resistance to aggressive influences

A criterion indicating how well a bathroom tile resists household chemicals. It is indicated by the symbol of a small flask on the package and the letter of the Latin alphabet: A in this case indicates the most resistant to chemistry tile, D – the least resistant;

Types of bathroom tiles

Pay attention not only to the above characteristics, but also to the appearance of the tiles. Functional characteristics, as well as appearance, largely depend on it.

Ceramic tile

A classic tile well known to all, the basis of which is a clay mixture fired at a high temperature. Depending on the specific purpose, it can be glossy, slippery, and matte, with a high roughness coefficient. Correctly processed ceramics perfectly resist moisture and are widely used for laying in bathrooms, baths, saunas and other rooms with the highest possible humidity.

Advantages

• High resistance to mechanical stress and abrasion;

• Differs in high durability;

• With proper processing, it is not afraid of moisture;

disadvantages

• High fragility – a light blow with a sharp object may result in splitting;

• Due to the drying out of the clay during firing, the geometric dimensions of the tiles of even one batch may differ;

• Relatively high cost;

Glass bathroom tile

A relatively new, modern finish. According to its characteristics, it is practically in no way inferior to ceramics, differing from it in a much wider variety of colors and shades. The sizes are also different – in addition to traditional models, you can buy mosaic tiles of different colors and lay out some fancy design from it.

Advantages

• A huge variety of the lineup, a large number of colors and shades;

• Complete waterproofing in all conditions;

• Resistance to mechanical stress and abrasion;

• High abrasion resistance;

disadvantages

• Large weight;

• High price;

Porcelain stoneware

According to many tilers, it is the ideal material for the bathroom. It has incorporated all the advantages of modern materials and is practically devoid of their disadvantages. It is distinguished by high strength and resistance to mechanical stress, perfectly resists abrasion, and in terms of moisture resistance it is much higher than ordinary ceramics.

Advantages

• High strength and abrasion resistance;

• Affordable cost;

• High level of resistance to mechanical stress – much higher than that of ceramics;

• A large number of colors and shades;

• Maximum moisture resistance and waterproofness;

disadvantages

• Excessive weight;

• Demanding qualifications of the master who performs the installation;

Rectified tiles

A very interesting type of material, each tile of which is a set of pieces connected together. As a result of this design, when laid, the tiles create a sense of a holistic picture, and the seams are almost invisible. Rectified tiles can be made of almost any material – stone, granite, ceramics.

Advantages

• A rich selection of textures, shades and colors;

• With proper installation, the feeling of a single picture is created, without any seams and joints;

disadvantages

• High price;

• Requires a perfectly flat base for laying and highly skilled craftsmen;

Which bathroom tile to choose – expert advice

1. The tiles laid on the floor must have the highest possible strength and resistance to mechanical wear, as well as be matte and not slippery. The optimal choice is a tile or porcelain stoneware belonging to class 2 or 3 according to PEI and with a roughness coefficient of the order of 0.8-0.85;

2. Almost any tile is suitable for laying on walls, and you can ignore the parameters of moisture resistance, roughness and other criteria that affect the price;

3. If you want to lay out a beautiful mosaic and make some kind of fancy pattern – glass tiles of small sizes, as well as their mosaic counterpart, are ideal;

4. Those who do not want to deal with the cleaning of tile joints, which have become blackened by time and moisture, will prefer rectified tiles. Due to its design, such a tile fits almost jointly to joint and has no seams;

The best bathroom tile manufacturers. Which company to choose

Traditionally, large European concerns are considered the best manufacturers of bathroom tiles. Most of them have been working in this field for more than a dozen years, and the range of their catalogs includes hundreds of different models. Italian and German brands are good, Spanish and French tiles are considered quite good. In general, you can recommend the purchase of products from the following manufacturers:

1. Kerama Marazzi

2. Golden tile

3. Cersanit

4. Fap Ceramiche

How much do bathroom tiles cost?

Prices for bathroom tiles vary quite a lot and depend on the material, design and, of course, the manufacturer:

1. The simplest tile is available to everyone. It costs about 300-500 rubles per square meter;

2. Glass tiles, depending on the specific model, can cost both 600-800 rubles and 15-20 thousand rubles per square meter;

3. The average price of porcelain stoneware is from eight hundred to eight thousand rubles;

4. If you want to get an exclusive, like painted ceramic tiles made of white clay, be prepared to shell out 5000-6000 rubles. But not for a 'square', but for one thing.

In the following articles, our experts will tell you how to choose the right heated towel rail, the secrets of choosing a bathroom sink, the features of choosing a bathroom faucet and the main criteria for choosing a quality bath.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a purchase guide.