Most people first buy a tile, and then think about how to place it on the floor, so as not to spoil the appearance. That’s why there are situations when, with a toilet width of 1 meter, they try to fit 2 tiles of 40 cm and get a trim of 10 cm at the edges, or even worse, leave 20 cm on one side. Although you could put 2 rows of tiles in the same place 50 cm or 3 rows of 33 cm and get rid of clippings. Once I came across a design project where 33x85 cm tiles lay on the floor. It is unclear where the designer got this size of floor tiles, because it does not exist in nature.
In this article, I will list the standard sizes of floor tiles to make it easier for you to draw up projects.
Due to the technological features of production, the actual size may differ by 3-7 mm from the specified. That is, a 30x30 floor tile can actually have a size of 29.7x29.7 cm or 30.3x30.3 cm. You should not calculate everything with an accuracy of a millimeter before buying. Even in one package, the sizes can be different, and this is especially common in cheap domestic collections.
Floor tiles can be divided into 2 categories - ordinary ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles. In fact, this is one and the same, but porcelain stoneware is stronger because of a different production technology: it is pressed under high pressure and burned at high temperature.
Porcelain tile withstands heavy loads, so it is often used for tiles for floors. But in small rooms with a low load (toilet, bathroom), you can also lay ordinary tiles.
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Floor tile sizes
Floor tiles are usually square in shape. The side of this square is greater than the height of the main wall tile from the collection, but less than its length. Sometimes the diagonal of a square is equal to the length of the main tile.
The most popular sizes of floor tiles:
- 10x10 cm
- 10x20 cm
- 15x15 cm
- 20x20 cm
- 30x30 cm
The smaller the tile format, the stronger it is, but harder to lay and wash. The photo shows an example of a floor tile 10x10 cm Ce.Si Matt (Italy). The small format made it easy to face the slope to the drain ladder in the shower.
Sizes of Porcelain Tile
Porcelain tile is produced in a large number of formats. The most popular sizes: 30x30, 33x33, 45x45, 50x50 and 60x60 cm. Rectangular tiles are usually cut from a large square, so 25x50 or 12.5x50 cm is obtained from 50x50 cm, and 16.5x33 and 16.5x16.5 from 33x33 cm see. Using waterjet cutting, you can even get a mosaic of porcelain.
Common sizes of porcelain stoneware:
Porcelain tile 30x30 cm. (ColiseumGres Piedmont, Russia).
Porcelain tile 60x60 cm, Navarti Marmoles (Spain).
Wood tile
To tile under the tree as much as possible imitated a floorboard, parquet or laminate need to be produced in a long elongated format. Such dimensions make it fragile, so the main part of the tile under the tree is porcelain.
Thin and long porcelain tiles are expensive to manufacture, so at first almost all factories produced wood-like tiles in standard square formats: 30x30, 45x45, 50x50 cm.Later on, thin, but relatively short natural porcelain tiles began to be made, which looks more like parquet.
Its main dimensions:
Tiles for wood 20x60 cm, Italon Essens (Russia).
Soon we can expect the appearance of even longer formats.
Tile 120x20 cm under the floorboard of Estim Brigantin (Russia).
Thickness
- The thickness of the floor tiles is usually between 6.5 and 11 mm.
- The minimum thickness of porcelain stoneware is 3 mm. Basically, these types are used for cladding ventilated facades. They are attached to the clamps, and a small weight reduces the load on the frame.
3 mm porcelain stoneware weighs about 2 times less than the standard.
Atlas Concorde porcelain tile 2 cm thick.
With proper installation (on a flat base, without voids), the strength of porcelain stoneware is almost independent of its thickness. Porcelain stoneware with a thickness of 8.6 mm can withstand a load of 200 kg / cm².
For example, a layer of glue from a comb of 3-4 mm - from 1.1 to 1.7 mm after pressing. A notched trowel 6 mm will give a layer of glue 2-2.6 mm. The largest 12 mm spatulas provide a layer of up to 5.2 mm after pressing the tiles.
9 mm tile with glue has a thickness of 13-15 mm.
Why you should not lay the tile on a thick layer of glue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXXP61OQDRU
The correct layout of tiles of all sizes
And now I’ll tell you how you can lay the tiles on the floor as if it was made specifically for the size of the room.
Let's say we have a bathroom 180x130 cm and floor tiles 30x30 cm.
If we put it standardly from the corner, in length we get 6 whole rows, and in width 4 rows and a narrow trim of 10 cm.
If you start laying from the center, it will be even worse - there will be 2 clippings of 5 cm at the edges.
But if we start laying from the center, aligning the center of the tile with the center line of the room in width, then at the edges we get 2 beautiful identical clippings of 20 cm. In any situation, they will have a width of more than half the tile (regardless of the format of the tile and the thickness of the seams).
To calculate the approximate size of the trim (excluding seams), you can do this:
- Divide the length of the wall by the length of 1 tile. Subtract 1 and round it down.
(130/30) - 1 = 3.3 = 3 whole tiles.
The resulting number is multiplied by the length of the tile. We get the length of the cladding without trimming.
3 * 30 = 90 cm without trimming.
Subtract the length of the cladding without trimming from the length of the wall and divide by 2.
(130 - 90) / 2 = 20 cm each trim.
Now a few notes:
- If a shower is installed in the bathroom, the tile is evenly distributed between the two walls.
- If the bathroom will be in the room, then you need to distribute the tile on the segment from the wall to the bathroom screen. After all, it makes no difference to you what the undercut will be in width under the bathtub - nobody will see it there.
- If the bathroom has a complex shape, always give priority to the most visible areas. That is, you can start laying the whole tile from the threshold, and at the opposite wall under the furniture, trim any size.
- Select the dimensions of the drywall box according to the size of the tile, so as not to get trim again. If you can make the box 5 cm wider and lay the entire tile without cutting, do not spare them.
- If the box results in L-shaped narrow clippings of tiles around it, slightly shift the layout relative to the center. No one will notice if the tiles on the opposite walls differ by 2-3 cm, but around the box it will be clearly visible.
Conclusion
The size of the tile is not the main thing, first of all you should like it. Therefore, it is better to first choose your favorite collection, and then choose the optimal size. Some collections have several variations of floor tiles.
- What types of ceramic tiles are: we make the right choice, alternative options
- How to choose porcelain tiles for the floor: tips with photo examples
- Calculation of tiles for the bathroom without special programs: online calculator and instructions
The advantages of large tiles
One of the main qualities of large-format ceramic tiles is its special strength and resistance to temperature extremes, as well as resistance to increased loads. In addition, the large-format tile used in the design, for example, of a standard size of 600 by 300 millimeters, has a number of advantages compared to small ceramic tiles:
- A small number of tiles forms a minimum number of joints
- The rectified edge of the product allows you to create a minimum gap between the tiles.
These two factors help create a visual illusion of a seamless ceramic almost mirror surface, which can become a highlight in the design of rooms such as a kitchen, dining room or bathroom. In addition, facing the room with large tiles, you can cope with the repair much faster, saving a lot of time.
Large square tiles are the best facing material for decorating a kitchen or dining room in a classic style, but only on condition that the room is quite spacious. This form of tile always looks extremely harmonious and gives rigor to the interior. Large rectangular tiles are ideal for laying trendy contemporary interior designs such as loft, modern, hi-tech or neoclassic.
For small rooms, you should not choose a large wall tile, an exception may be the design of a kitchen apron, where with success, as an accent, a large-format photo tile can be used.
Choosing a wall tile in the bathroom should be based on the same rules as in the kitchen. The larger the bathroom, the larger tiles you can use for wall cladding. It should be remembered that the humidity in the bathroom is usually high, and this circumstance requires special attention during preparatory work with the surface of the walls on which the tiles will be laid. The base on which the ceramic tile will be mounted must be absolutely even in order to completely prevent moisture from getting inside from the point of contact with the natural outlets of the house communications. And especially thorough preparatory work must be carried out before laying large-format ceramic tiles.
About the features of choosing ceramic tiles of size 30x60, see the next video.
PlitKurs.ru Plitkurs - course on laying tiles with your own hands for 999 rubles
A small story from the life of beginner tilers. A long time ago at the beginning of a career, when tile laying was just mastered, but in fact it was the second object of the whole laying, the following happened.
The first object there was everything. The tile is square, 15 by 15 - tiled. It was necessary to glue back several fallen off tiles, which was done.
So, the second object. Sports complex, a lot of showers, pool, locker rooms. The intermediary calls, we begin laying. The intermediary disappears before lunch. Further the story of negligent builders. The tile turned out to be 20 by 30 cm in size. We have not seen such before, it only appeared on the construction market - this is as some justification)
We began to think, but how to put it?
And they decided to lay out horizontally, and even with a half-tile shift. They laid out one and a half walls. Very high quality. When an intermediary appeared he was puzzled. He convened the leadership of the sports complex, thought for a long time and decided to leave it that way. In fact, it would probably be exclusive, it turned out very beautifully. But the situation somehow upset me and we decided not to continue working there and not to take money. They removed the tile, cleaned it, one bag of cement and three sand spoiled
However, there were many of them, the construction was grandiose, they did not even pay attention to it. To compensate the cost of a bag of cement was no problem
We didn’t make any more such mistakes, and we always laid tiles 20 by 30 cm and 20 by 25 cm vertically.
Does the tile lie rectangular horizontally?
Tiles of other sizes, according to the designer, are sometimes laid horizontally. The figure shows this. All kinds of flowers are drawn there.
What is the thickness of ceramic tiles
The thickness of the ceramic tile is an important parameter that should be considered when choosing a material for cladding. Product thickness affects not only technical specifications, but also visual perception.
Also, the durability of the material for the cladding, and accordingly the wall lining itself, also depends on the thickness. Thinner tiles are more prone to cracking and other destructive influences.
The thickness of ceramic wall tiles is usually less than the floor. For wall cladding, options are applied with a thickness ranging from four to nine millimeters. The option with a thickness of 7 mm is considered universal, since with an increase in the thickness of the product, the mass and consumption of glue during installation increases, as well as the cost set by the manufacturer.
What should be the thickness of the tiles in the bathroom for the walls
The choice of the thickness of the facing layer for the walls in the bathroom is based on the dimensions of the room itself, which directly affect the choice of facing materials. It is not recommended to use tiles with a thickness of more than 8 millimeters, but also less than 3 mm. Do not forget that with the increase in the thickness of the product, not only its strength, but also its cost increases.
Scope of tile
The mass of material, this is the criterion from which to start when choosing ceramics for finishing work. The weight of a single tile is usually not used in the everyday life of the manufacturer and consumer, it is more convenient to operate with such a concept as the mass m2 of the product.
Ceramic tiles of different types differ in mass, and this difference is very significant. So, for example, 1 m2 of wall ceramics with parameters of 20x30 cm or 30x30 cm, on average, has a mass of 11 to 15 kg, and some types of flooring products with dimensions of 600x600 mm and more can reach 100 kg per 1 m2 .
The scope of clinker tiles is very wide due to frost resistance
By scope of application, ceramics are divided into the following types:
- For wall decoration indoors. Elements of this type have the smallest thickness, and, therefore, weigh a little. The most common dimensions are 20x30 cm and 30x30 cm. One square meter weighs in the range from 11 to 16 kg.
- Standard floor tiles. With the most common fragment sizes from 300x300 to 600x600 mm and a mass of 15 to 25 kg per m2. It is used for traditional floor cladding in rooms without the requirements for resistance to mechanical stress.
- For exterior facade work. This type includes various types of clinker products and porcelain stoneware. The size and weight of clinker ceramics are usually small, but porcelain stoneware can reach sizes of 600x600 mm, and in some cases 900x900 mm. Such elements are quite heavy, a square meter weighs 15-25 kg and above.
- Products used for sidewalks and walkways. Due to operating conditions, namely high mechanical loads, the fragments have a large thickness, and therefore this type of product reaches 100 kg per m2.
- Floor or wall products used in industrial premises with a high level of mechanical stress. In this regard, due to the thickness, a square meter of products reaches 70 kg.
Strength is indicated on the MEP scale
Specifications
Consider the main characteristics of 20 x 30 cm format products:
Depending on the type of material, the tile has a different thickness and level of maximum permissible load. The thickness of tiled facing raw materials for walls varies from 5 to 9 mm
It is important to remember that wall tiles cannot be used to finish the floor, because its allowable weight load is much lower.
This finish is fireproof. Its structure does not respond to temperature changes, however, the material has a clear classification for internal work.
With proper installation with preliminary surface preparation, this material is able to decorate walls for 15 to 20 years or more.
Tiles with this size have small seams, when processing them with a special composition, you can not be afraid that they will cause a decrease in service life.
Comparison of the characteristics of glazed and unglazed tiles
Ceramic floor tiles are made of clay, which give strength by burning it at high temperature. The surface of such products made from one type of clay is homogeneous and has a dark brown hue.If the tile is made from two grades of clay, then it turns out to be a sandy porphyritic shade.
The production of glossy tiles is much more complicated. To give the tile a decorative effect, it is covered with a thin layer of glassy glaze on top, and different colors and patterns are applied before coating by airbrushing, seriography and printing.
Glazed ceramic tiles are slightly different in their characteristics from unglazed. It has great water resistance and hardness. She has a glossy sheen. By the variety of colors and patterns, it has no equal among all kinds of finishing materials, and smooth shiny floors will decorate any room.
Glazed tiles have the following characteristics:
- high wear resistance (2 or 3),
- chemical resistance No. 3,
- heat resistance. It should withstand temperatures of 125 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes. On underfloor heating, it will be warm for a long time,
- the hardness of the glaze should be 5 according to Mohs,
- water absorption of this material is 4.5%.
Some characteristics differ for different types of glaze covering the floor tiles.
The wear resistance of unglazed tiles is higher than that of coated tiles (this indicator is 0.18 g / sq. Cm.). It withstands 25 cycles of freezing and thawing. The coefficient of water absorption is only 3.5%.
It is possible to buy ceramic tiles without a glossy coating at every construction supermarket. The non-glazed surface is more resistant to abrasion, so it will last longer. Floors with this coating are less slippery. The glossy surface looks prettier, but the matte is more practical.
The price of glazed tiles is much higher. Such ceramic floor tiles are available in any color, but white, gray, black remain the most popular. Very beautiful types of ceramic coatings produced by world manufacturers.
Useful Tips
Buying the right glue is just as important as choosing the facing material itself. The choice of adhesive depends on the characteristics of the tile, the features of the surface and the type of substrate. For 5 square meters you will need about 25 kg of dry mix.
If the quality and durability of the repair do not bother you, you can safely buy any inexpensive material and, without hiring workers, lay it yourself. But if you want to get a beautiful interior that will please the eye for more than one year, it is better to purchase high-quality tiles in a trusted specialized store.
Unfortunately, there are many fakes on the market for well-known brands. Therefore, even if the manufacturer, the required model and quantity are already selected, it is not worth making a purchase in dubious places. Only by purchasing genuine material and laying it in compliance with all the nuances of the technology, you can not be afraid of the collapse or fracture of the tile after its application.
What else to consider?
Besides the main criteria, it is important to think about transportation. Some companies sell 200 mm by 300 mm individually.
In other stores, each box is opened to check the quality. Thus, packaging is broken and delivery is complicated. To bring home material without a tight winding is fraught with the fact that corners can break off.
In some large stores, there is a separate table with packaging raw materials so that the buyer has the opportunity to independently pack finishing materials. It is worth using this: it will protect fragments from chips during delivery.
Do not try to put more tiles in the box: until the material is glued to the surface with tile adhesive, it can form chipped corners. This is especially true for wall decoration. Careless handling and loose self-packing can cause one fragment to scratch the front surface of another, which will increase the percentage of defective parts and complicate installation.
If several boxes are bought, it is preferable to carry them without installing one on the other. It is unacceptable to lay on top of other building materials (a bag of tile glue, grout, a primer for the floor, a border).
To the size of the tile 20x30 cm, plastic crosses of 1.5-2 mm in size are needed. This is enough so that possible irregularities of the edges and corners are not noticeable. For the floor variety, it is better to take 2 mm crosses. Larger size is inappropriate: it will visually spoil the appearance of the cladding.
Selection tips
Before choosing a facing material, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics and properties. Ceramics should correspond to the place of installation, complement the interior or decorate the facade of the house, can be used to create decorative compositions.
European standards provide for a division into 8 groups according to their ability to absorb moisture and the manufacturing method. Products that absorb up to 3% of water are classified as the most resistant. With an indicator of more than 10%, the tile can be used for interior decoration.
Large floor tiles are characterized by high strength and thickness. It is intended for installation in places with high mechanical stress. The surface of the material is characterized by wear resistance.
When choosing material for the bathroom or wall decoration in the kitchen, you must consider the resistance to chemical reagents. The choice is made depending on the operating conditions. In the lobby and corridors stack products with a high class of abrasion. Products must meet the parameters stated in the quality certificate.
On the surface should not be damaged, grit, drips. Chips and cracks that may occur during transportation are not allowed. The edges should be even to ensure the quality of the seams.
When buying a batch of products, you need to pay attention to the pattern and shade (should match the entire batch of products). The packaging contains product information :. Symbols characterize:
Symbols characterize:
- purpose of products
- number of firing
- frost resistance
- wear resistance.
The presence on the box of identical drawings indicates increased quality
When buying, it is important to clarify the size of the clinker. Products of different caliber are difficult to lay on the surface
Standard sizes of ceramic tiles: what are and how to choose
When carrying out finishing work, it is important to determine the optimal dimensions of the tiles for the object. That is why before you go to the hardware store for shopping, you need to find out in more detail what are the dimensions of ceramic tiles
Today, the assortment of products is so large that each category should be considered separately.
Today the range of ceramic tiles in stores is simply huge
When considering what sizes of wall tiles there are, pay attention to the shape of the product that suits you. The following models are distinguished: Varieties of tile shapes
Varieties of tile shapes
The standard sizes of ceramic tiles for walls are set within 150x150 mm. At the same time, common variations are the formats 100x100 mm and 200x200 mm.
The dimensions of the rectangular wall tiles are very diverse. The standard is considered to be the format of ceramic cladding 200x300 mm. In addition, distinguish such ratios of parameters as:
Some manufacturers may produce tiles for walls of their unique sizes. Some of them can reach the parameters of the tile when finishing the floor.
In order to wall the wall with optimal material, several factors should be noted. First of all, you need to focus on the total area of the room
Too large elements will narrow the space, but small ones are not always appropriate. In addition, the fewer the details, the longer the finish will take and there is a risk of inconsistency at the seams. Also, when choosing wall tiles, consider the layout of its layout and the placement of furniture in the room.
The combination of tiles of different sizes looks interesting
When choosing ceramic tiles for the floor, its dimensions play no less important role than when decorating the walls. In this case, the choice is complicated by the fact that not only standard formats are available for work, but also products of more complex forms. They can be combined with each other to create interesting patterns and patterns on the floor surface.
It is worth highlighting the standard size for a square floor tile, which is most often used in private households - this is 300x300 mm. Also flooring can be made of the following fragments:
- Square: 48x48, 100x100, 150x150, 200x200, 250x250.
- Rectangular 100x200, 150x200, 150x300, 200-300, 300x400.
- Five-sided 86.5x150, 98x170, 115x200.
- Hexagonal 150x173, 170x196, 200x230.
- Triangular 58x83, 68x97, 83x118, 98x139.
The main forms of floor tiles
Custom sizes of tetrahedral floor tiles are also available: 75x173, 85x196, 100x230. If we talk about octahedral elements, their parameters can be as follows: 60x85x170 mm and 70x100x200 mm.
When choosing ceramic tiles for flooring, it is necessary to take into account the area of the room, especially the open part, intended for facing. For optimal design and visual expansion of the space, you need to choose the most suitable layout of elements and think over the ratio of fragments of different configurations.
Using a rectangular tile, you can visually stretch that part of the room along which the long side of the tile is laid.
In a separate category should highlight the mosaic. This category of finishing materials does not apply to standard tiles, since its dimensions are much smaller. Mosaic is a miniature pieces of ceramics, glass or stone, from which you can create whole paintings or just a coating with an interesting texture.
Mosaic is a universal material. It is used for both walls and floors, as well as other surfaces. With its help, you can hide irregularities with a minimum consumption of glue, which is impossible when using dimensional products.
Mosaic tile options
The size of the tile in the mosaic matrix can range from 10x10 mm to 50x50 mm. Also, there are samples with rectangular components or round fragments. All this allows creating unique surfaces.
Which material to choose should be decided only after drawing up a design diagram and determining the features of the coated surfaces. In most cases, you need to focus on your own taste preferences, but you should not forget about the above recommendations.
Standards
Floor tiles in thickness can be from 8 to 14 millimeters, and in format (in length and width) - from 150 x 150 to 1000 x 1000 millimeters, with the most popular ones being in the format of 300 x 300 millimeters. As already found out, they are not suitable for laying on the kitchen floor, but if you wish, they can be interesting to revetment the walls.
Clinker is a ceramic tile made by the extrusion method using punching through a special complex geometric shape and single firing in a high-temperature furnace. Due to this, clinker tiles acquire high indicators of frost resistance, water resistance, wear resistance and immunity to the aggressive effects of detergents, and therefore are widely used for the manufacture of gutters, connecting structures and steps of pools, as well as during their lining. In addition, they are used to cover walls, stairs and floors during the construction of various industrial and sports facilities and for cladding building facades (brick-like brick tiles).
Cotto - charming, like antique, Italian unglazed tiles of warm terracotta shades of natural red clay (brick, yellow, brown, pink, red), made by extrusion and burned in a 1000-degree furnace. Cotto tiles are used for interior decoration, because after laying they need a protective hydrophobic coating, and therefore it is more likely to meet them in the flooring of museums or ancient buildings than in the facade. Cottos are produced in octagonal, hexagonal, rectangular or square shapes in sizes 40 x 60, 30 x 30, 25 x 25 and 20 x 40 centimeters.
Big sizes
Porcelain stoneware - heavy-duty vitrified (glazed and unglazed) tiles with ultra-low water absorption (close to zero) and the highest frost resistance, moisture resistance and wear resistance. They are made by dry pressing under high pressure in combination with single firing and high temperatures. Due to its uniformity and high density, even natural stone is often superior in its characteristics. Undoubted hit - granite tiles measuring 30x30 centimeters, although the rest of the standard formats (both large sizes in 120x180 and 100x100 centimeters, and the smallest in 5x5) are also in demand.
Exact weight of 1 m2 of facing ceramic tile in accordance with GOST
Facing ceramic tiles, like many building materials, are made in accordance with GOST. There are regulated certain parameters and characteristics of ceramic tiles. One of them is the mass of clinker and tile, floor and ceiling tiles.
The value of the specific gravity of the tiles (more than 30 kg / m2) is the heaviest and thickest ceramic tiles that are used:
- When finishing
- Only for the floor
- In public places,
- Industrial premises with increased load or high traffic.
Tile thickness reaches up to 22 mm. The lightest tile is ceramic for interior work without glaze. Such tiles are used most often for finishing a kitchen “apron”. Their average thickness is 7–9 mm. And the weight of one does not exceed 12-14 kg. Heavier tiles are ceramic glazed tiles, which are also used for wall decoration indoors. The thickness of the tiles in this case varies from 7 mm to 11 mm. 1 square meter of 400x400 mm tile will weigh up to 16 kg.
It is not difficult to find out the weight of ceramic tiles, because it must always comply with GOST
Heavier than glazed tiles weighs floor tiles. Its weight ranges from 15 to 25 kg, with a thickness of 7 to 11 mm. Most often, floor tiles are not glazed so as not to slip. The best size of floor tiles is 300x300 and 450x450 mm. Further on the increase in weight are facade tiles. With a tile thickness of 250x250 mm, which is about 8 to 12 mm. The weight of the same amount is up to about 25 kg (250 per pack). Tiles can be coated with glaze, but their main quality is frost resistance and reduced moisture absorption.
There is such a thing as the volumetric weight of ceramic tiles. Most often it is used to calculate the cost of transportation - this is the weight of 1 m3 of ceramic tile. On average, this indicator has a value of 2000 kg / m3.
To determine the exact weight of ceramic tiles, the coefficient of moisture absorption is important. Although a small value, from about 1% to 3.5%, but in calculating the loads on wall structures, when gluing ceramic tiles, this coefficient can play an important role. For gender - these indications are not very important. But for wall constructions and deciding whether the wall will withstand this ceramic tile - an increase in the weight of the tile by 3.5% can play a fatal role, and reduce all efforts to nothing.
All these parameters and characteristics of ceramic tiles play an important role in deciding where to stick the tiles in the room. But experts always recommend if the specific gravity of ceramic tiles is 16-17 kg - this is the maximum weight for walls. If the specific gravity of the tile is greater, then it is better to glue it on the floor. And it is better to listen to these recommendations of specialists, and not to risk it.A tile can simply slide down under its own weight.
All parameters and characteristics of ceramic tiles can be read on the packaging or see the price lists of firms that sell ceramic building products.
Tile and its purpose
Weight is one of the basic indicators, the scope of its use, the requirements for the surface to be coated, the quality and quantity of glue, etc. depend on how much this or that ceramic tile weighs.
By purpose, the tile can be divided into the following areas:
- For interior walls. The lightest and thinnest, the average weight of ceramic cladding per 1 m2 is 12 kg and often does not exceed the mark of 16 kg.
- For the floor. Thicker and more durable, its weight varies between 15-25 kg for standard rooms.
- For facades. More durable and thick, from 15 to 20 kg.
- Sidewalk products. They are used for outdoor decoration, so their weight is much more and can reach an average of 100 kg.
- Special Purpose Products. It is used in industrial premises and places with heavy load. It has a greater thickness than standard tiles, the weight can reach 70 kg per m2.
Varieties of tile coatings depending on the intended purpose
Kerama marazzi
The undisputed market leader is Kerama Marazzi. The company produces many collections stylized for different countries.
There are in the assortment of the brand and products measuring 300x600 mm.
- wide range of products, stylish design,
- excellent product quality, which is achieved thanks to modern production technologies.
It is rather difficult to choose a floor tile for a wall one (even in one collection).
Fap ceramiche
This Italian tile is created for wealthy people. One of the key activities of the brand is the almost exact copying of natural materials.
- nice design, wide range,
- impeccable quality
- environmental friendliness of products,
- resistance to fading and abrasion.
- very high cost
- tile mismatch in size.
Golden tile
This brand successfully uses digital printing technology, due to which it boasts a wealth of choice. At the moment, Golden tile represents more than 60 collections.
- breadth of assortment,
- low price,
- high quality.
- size mismatch
- a significant difference in tones of one collection of different parties.
Shakhty Tile
Domestic brand Unitile or "Shakhty Tile" is quite popular in Russia. Product design is being developed in Italian and Spanish studios. More than 30 collections are represented by bright color schemes.
- breadth of assortment, variety of colors,
- low price.
- wall tiles are prone to brittleness,
- differences of tiles of one batch in size.
Amount
Ceramic tiles measuring 30x60 cm are very popular. It looks especially advantageous when designing a bathroom. Modern technology allows you to create products that can fit into any luxurious interior created in the imagination. You only need to know the size of the repaired premises and an approximate description of its appearance after repair.
Based on these data, consultants from a construction store will model for you an individual design project for free. They will also help you find out how many tiles will need to be acquired to realize your plan.
There is no single standard for packaging material; each factory has its own loading standards. They depend solely on the size of the cladding elements. In one box, 10, 15, 25, and 12 or 21 tiles can be transported. There are no norms for weight either. You can only calculate the average value. It ranges from 10-17 kg per package.
Usually, the box contains all the information necessary for the buyer: name of the manufacturer, name of the tile itself, number of square meters in the package, size (in centimeters), color and number of products in pieces.
In order not to overpay for excess cladding material, you need to find out the exact size of the surface that you plan to cover. Area is easy to calculate. You just need to multiply the length by the width. The resulting number is divided by the area of one tile. The result is the required number of items in pieces.
Of course, if the number is not an integer, it needs to be rounded. Then to him add another 5% to cover inaccuracies. If any element is damaged during transportation or when applied to the wall, this stock will save the situation.
Appearance
The choice of tile design depends on personal taste. This takes into account the desired future appearance of the room, the preferred style and color scheme.
You can learn more about how to choose the right ceramic tile by watching the following video.
Keramin
This is one of the oldest brands. Many brand collections come in several colors.
Advantages:
- a wide range of,
- strength and stability
- affordable price.
Disadvantages:
- problems with tile geometry in some batches.
Sizing tiles
The largest ceramic tiles are divided into 4 groups:
- Mosaic: the most compact - ranging in size from 1x1 cm to 5x5 cm. It is often produced in blocks of several pieces, fixed on the basis of a polymer mesh.
- Small: this class includes square tiles with sides from 6x6 cm to 20x20 cm and rectangular with a length of not more than 30 cm. The most popular modules are 15x15 cm and 20x20 cm.
- Medium: square modules have sizes from 20x20 cm to 30x30 cm, for rectangular ones the length of the side does not exceed 40 cm. Of this category, tiles of 20x30 cm, 25x30 cm and 25x35 cm are most often used.
- Large: such is considered any tile with side lengths over 40 cm.
Often in construction supermarkets resort to a simplified classification:
- with side lengths up to 30 cm: small-format,
- up to 50 cm: medium,
- more than 50 cm: large.
Which tile is better to use for the bathroom
The complexity of installation and the consumption of materials depend on the size of the tile. But first of all, the dimensions affect the visual perception of the finish. For example, a cramped room will visually decrease even more if large-modular material is laid in it. There are recommendations for choosing the size of tiles for various room designs.
Ceiling
Ceramic tiles are not used due to their heavy weight. This part of the room is pasted over with rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or foam plastic lining.
Rubber tiles are available in two versions:
- 35x35 cm: option for a compact bathroom, for example, in an apartment,
- 50x50 cm: for a spacious bathroom in a private house.
PVC cladding made of such types:
- tiles with sizes from 45.7x45.7 cm,
- narrow long lamellas: such a ceiling is called a rack, a very popular solution.
Foam boards have the same dimensions as rubber, and differ in thickness:
- extruded: 6 - 7 mm,
- injection: 9 - 14 mm.
The first can not be washed, the second can (the material is waterproof), in addition, they have a soundproofing effect.
Outdoor
The floor with square tile cladding looks most harmonious. Rectangular modules are used as decorative inserts.
For reasons of aesthetics, floor tiles should be larger than wall tiles. If the latter has a rectangular shape, then its smaller side should be shorter than the side of the floor modules.
Also, the size of the bathroom affects the choice of lining size. In general, the following options are recommended:
- Apartment: in urban high-rise buildings, bathrooms are often compact, large floor tiles would look cumbersome here. Squares with a side of 30 or 35 cm are best suited.
- Private house: modern projects usually include spacious bathrooms, where larger tiles can be laid on the floor - up to 60x60 cm in size.
Tile after laying
In addition to thickness, floor tiles are characterized by increased wear resistance. Such products are marked with a foot icon.
Lovers of unusual design should pay attention to the floor tiles in the format 36.5x12 cm, imitating parquet.
Wall mounted
The following sizes are recommended:
- Apartment: in small rooms, both large and small tiles look equally bad. In the second case, the bathroom is visually reduced due to the large number of seams. Therefore, for an apartment, cladding of medium-sized modules is best suited - up to 20x30 cm in size.
- Private house: large and mosaic tiles look good in a spacious bathroom.
If necessary, visually expand the room or make the ceiling higher, use rectangular elongated modules - with a two- or three-fold aspect ratio. In the first case, they are laid horizontally, in the second - vertically. The same effect is achieved if there is a horizontal or vertical pattern on the cladding.
Tile - bathroom design
The thickness of the wall tiles does not exceed 7 mm. It also differs from the floor with low wear resistance and a slippery surface. There is a hand icon on the packaging.
Mosaic tiles
Advantages:
- alignment of the base is optional, even facing of curved surfaces, for example, an arch vault, is possible,
- Looks impressive, you can create interesting patterns,
- minimum amount of waste.
Disadvantages:
- the complexity of the cladding: even if the modules are locked in several pieces on the grid, laying mosaic tiles is available only to the master with experience. It’s especially difficult to form even and narrow seams with these sizes of parts,
- increased grout consumption
- high risk of mold colonies and moisture penetration under the finish, due to the large number of seams.
- difficult care: it is also associated with a large number of seams - they are easily dirty and poorly washed.
Medium tile
- suitable for bathrooms of any size,
- the risk of damage during transportation compared to large tiles is quite low,
- the material is easy to install and compared to mosaic tiles, it is less demanding on the quality of the seams, which allows craftsmen with average and low qualifications (including self-taught) to work with it,
- seams are formed less than when facing with mosaic tiles; accordingly, maintenance is simplified and grout consumption is reduced.
Average tile size
Disadvantage: leveling of the base surface is required.
Large tile
- easy care
- low seam processing and low grout consumption,
- reliable waterproofing.
Large tile in the bathroom - fashionable design
- suitable only for large rooms,
- demanding on the quality of transportation - easily beats,
- often costs more than small-format,
- leveling of the surface of the base is necessary,
- some styling is necessary for laying,
Types of ceramic tiles
The entire range of tiles on store shelves and catalog pages can be classified according to three main characteristics:
- the material from which it is made (white or red clay),
- the structure of the base of the tile (dense or porous),
- type of coating (glazed or not).
How to choose a ceramic tile
Specialists distinguish the following main types of tiles:
single firing tile (weakly or highly porous, depending on this it can be designed for laying on the floor or walls, indoors or outdoors),
- tiles made of porcelain ceramic (characterized by high surface strength, therefore, does not require additional glazing, suitable for laying on the floor),
- ceramic granite (high strength, resistant to environmental factors and environmentally friendly cladding material, ideal for laying outdoors, effectively fits into the interior design),
- ceramic tiles, glazed under pressure (low-porous tiles, which can be used both as flooring and wall cladding),
- clinker tiles (characterized by high rates of mechanical strength and resistance to chemicals, suitable for laying on floors and walls, looks spectacular when laying with a wide seam, since the feature of the production technology is not quite a smooth edge of the tile).
Choosing a tile for the bathroom
Ceramics are presented on the market today in a huge assortment of any colors and shades, so the choice depends on the personal taste preferences of the buyer. However, so that after facing the bathroom looked spectacular, it is necessary to take into account not only the taste and your own wishes, but also the size and shape of the room to be faced.
A separate question - which tile is better to choose for a small bath? After all, correctly selected tiles will allow you to visually adjust the room, make it cozy and beautiful. For example, a tile with a vertically arranged pattern will visually increase the height of the ceiling, dark tones of the tile will visually reduce the room, and light tones, on the contrary, will create a sense of space. A large and bright pattern on the tiles will simply be lost in a small bathroom, while it will become a real decoration in a spacious room with a bathroom area of 10 m2 or more.
As for the technical parameters and operational properties, it is recommended to choose first-class tiles (it has a red marking) for the bathroom, with high resistance to aggressive environments (AA marking). As for the parameters of resistance to loads and abrasion, then the tile плитка-ΙΙΙ strength class (for rooms with small load standards) is quite suitable for the bathroom.
An equally important parameter is the size of the tile, since the smaller it is - the more seams there will be, the more seams - the higher the likelihood of moisture absorption and the appearance of fungus and mold in the bathroom. Therefore, the small size of the tile is suitable for spacious rooms, preferably with an equipped ventilation system. For a normal bathroom, it is better to choose a tile measuring 60x30 or 60x40 cm.
Another popular question among buyers is which tile to choose for the bathroom: matte or glossy. As for the type of surface, you need to consider when choosing - matte tiles have a lesser sliding effect and are better suited for flooring. Glossy ceramics can also be chosen for walls, however, it is worth remembering that it has excellent reflective properties and gives glare in the room.
What kind of tile to choose for the kitchen on the floor
Ceramic tiles are often chosen for laying on the floor in the kitchen. This is the most practical and high-quality material for flooring in this room, since:
- has high strength and wear resistance,
- withstands temperature extremes,
- ceramics is neutral to the effects of chemical compounds and substances that are used to care for the kitchen,
- It is an environmentally friendly material that does not emit toxic substances into the air.
Laying ceramic tiles on the kitchen floor is a practical solution, it remains only to decide which tile to choose for the kitchen on the floor?
Firstly, it should be a non-slip tile, so it’s better to choose options with a matte, non-glazed, but smooth surface (the embossed surface will quickly accumulate dirt and require frequent thorough cleaning).
Secondly, it should be a tile with sufficiently high parameters of mechanical strength, resistance to aggressive environments and ultraviolet rays, low moisture absorption parameters.
For the floor, often choose a large tile (60x40 or 60x60 cm), since it allows you to minimize the number of seams on the floor and create a more durable floor layer.
As for the colors, it all depends on the wishes of the owners. Today you can buy floor tiles in the brightest colors, as well as with imitation of the texture of natural stone, wood, etc.
What tile to choose for an apron in the kitchen
Another popular place where ceramic tiles are laid is a kitchen apron. This is a section of walls above the "working area" - in the area of the stove, sink and kitchen table. The tile for the kitchen apron allows you to reliably protect the walls from splashes and dirt and greatly simplifies cleaning the kitchen.
Ceramic tiles on the kitchen apron - this is a practical and versatile finish - easy to care for ceramics will provide the kitchen apron with a neat and attractive appearance. A variety of color options, as well as the technologies available today (imitation of various textures, applying a photo print to the surface) allows you to realize any ideas for designing a kitchen apron.
For an apron, you can choose a tile of any shape and size, preferably with the following features:
- resistance to temperature changes, moisture, chemical compositions and aggressive environments,
- A smooth surface with which it is easy to remove splashes, soot and other impurities.
As for the choice of tile color, the general color scheme of the kitchen, furniture and fixtures in the room must be taken into account. For classic kitchen interiors with expensive furniture and finishes, it is better to choose tiles in a restrained color scheme. At the same time, for bright kitchens, a bright tile with a large and expressive pattern can be an ideal option.
