How to choose the right floor tiles - tips and advice from experts. How to choose high-quality and beautiful bathroom tiles for walls and floors Find the best prices

It's just full of options. You can find both simple inexpensive tiles and exclusive designer tiles, but the assortment various options is so extensive that even experienced builders and designers sometimes find it difficult to navigate it and choose the most suitable option for specific conditions. So, what rules should be followed when choosing tiles for the bathroom to be beautiful, practical and durable.

No. 1. Decide on the design

Since the choice of tiles is quite extensive, you can create almost any design in the bathroom. The first thing every buyer pays attention to is color material. So, White color - This a win-win which can be easily matched with bright colored items. To some, white seems too boring, but it is with its help that you can significantly expand the space of a small bathroom. But still, pure white walls are an unacceptable option, so it is better to choose a warm white shade or dilute the walls with some other color.

Great for the bathroom blue and, which give a feeling of coolness, as well as warm beige and coffee shades that create a cozy and relaxing atmosphere in the room. bright shades better used as accents, and black color tiles make the room gloomy, and is contraindicated if the room does not have a window.

Experienced designers when working with tiles advise take into account several aspects:

artificial lighting may change the color of the coating, and this should be taken into account already at the selection stage;
glossy tiles can tire eyesight, as it creates glare in the light of lamps;
vertical drawings on the tile can visually make room above;
tiles with a large pattern it is better not to use if the bathroom is not very large, otherwise it will seem even smaller;
For, of course, it is better to use light-colored tiles to visually push the boundaries of space.

No. 2. Choose a style

There are a lot of different styles for decorating a bathroom, and each requires a certain approach to choosing a tile.

Classic style

So, classic style provides for dividing the walls into two parts: the upper one is finished with light-colored tiles, the lower one, together with the floor, is of a darker shade. also provides for a combination of tiles with an ornament and a plain one, and the color scheme should be the same.

East style

Great for bathrooms East style which is conducive to relaxation. But in this way, only sufficiently spacious rooms can be organized so as not to end up with an overly cramped space that has not a calming, but an annoying effect. If you decide to create in the bathroom oriental interior then pay attention to the tiles rich colors: , green, red, gold, turquoise, as well as variants with a characteristic pattern. On the walls or on the floor, you can lay out some kind of pattern.

Country style

No. 3. Type of tile surface: glossy, matte or mirror

Today, you can find glossy and matte tiles on sale: both have a number of undeniable advantages, but when choosing, you need to weigh all their main properties so that the bathroom space is comfortable and cozy.

Glossy tiles

Glossy tiles- more common option. It attracts buyers with its ability to reflect light and ease of care. But here you should be extremely careful. If the glossy tile of light shades gives almost imperceptible glare, then the dark one glares strongly, which can irritate the eyesight. By the way, glossy tiles with a completely identical color will always seem brighter than matte.

matte tiles

Matte coating- more calm, does not reflect light, but traces of splashes on it are more clearly visible. The material is great for the floor, as it has a slightly rough surface. Often, matte tiles imitate some kind of material and have an interesting texture: you can find material that looks like wood, pebbles, stone, metal, leather, etc. Such material will look great both on the floor and on the walls.

Mirror tiles

Also on sale today you can find mirror surface tiles, with which you can achieve a visual increase in space. Such tiles can be laid out on one of the walls in the bathroom, you can use it only as inserts between ordinary tiles. By the way, such inserts can completely replace you. Can be laid diagonally on the floor or on the walls to achieve more depth of space. In addition, such tiles are used today to decorate the ceiling in order to visually make the room taller.

No. 4. Choosing a tile size

If the bathroom has decent area, then for walls and floors you can choose tiles of any size. If the room is small, which occurs in most cases, then the choice of tile size should be approached with the utmost care. Small mosaic tiles can play a cruel joke and make the bathroom even more miniature. If you choose a large tile, then the space will be divided into several large geometric shapes, which will make the room even smaller. Small repeating patterns, like a large bright ornament, will not work.

Best option for small space– use of the middle tile. So, you can choose a square one with parameters of 20 * 20 cm or a rectangular one with dimensions of 20 * 30 cm. A rectangular one can correct the perception of the room: if it is laid out horizontally, it will make the room longer, and if vertically - higher. On the floor, tiles can be laid out diagonally: this is how the illusion of additional space is created.

No. 5. Tile type

When choosing a tile, it is important to pay attention not only to its design, color and size, but also to performance characteristics so that the material is suitable for use in a bathroom, does not slip, withstands all loads, is durable and strong. On the packaging, the manufacturer must indicate about the type, category of tile, its weather and chemical resistance, the possibility of using it as a floor or wall finish.

First you need to deal with types of tiles. There are three of them in total, according to the European marking, and they are easy to recognize by their characteristic colors:

first grade - red marking,
the second one is blue
the third is green.

First grade has the highest quality, no more than 5% of defective tiles are allowed, and testing is carried out from a distance of one meter to the samples.

Second grade also provides for the presence of defective samples up to 5%, but in this case, testing is carried out from a distance of 2 meters.

Tiles of the third class is not of high quality, and more than 5% of defective products may occur in the batch.

domestic producers such markings are rarely used, so you should look for information about the possible percentage of marriage on the packaging.

No. 6. Physical properties

The signs on the packaging will help you understand the basic properties of the tile. So, floor tiles are marked symbol of the foot, such material is more reliable, strong and durable. Wall tiles are marked palm icon.

It is also important to pay attention to material resistance to chemicals . This property is marked with a bulb sign indicating the degree of stability: AA, B, C, D. When it comes to choosing tiles for the bathroom, it is better to take the most stable material (AA), since there is always high humidity in this room, detergents are used and cosmetic substances of various kinds. Otherwise, you risk getting stains and stains on the material after a while.

Wear resistance of the material is indicated on the packaging in Roman numerals and can be of five classes. For residential premises, it makes no sense to buy material whose class is higher than the third, since the load on the tile will be minimal. If a small number of people live in the apartment, then you can choose first-class tiles, saving a little.

No. 7. Manufacturer's name

Of course, the leaders in quality can be safely recognized Italian companies Valverde, Saloni, Tilegres. Their products combine beautiful appearance and excellent performance, but such samples are not cheap. Also performed well Spanish manufacturers, including Aparisi, Pamesa, Novogres, Ceramica.

Lithuanian and Slovak the tile also showed itself well due to the price / quality ratio. Also common Chinese products under the brands Cimic, Omica, Hitom, and the prices for this tile are quite reasonable high quality products. domestic producers, which use modern equipment, also produce excellent products that compete with world leaders in the field. These are Shakhty tiles, Kerama - Marazzi, Kerabud, Sokol Plant.

No. 8. Assessing the appearance

Before buying, it would be nice to look at the tile and evaluate how well it is made. You should be guided by the following parameters:

enamel must be intact without cracks, chips or other defects. It should not have foreign inclusions, and the presence of red or yellow stripes on it should immediately alert, because this is how defective tiles are marked in production;
increased demands are placed on floor tiles. Doesn't interfere conduct such an experiment: put the tile face on a rough surface and rub it, if there are no traces left, then the material is of high quality;
regular geometric shape tiles and compliance with the parameters indicated on the package;
moisture resistance: water should collect on the surface in drops;
anti-slip surface especially when it comes to floor tiles. This is easy to check: just wet the surface and run your finger over it. If this can be done easily, and the finger slides well over the surface, then the material is not suitable for the bathroom, as it can be dangerous.

No. 9. We calculate the quantity

Correctly calculating the number of tiles is very important. If there is not enough of it, then it will no longer be possible to find the same one in the store, which will cause problems, and if there is too much, then it is uneconomical, and the surplus will clutter up the free space. To correctly calculate the amount of material, you need to know parameters of the room and the selected tile, and to simplify the task, you can use the construction calculator. Experts advise adding 7-15% to the result obtained.

In conclusion

The choice of tiles for the bathroom is a responsible task, which must be approached with special attention. Many factors need to be taken into account appearance and size to the performance characteristics and the name of the manufacturer, and then the material will delight you with its ideal appearance for many years. We hope the tips above will help you make the right choice.

August 23, 2016
You can talk about design canons for a long time, but every day the existing canons become less and less stable. Aesthetics and harmony, balance, colors, materials, brought together in order to get such a long-awaited result are the essence of your knowledge, practice and self-development. My motto is to learn, see, touch something new every day, and I am sure that this is the only way to keep the right course in “high design”.

Moisture resistance and inertness to the effects of cleaning agents made the tile the most popular finishing material for the bathroom. So, it's time to talk about how to choose the right tile for the bathroom.

Tile type and layout

The layout, according to many, is an exclusively design technique that has a decorative function, but this is far from being the case. A competent combination of color, texture and size of the tile allows you to solve the problems of the room, among which there is more often a low ceiling, an elongated shape or technological niches and ledges in the walls.

High ceiling. choose decorative tiles for horizontal installation. It can be several horizontal thin stripes or one wide line, occupying at least 1/6 of the height of the room.
If the narrow shape of the room is added to the problem of a too high ceiling, your choice is to lay tiles according to the “dark bottom, light top” principle. As an alternative solution with a focus on savings, a combination of tiles at the top and wall panels dark color at the bottom.

In addition, the lower part of the walls can be decorated using decorative panels (per square meter, they can be cheaper).

If your choice fell on the use of a contrasting bright horizontal edging, pay attention to the height of the furniture, the location of the heated towel rail and the mirror.

Low ceiling. This is where vertical accents come into play, helping to make the room more "slender" and coherent. In addition, this layout is actively used to accentuate a separate wall. In most cases, one wide strip and several thin ones are combined.

Pushing back the wall. No, no, we will not destroy the walls, and build new ones, we will move it visually. To do this, we need a dark tile that fits on the wall that needs to be brought closer. When is this approach relevant? In the event that the room has a disproportionate elongated shape.

beat the corner. To implement the reception, the same tile is laid not on parallel planes, but on perpendicular ones. This will help to highlight separate areas, for example, a bath-shower, a toilet-bidet, a washbasin-mirror.

When choosing the same tiles for walls and floors, remember that the latter must be labeled "floor" and high level anti-slip.

Mosaic. A separate category is mosaic. In a small bathroom, its all-consuming power can turn into a visual reduction of the room, so I advise you to use it in doses. With what to combine? With single-color large tiles with the thinnest possible seams.

As a panel, you can use not only mosaics, but also patchwork tiles. In this case, you are almost unlimited in choosing a plain tile for other surfaces. Where to locate? I recommend using patchwork in the bath/shower area or on the wall with a mirror.

Prioritize color. You can completely abandon the stripes and lines of tiles. Great solution there will be a chaotic arrangement of contrasting tiles on 1 or 2 parallel walls.

If you are used to ordering everything and do not accept chaos in its classical sense, “collect” the interior with the help of a contrasting edge of the bathroom trim or a decorative colored frame around the mirror.

Neighbors, Friends, Enemies. Before choosing tiles for the bathroom and toilet, think about what it will be combined with. The introduction of paint and decorative plaster is becoming more and more urgent. More often, ceramics are laid in the lower part, it is important to follow the rule here - the tile strip must have a height of at least 115 cm with a standard installation of the sink at a height of 85 cm.
When combined, tiles can be used in a separate part, for example, behind, in the shower or bath area.

Saving must be economical

A lot has been said about which bathroom tile is better to choose, but few know how to save money when buying. I share personal secrets.

The main way to save money is to combine inexpensive tiles with designer collections. If you find a compromise, you will get an excellent result and a unique interior.

Neutral background

The first way to save money is to purchase inexpensive plain tiles and focus on colored grout. One point is important here - “inexpensive” does not mean poor quality. choose well-known manufacturer and look for a budget collection.

If you do not understand how the selected tile with colored seams will look, lay out a square meter of tiles on hardboard or drywall and fill the seams “dry”.

different size

The square background tile is a universal "soldier". Sum the multiples of the dimensions, for example, join the 10, 15 and 20 cm squares and combine them with the 30, 40 cm floor squares.

Change Orientation

Rectangular tiles with a chamfer (“boar”) are often laid horizontally, by changing the orientation of the installation, you can visually enlarge the bathroom. Oh yes, savings. Do not buy thick classic crosses for the "boar", they make the tile look cheap. Choose separators no larger than 0.5 mm.

If the laying will be done by the master, you can choose a "parquet" layout diagonally, for example, herringbone. I would not recommend doing this kind of work with your own hands.

If the bathroom is small, get a medium-sized tile. After cutting it, there is less waste.

As simple as possible

A great way to save money is to choose brick-shaped tiles. In this case, it is laid without displacement so that no pieces smaller than 5 cm remain.

This layout option also has a significant drawback, when laying on walls “littered” vertically, the flaw will become more noticeable.

Having decided which tile to choose in the bathroom, you can proceed to the calculation. To do this, on a sheet of paper, draw all the walls of the bathroom to scale and “lay out” the tiles. To the resulting square meters, add a margin of 10% for a straight layout and 15% for a diagonal and herringbone.

Elite meter

You can create an “expensive” design with a small amount of elite tiles, which are used locally in wall decoration, for example, near a mirror.

If the selected design tile option does not fit into one canvas with an inexpensive background, for example, because of the hexagonal shape, use paint.

Forever young and forever drunk

Fashion is a capricious and changeable lady, today she is in red, tomorrow she will prefer beige. Unfortunately, the interior of the apartment does not change at such a speed. How to choose the color, texture, size and pattern of a tile so that it remains relevant for a long time.

Imitation of natural material. Thanks to digital printing, tiles imitating stone, wood, and marble have become widespread. In addition to the complete identity of the drawing, we managed to get a similar texture and relief. If such a tile has one more advantage - the price, which is an order of magnitude lower than the cost of natural material, such as onyx or marble.

Designer Tip! Today, not only imitations of expensive natural materials, but also tiles with the color and texture of shell rock, sandstone and slate.

Such "special effects" as brushing and aging make "wood look" tiles as realistic as possible. Such solutions are indispensable when arranging a bathroom in a loft style.

The "stone-like" tile has no style restrictions. Marble stains create a calm, beautiful backdrop for expensive sanitary ware in a classic form or emphasize minimalism in design.

You can choose high-quality "stone" tiles in the collections of Kerama Marazzi, Atlas Concorde and Peronda.

Maxi format. Large tiles have climbed to the very top of popularity and are not going to go down from there. Today, you can easily find a 1x3 m tile, which rather allows you to attribute it to the plates.

Single flat surfaces with stone imitation can be found in the Italian brands Graniti Fiandre and Rex.

Ten. Classic tiles 10x10 and 20x20 cm are relevant regardless of the area of the room. The visual effect is assembled from three "whales": the color of the tile, the shade of the grout and the layout.

Your Naf-Naf. "Boar", which I talked about above, also refers to the immortal trends. If you choose a "boar" with a glossy surface and beveled bevels, let it be pastel shades: beige or white. "Boar" is relevant for interiors in country style, modern.

The charm of patchwork. Patchwork is a technology of sewing from separate multi-colored shreds. The same "pieces" ceramic tiles folded into a single sheet. More often used as an accent or in floor decoration.

Ready patchwork collections are produced by CERAMICA FIORANESE (Inside collection), Serenissima CIR (Biarritz series), ABK (Docks), Del Conca (Amarcord).

3D reality. I recommend using three-dimensional tiles in bathrooms with an area of at least 10 m².

Floor tiles, what are you doing, stop it!

“Well, not easily soiled and not slippery”, often the requirements for floor tiles in the bathroom end there, and in fact it is capable of more, for example, visually hide the flaws of the room.

Problem	Liquidation instructions
crooked walls	The ideal option to eliminate the disadvantage is the diagonal layout. A seam pattern in a contrasting color will turn attention to itself, while distracting from problematic walls.
narrow room	Choose from checkered or herringbone patterns. These schemes have moved from laying methods block parquet, therefore, the shape of the tile should be appropriate. I can safely call tiles with the color and texture of wood an ideal solution.
elongated room	The optimal layout is scatter (deck, with a shift). Rectangular tiles are more often shifted along the long side by 1/4 or 1/3, the maximum allowable shift is 1/2. To prevent the floor from looking crooked, use tiles in similar shades and don't forget about a 10% margin.
Zoning	Laying according to the “carpet” scheme, which may have an additional edging or be laid out without it.
Reducing or increasing the area	If you have a small bathroom, choose an irregular, repetitive layout in pastel shades. The same “recipe for a hundred troubles” is also relevant for a large area, you just have to replace pastel colors with contrasting ones.

Project with tiles in the lead role

And by tradition, I offer you a full-fledged bathroom interior, in which the main decorative role is assigned to the tile.

Initially, the bathroom was separated from the toilet, after the merging, it was possible to get 6 m², which acquired Mediterranean features and vintage notes.

The central part of the room was occupied by a bathtub, opposite it - a wall on which two antique mirrors are fixed. It is thanks to them that the area of \u200b\u200bthe room has visually increased and looks more spacious.

The finishing tile has an unusual pattern and color, which is a combination of turquoise, blue and white. The size of one tile is 20.5x20.5 cm, the combined four elements form a single composition measuring 41x41 cm, which resembles the pattern of a classic painted tile.

In the company, white brick-shaped cement tiles from Fired Earth, laid in the open shower area, were selected for her.

The toilet was moved to the opposite wall, due to this, it was possible to find a place for an open shower without a pallet.

There was a window in the niche next to the shower, we tiled it and equipped it under a shelf. As wall decor used photographs of Slim Aaron, taken in the 1960s and 70s. They found their home next to the shower.

Bathroom and shower faucets are nickel-plated, this coating has become very good decision for interiors with vintage touches. In addition to them, gilded accessories and door handles were purchased.

Storage areas are organized in a spacious custom-made closet. Lighting - four adjustable light sources.

In the interior used:

siphon, bath, shower with watering can and faucets, oval mirrors, - Drummonds;
mirror panels - Rupert Bevan;
toilet - Brora;
double sinks - Atlantic Gray Double Crake;
wall lamps – Jonathan Adler.

Summing up

Tile has long ceased to be exclusively a way of decorating walls, now it is a design technique that can change perception, accentuate and hide. On this, I say goodbye to you and wish you success in the difficult repair business. Before you start designing your dream bathroom, be sure to watch the video in this article.

And I have a question for you - do you consider tiles the only option for finishing a bathroom? Share your thoughts in the comments.

If you already have a fix idea, choose your dream color and let it be the starting point for picking the rest of the shades. The main thing is not to overdo it with accents.

Do not choose more than three different colors. To navigate in all the variety of design options, it is best to look for photos of ready-made premises.

The room you want to decorate is small and you need to visually expand it? Use bright hues. The classic option for the bathroom is white tiles.

If you think it's too banal, give preference to beige, peach or blue.

The floor and walls, laid out with one type of tile, mostly light and glossy, will visually expand the space and add air.

Andrey Lyamin-Borodin, General Director of the Internet service for ordering repairs Rewedo.ru

It is believed that cool colors create the effect of freshness and coolness, while warm colors soothe. One of modern trends- decoration of premises in natural shades.

Dark tiles create a depressing impression. Contrary to popular belief, dirt is clearly visible on it. Use dark colors carefully. For example, for decorating the floor and the lower part of the walls.

Avoid and very bright colors such as scarlet or gold. In such rooms, you will get tired very quickly.

Use bright or patterned tiles to create accents or a room.

When choosing a tile for the kitchen, match its color with the set.

How to choose the shape and size of tiles

Most often, stores offer square or rectangular tiles. If you're remodeling your own, check out these classic options. It is much more convenient to work with them than with unusually shaped tiles.

Do you want to achieve different visual effects? Use a rectangular tile. Place it on the walls vertically, and you will stretch them in length, horizontally - in width. To visually expand the room, lay out the floor tiles diagonally.

Don't choose very small tiles for small spaces. Also give up the idea of decorating a room in a mosaic style. It greatly narrows the space. Do not use very large tiles. With it, there will be large seams on the walls, which will also unprofitably divide the room into parts.

It is also worth avoiding extremes for reasons of economy.

From the point of view of practicality and cost of work for walls, it is better to choose medium-sized tiles. Too small or, on the contrary, large format can cause an extra charge when laying. Mosaic is on average more expensive than ordinary tiles, and working with it will also not be cheap.
Andrey Lyamin-Borodin

How to calculate the required number of tiles

Measure the length of the walls and their height and multiply these numbers. From the resulting product, subtract the area of the door (if necessary, also the area of \u200b\u200bthe bath). Calculate the floor area.

Then calculate the area of one tile by also multiplying its length by its width. By dividing the total area of the walls or floor by the area of one tile, you determine the number of the latter.

An example of calculating tiles for a wall with a door

When in doubt, use any online tile calculator.

Do not forget to add 10–15% to the value obtained, since part of the tile will inevitably be damaged during transportation or installation.

Naturally, this is the most primitive way to calculate tiles. With an unusual layout, you may need the help of professionals who will draw up the correct drawing and, based on it, calculate the required amount of materials.

How to choose a tile of the desired structure and quality

If you're choosing tiles for your home, it doesn't make sense to opt for super-stable materials that are essential for decorating spaces. common use. It is unlikely that the same number of people will walk in your kitchen or bathroom as people visit cinemas or exhibitions.

Choose tiles with a wear resistance coefficient from I to III (III - for the floor) and do not overpay.

If you are not going to arrange a large freezer or solarium from your apartment, then the temperature resistance of the tile should not be taken into account either.

When choosing tiles for the bathroom, pay attention to characteristics such as water resistance and relief (for the floor).

The tiles of Italian and Spanish production are considered to be of the highest quality. To save money, combine expensive tiles with cheap ones.

Many Russian manufacturers, such as Kerama Marazzi, Keramin, Italon, offer tiles of acceptable quality. It can be taken as a base, pointwise complemented by a more expensive and expressive one, or, for example, a mosaic.
Andrey Lyamin-Borodin

But you need to be careful when buying tiles with huge discounts. The fact is that a low-grade product, presented as a better one, can get on sale. The coating from such a tile will come out sloppy.

How to check the quality of a tile

The marriage of a tile is chips, cracks, uneven geometry and a difference in height between different tiles. If, after buying a tile and unpacking it at home, you find such defects, go to the store and return the defective product.
Andrey Lyamin-Borodin

There are ways to check the quality of tiles before buying:

View the tile against the light: this way, possible cracks and other imperfections are better visible on it.
To assess the flatness of the material, place two tiles against each other and check how tightly the surfaces fit. Take a couple of tiles from different boxes and attach them to each other in the same way.
To assess possible slippage, drop water on the tile and run your finger over it.

If you opened the package with tiles and found a marriage, write a claim. In this case, you can either bring low-quality tiles to the store yourself, or ask a broker to come (it happens that half of the package is already on the wall).

The broker will draw up an act on the non-compliance of the goods with the declared characteristics and send your claim to the manufacturing plant. There, your appeal will be considered and, if deemed justified, the product will be replaced with an appropriate one in quality. As you can imagine, the process is not fast. If a renovation is in progress, it's often easier to buy a new pack of tiles.

Can I return a tile to the store if there is an error in the calculation? According to Andrey Lyamin-Borodin, this is possible if you bought tiles with a large supply and you still have whole packages. According to the law, tiles can be returned within 14 days from the date of purchase, excluding this day. Some manufacturers offer customers buyback as a bonus, but this only applies to budget tiles.

Do you know any tile selection hacks? Share them in the comments.

As a material for finishing the floor, many choose ceramic tiles despite the abundance of other floor coverings on the construction market. The tile has a lot of advantages in comparison with other coatings. Let's look at how to choose floor tiles for different types premises.

Features and benefits of the material

If you start comparing floor tiles with ordinary tiles, it is immediately noticeable that the first one has a greater thickness. Also, the finish is characterized by increased wear resistance characteristics. Because of these properties, tiles are usually laid in the kitchen and in the hallway.

Among other advantages and features, high hygiene can be distinguished. Compared to any other floor coverings, it is the tile that is considered best material for floors in rooms where elevated level pollution.

The material has extraordinary strength. The main thing is to know how to choose floor tiles so as not to regret the purchase. Under the condition of professional laying, the tile is able to withstand significant impact loads, as well as other mechanical damage. The finish is not only durable, it also does not lose its color over time.

Ceramics are very durable. Unlike other coatings, floor tiles are able to last without loss or deterioration. specifications up to 50 years old. The tile is not afraid of moisture and serious flooding - therefore, the tile is chosen for finishing bathrooms. Any other material in the bathroom will quickly become damp and unusable.

If the coating is damaged, only the damaged area can be repaired without the need to replace the entire floor. And finally, ceramics will never harm human health. This is the most environmentally friendly option among all existing floor coverings(of course, except for the tree). In stores and building hypermarkets, a huge selection of ceramics for the floor of any color, pattern, size and texture is presented.

This allows you to create not only a durable, but also an attractive coating.

Flaws

If you lay tiles in violation of technology, this will lead to the formation of cracks. To obtain a quality result, it is not enough to choose a quality tile. You must first perform a thorough preparation of the subfloor. It must be flat and dry.

For all its merits, tiles have poor sound absorption properties. But this shortcoming can be easily eliminated with soundproofing layers. The latter are laid when pouring the screed.

Ceramic tiles are very cold, but have a high thermal conductivity. The problem of cold will be solved by installing underfloor heating. Finally, the tiles are very slippery. For bathrooms, options with a rough surface are more preferable.

Criterias of choice

How to choose floor tiles? First of all, the choice depends on the type of room where it will fit. So, it can be a bathroom, kitchen, living room, hallway. Finishing characteristics depend on the type of room. There are certain criteria for choosing floor tiles.

Structure

The construction market presents materials with a glossy, matte or embossed surface. It should be borne in mind that the tile is very slippery, so you should not opt for glossy products, even if they look very impressive. Glossy floors become dangerous if they get wet. If you really liked the shine, then it is better to use it where the humidity is lower.

Dimensions

The geometric characteristics determine how the room and interior will be visually perceived. If you lay large ceramics in a small room, then visually it will decrease and it will be cramped in it. But a small mosaic will visually expand the space.

Large tiles are relevant in rooms with an area of \u200b\u200bmore than seven square meters. For bathrooms and bathrooms, it is better to use smaller options.

Color spectrum

Floors, like walls, occupy a fairly large area. And this means that the coating can significantly affect the process of forming the interior of the room. Professional designers advise which floor tiles to choose to get a harmonious interior:

Floors should be in harmony with other finishes, or contrast with it. White tiles on the floor in the corridor will make a dark room brighter and visually expand it. Color saturation depends on the brightness of the light.
IN classic interiors the tile from natural stone. But the imitation will also look pretty impressive.

materials

It is believed that ceramics is an exceptionally cold floor. Therefore, it is not used for bedrooms and children's rooms. And this is true for stone and ceramic materials. But on sale you can find a special warm tiles. This is a new product developed in Japan. In the structure of such a product there is a mass of air bubbles that act as a barrier from the cold, without reducing the strength characteristics. Therefore, for those who do not know which floor tiles to choose, warm products are an ideal option. The floor will be easy to use and not give off cold.

Let's note one nuance. Among ordinary tiles, there are also warmer and colder options. So, the stone is much colder than ordinary ceramics. Granite and porcelain stoneware tiles are best chosen for corridors.

For those who do not know what kind of floor tiles to choose to keep warm, special vinyl finishes can be offered in stores. It is much warmer than ordinary tiles. But this is not classical ceramics. This is something like ordinary linoleum, but with a different composition and laying technology. The material is easily adjusted to rooms of any size, elastic and warm. But it is not very durable. The service life is not more than 10 years.

There is also a quartz vinyl tile. It is harder than PVC materials, as it contains 80 percent quartz sand.

Marking

Any package with tiles has special designations. They will help and tell you how to choose floor tiles. In these symbols, manufacturers have encrypted all the necessary information. If a palm is drawn, then this is a wall tile. If the foot, then, respectively, for the floor. Snowflake means that the material is intended for use as an outdoor finish.

decorative characteristics

Often the tiles are decorated with various decorative elements. It can be inserts, patterns, embossed stripes. It all looks very elegant, but only if the area of \u200b\u200bthe room and the interior design match.

For small rooms do not get carried away big amount such patterns. This noticeably hides the free space.

Manufacturers

Many are sure that it is possible to choose the right floor tiles only from foreign manufacturers. In fact, the stores offer a lot of high-quality domestic products that have the same characteristics as imported ones. But its price is much lower.

If you make a choice without a certain experience, it is best to trust trusted manufacturers:

Almera Ceramics.
"Cersanit".
"Novabell"

Variety

For those who do not know how to choose floor tiles, labeling comes to the rescue again. It must indicate the variety. The higher it is, the lower the quality. Poor quality tiles may have dimensional errors. Various defects, deviations in thickness, uneven coloring, chips.

Each variety has its own label. The first is red, the second is blue, and the third is green. Regardless of which floor tiles to choose for the bathroom or any other premises, it is better to purchase tiles from one batch. Why is that? The same products from different batches can differ significantly in color, shades and even sizes.

Features of choice

Let's look at which floor tiles to choose for the bathroom. Bathroom ceramics must meet certain requirements. This is the correctness of geometric shapes and strict compliance with sizes. The material must be integral without defects, the surface of the tile must be resistant to abrasion. Another important characteristic is resistance to temperature extremes and moisture. In addition, bathroom tiles must be resistant to chemical cleaners and have an anti-slip effect.

For those who do not have the proper experience and do not know which floor tiles to choose for the bathroom by color, it is best to purchase a set of floor and wall tiles. In collections modern manufacturers presented various models. It is only necessary to take into account the main design rules - it is good to choose light colors in small rooms.

Kitchen

How to choose floor tiles for the kitchen? There are two options. This is porcelain stoneware or traditional ceramics. Do not be afraid of porcelain stoneware - there are no special substances in its composition for a long time.

Among the advantages of such tiles, it is worth noting the long service life and the ability to maintain a magnificent appearance for 15 years. Also, the material has high strength, which is very important in the kitchen. Tiles are not easily scratched. Doesn't stay on the surface greasy spots. This is also a big plus. Among the shortcomings - porcelain stoneware is cold, and when moisture gets in it is very slippery.

Ceramics has the same advantages and the same disadvantages as porcelain stoneware. But its price is much lower. There are two types of ceramics - glazed and ordinary. The first models are distinguished by a more glossy surface, as well as increased hardness. This a good choice for kitchen. Here's how to choose floor tiles for your kitchen. As for color and design, the existing kitchen interior must be taken into account.

How to choose the right color

The flooring, or rather its color, plays an important role in the interior. It is not enough to choose just high-quality ceramics or tiles - you need it to complement the existing interior. For different rooms Color requirements vary.

Experts will share tips on how to choose the color of floor tiles. White bathroom tile is a classic that some find too boring. But white is the best thing to visually expand the space. Blue or green shades will create a cool and fresh atmosphere. More natural shades (beige, coffee) will bring a calming effect.

Turquoise, gold and red are used to emphasize certain points. Too bright colors will cause overvoltage. Black color will narrow the space and will have a depressing effect on the psyche. But if there is good lighting in the room, then a dark color can be effectively used in combination with white or coffee.

Here's how to choose ceramic floor tiles by color and shades. This is an important characteristic that should be considered when creating the interiors of various rooms.

Grout colors

Grout also plays an important role in the design of a tile floor. She will complement color scheme gender. In the case of multi-colored ceramics, choose the darkest and most light color. Then everything is decided by size. If the tile is plain, then the shade is chosen according to the functional purpose of the room. To emphasize furniture, grout is chosen to match the tile. In the case of using mosaics, they take a shade that would contrast with the main tone. But you can choose a neutral color.

Conclusion

So, we figured out how to choose a grout color for floor tiles. Using these simple tips and tricks, you can get a beautiful and practical room. A glossy surface will look better than a matte one. But it is worth remembering that when water enters, such a tile becomes very traumatic. It is better to use it only for walls.

During the renovation of the bathroom, many are faced with the question: "How to choose a tile?". Choosing a quality tile is not easy.

It is necessary to combine two tasks:

purchase a tile of beautiful colors that all family members will like;
choose a tile that can be laid with minimal loss of quality and nerves.

Features of tiles

The choice of tiles according to the manufacturing method

There are three types of tiles according to the manufacturing method:

cast - clay mass is poured into special forms;
pressed - production under high pressure from a mixture of powder structure with additives;

tiles made by extrusion - punching through a certain shape.

Choice of tile sizes

Before choosing a tile, you need to decide on the size of the tile that is suitable for.

Ceramic tile- these are rectangular or square plates.
The most common are the following sizes in centimeters:

15x15;
20x20;
20x30.

The thickness of the tile can vary from 8 to 20 millimeters.

Tip: with large tiles (larger than 25x40), the cladding can be completed much faster, although it will have to be cut, for this you need to purchase spare tiles.

What kind of tile coating

How to choose the right tile, what is the coating of ceramic tiles?

The tile happens:

glazed (enamelled);
without enamel.

The top layer of enameled tiles is of two types:

glossy;
matt.

The colors of glazed tiles are quite diverse, they also come with decorative patterns or simply one-color.

Ways of heat treatment of tiles

How to choose a tile for a floor, walls and? What you need to know about heat treatment of tiles?

There are two categories:

single firing;
double firing.

Single firing (monocoturra)- glaze is applied to wet clay, then the tile is placed in the oven, as a result, the base and glaze are fired at the same time. When firing occurs, these two components are very tightly soldered to each other and the tile is quite strong.

Tip: single-fired tiles are best laid on, as they are very durable and less likely to crack and split.

Double firing (bicoturra)- first, the base is placed in the oven, then the glaze is applied. The tile is then fired again at a lower temperature, resulting in a smooth and shiny glaze with bright, saturated colors.

Tip: Double-fired tiles are less durable and are best used for ceiling and wall cladding.

The number of firings is indicated on the packaging with a special symbol - a flame petal with a number drawn next to it.

Variety of tiles

We buy tiles: how to choose a specific type for coating different surfaces bathroom?

Depending on the number of firings and the method of molding, ceramic tiles are divided into the following types:

Majolica is a type of double-fired glazed ceramic tile with a porous colored base, produced by pressing. Majolica is used for wall cladding.

Faience is a double-fired pressed enameled tile that has a porous white base. The glaze is painted in a variety of colors. This type of tile can be tiled both on the walls and on the floor of the bathroom.

Cotto is a non-enamelled tile with a single-fired, porous backing, which is produced by extrusion. This type of tile is used for laying on the floor, because it has high wear resistance and strength.

Clinker is a single-fired tile that can be either enameled or unglazed. Clinker is usually used for flooring.

- a special type of tile, which is made from heavy clay with the addition of various mineral additives that give the tile special strength and hardness. Porcelain stoneware is used for laying on the floor in the bathroom, as it has low level moisture absorption.

Choosing a tile

How to choose the right tile? What do you need to have with you?

So, let's go buy a tile - how to choose the right one will help an ordinary ruler and a square.

The edges of the tiles must be perpendicular. Usually, in stores, samples of tiles are glued to a stand, where you can evaluate the overall future picture, but the geometric dimensions can only be estimated when you hold the samples in your own hands.

Tip: you need to look at several tiles, but the whole box is best, as the packaging may contain defective and cracked tiles.

The right choice of tile is a tile of the same thickness. This is a guarantee that when laying the situation will be controlled only by the amount of glue, and not at random, while adjusting to each tile.

There should be no curved tiles. This can be checked with the edge of another tile or with a ruler. Basically, this situation is visible to the naked eye, one has only to look at the box with the packed tiles.
On the edges of the tile, the glaze should look the same and uniform on all tiles, spreading equally along the edge. The repeatability of the glaze swim to the edges of the tile is important.

The right choice of tiles - no cracked glaze. These are manifestations of violations of production technology, or incorrect transportation.

Tip: it is correct to transport the tile not on the base, but on the edge.

Coloring ceramic tiles should be uniform. If even insignificant dots are visible that are not filled with glaze on more than 3-4 tiles, the purchase must be abandoned.
A coarse-grained fuzzy pattern should also alert, which looks like in old newspapers or printed on a printer. This means that the equipment is already old and you should not expect a good result in terms of product dimensions.
You need to get acquainted with the information about the parameters of the tile, which are indicated on the packaging by symbols.