Which floor tile in the bathroom is best suited?

Tiles in the bathroom are faced with walls and floors. It is hygienic and durable. The surface is of the following types:

matte
glossy
embossed, with a textured surface.

The bathroom is considered a wet room. When the question arises of which tile to choose for the bathroom, it is important to remember that a wet surface can be a source of danger - the probability of slipping and falling is great.

One careless movement of the shower, or evening bathing of children with the obligatory game of sea battle, and the floor is covered with spray of water. For greater safety, it is better for the floor to choose matt. Textured tiles with embossed surface are also suitable. It is less slippery and therefore less traumatic.

Manufacturers of ceramic tiles produce collections - specially selected among themselves samples of floor and wall. Their coloring can be identical or differ by several tones. Most often, the tiles on the walls in the bathroom are made brighter, with an ornament. It is thinner than the floor, so it can not be laid on the floor. Her packaging is marked with a palm icon.

The floor tile is stronger due to the greater thickness. Matte and embossed coatings are often made non-slip. Their packaging is marked with a footprint.

Resistance of tiles to household chemicals

Do not know which tile to choose - glossy or matte? The surface of the glossy tiles is glazed, shiny. Therefore, water splashes, soap suds after drying on such a surface leave noticeable marks. They will have to be washed constantly so that the surface remains radiant.

On the matte and textured tiles, due to its porous surface, soapy streaks and deposits of water stone are not so noticeable. But to clean it, you will have to make much more effort - dirt particles firmly settle in the pores and surface irregularities. Therefore, in any case, it is necessary to choose a resistant to household chemicals. Its coating should not deteriorate and change color after frequent use of cleaning agents.

Underfloor compatibility

The floor in the bathroom, faced with ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware, feels cold. It is unpleasant to get up on it, laying down in a warm bath, or taking a contrast shower. You can get out of the situation by laying a fluffy rug. But it is possible to solve the problem cardinally - to make a warm floor in the bathroom. In addition to a comfortable feeling of warmth, this option will help to avoid the following troubles: dampness, fungus and mold. In this case, it is necessary to choose a tile that will be able to withstand temperature changes without collapsing. And at the same time it will not become a heat insulator. It should transmit heat, and not suppress thermal radiation.

Bathroom tile size

The tile is sequentially selected according to 3 main parameters:

Correctly selected size of the bathroom tile will visually help expand the boundaries of a small room and shade the advantages of a large one. In general, the entire range can be divided into groups by size:

small squares

When choosing a tile size, several nuances must be taken into account:

Big size tiles implies its considerable weight. For flooring, this is not critical, but for wall cladding can be a decisive parameter. A special adhesive with enhanced adhesion is required.
Stacking small tiles extends the term of the work both on the laying itself and on its grouting.

You can be guided by the rule: for a spacious room use a large tile format, and for small rooms choose combined options to change the perception of a small space. To do this, you need to determine the shape of the tile.

The form

In addition to dimensions, the shape of the tile is also represented by a variety of options:

square in the bathroom - the classic version, with its help you can lay out the pattern with rhombuses, lay out the diagonal pattern or lay in a checkerboard pattern,
rectangular in the bathroom - allows you to visually change the size of the room: vertically laid tiles visually raises the ceiling, and horizontally located - pushes the walls,
hexagonal - a design novelty that looks like a honeycomb, looks original tile, which is laid out to the middle of the height of the wall,
diamond, oval and round tile - the unusual shape dictates a special styling technology - the kit comes with elements that fill the gaps between the elements.

Patchwork tile

The design of the patchwork bathroom creates the illusion of a patchwork carpet on the walls and floor of a room. They have a square shape and an individual drawing, which is made in the same style, while preserving the shades of colors. So that the room does not look too colorful, you can thus finish one wall or only the floor. The remaining surfaces should be tiled with monophonic tiles.

Under the stone

The design of the marble-tiled bathroom imitates natural stone very reliably. Various options - onyx or granite succinctly reflect the good taste of the owner.

Under the tree

The design of the bathroom with wood tiles will delight the most sophisticated customer. The coloring imitates not only the color and structure of the wood; you can choose a pattern with a longitudinal and transverse section of the trunk. Such a design will complement the warm floor system well - the visual effect will be complemented by a tactile sensation.

Wild boar

Imitation of brickwork (tile boar) is a classic design technique. Rectangular tiles of various colors and sizes are used. Such decoration will harmoniously fit into any general style of the whole apartment.

Mosaic

Using a mosaic coating, the walls are decorated with a large pattern. It looks very elegant, but this work is time-consuming - it is necessary to carefully select the shades of neighboring tiles.

Finishing a bathroom is a difficult but fascinating task. A well-designed design project will allow you to enjoy the result in the future. The most demanding requests can be satisfied with the help of classical techniques or apply the original approach and modern developments in the field of finishing materials.

The main types of tiles for the bathroom

There are 2 main types that you can use in order to lay the tiles on the floor in the bathroom:

The advantages of cranial material include the following:

This type of floor tile in the bathroom is easy to clean, since it is in no way affected by the negative effects of dust and harmful microorganisms, and can also be washed with absolutely any cleaning agent (they will not harm it).
Clay tiles are recognized as environmentally friendly.
A wide selection of tiles allows you to purchase exactly the material that you intended to use (and in size, and in shape, and color).

As for ceramic tiles, it, unlike many other materials, practically does not conduct electricity, so laying the bathroom floor with ceramic tiles becomes absolutely necessary, since you can not be afraid that moisture will lead, for example, to a short circuit.

According to experts in this field, first when repairing or initial finishing a bathroom, it is necessary to select the floor tiles. And after that, it will already be possible to move on to resolving issues related to the choice of furniture and plumbing.

How to choose the right tile for the bathroom floor?

When choosing a tile on the floor in the bathroom, you need to be as careful as possible, paying attention not only to the external features of the material, but also to its working properties. Therefore, carefully review and analyze tile labeling.

You can find this marking on the packaging with tiles. Thus, it is possible to determine that this material is suitable for laying the floor by the icon in the form of a foot outlined in dark color, and the image of the hand shows that the material is intended for wall cladding.
If you see the image of the foot with a stripped background, therefore, you can use the tile in almost any conditions, since it has increased strength.

In the process of choosing a tile that is suitable for laying the floor in the bathroom, it is also necessary to take into account the fact that the floor itself, and even its walls, cannot always meet the requirements for such an event as laying tiles. In addition, tiles often come in contact with cleaning products, perfumes and numerous chemicals during use. In this regard, try to choose a tile that could withstand the effects of acids, alkalis and other harmful compounds on it.

The main options for ceramic tiles for laying the floor in the bathroom

This finishing material is divided into 2 options:

tile for the bathroom on the floor,
tile on the wall.

Choosing the first version of the tile, it is necessary to take into account the safety of its use in this room. The fact is that in conditions of high humidity in this room you will need to purchase exclusively tiles with a rough, dull surface. After all, the floor in the bathroom is often damp, and accordingly, it will be easy enough to slip on it. It is in order to avoid such unpleasant situations, avoid acquiring tiles with a smooth surface.

The porcelain tile is not slippery due to the fact that its surface does not allow moisture to pass through. Currently, when implementing such a repair process as laying tiles on the floor, in addition to a rough opaque tile, a special ribbed tile is used, in which there are small grooves designed for outflow of water. Such a tile will cost significantly more than ordinary.
Another type is mosaic floor tiles. Its advantages include:

material reliability.
simple laying it on the floor.
beautiful appearance, especially when combined with very large tiles.
ability to withstand the damaging effects of moisture.

When selecting tiles, it should be noted that each seam between the tiles will not be strong enough, therefore, after laying, each seam will need to be treated with a special grout.

The main stages of laying tiles on the floor in the bathroom

So, after you have acquired a sufficient number of tiles for flooring, you must proceed to the process of laying it. It also consists of several stages. First of all, it will be necessary to level the rough floor. If a very strong leveling is required (more than 25 mm), then a cement-sand screed is used. If the floor is flat or the deviation is not so significant, then alignment is not necessary. You can quite smooth out this unevenness with the help of a slightly thickened layer of tile glue.

In addition, before laying the tiles, it is necessary to waterproof the floor. To do this, it is recommended to soak the surface with its special waterproofing composition. This can be done even from the side of the subfloor (if possible).

Alignment includes the following steps:

First, mark the level of the future floor around the perimeter of the room. This is done on the walls with a pencil or chalk.
Next are the beacons made with the help of tablets, bars, etc.
Lighthouses are fixed so that they remain motionless. At the same time, it is worth remembering that they are installed in increments of 100-150 cm.
The first lighthouse is installed from the wall at a distance of 100-150 mm. Do not forget about the need to reconcile their position every time with the help of a building level.
After the beacons are aligned, they are strengthened with concrete mortar or tile glue (if the alignment is planned a little).
Next, you need to align the new surface with the beacons using a trowel or spatula.

So, to level the floor you will need:

concrete mortar (1 part cement, 1 part water, 3 part sand),
wooden slats or planks,
Master OK,
putty knife,
building level,
roulette.

Laying tiles on the floor

It is already possible to lay tiles on the even, dry surface of the new floor. First you need to prepare the glue, for which the dry mixture is diluted in water (the proportions are indicated on the package). Next, take 2 spatulas, 1 of which will be ordinary, and 2 - notched. First, glue is applied to the floor with a simple spatula (if it is not, then you can even use a trowel), and then this solution is leveled with a gear tool. This will allow the tile to better adhere to the grout. Then you just have to lay the tile and press it down properly to the floor. If you do not succeed, then use either a wooden or rubber mallet.

Thus, in order to do everything correctly and get exactly the result that you tried to achieve, you need to choose the right material. Therefore, remember that floor tiles must be strong, beautiful and non-smooth.

Choose tile live

The first thing to understand is tiles can not be selected by photo on the Internet. Be sure to go to the shops and sort through the options locally. Be sure to touch everything with your hands - you can tactilely feel the texture.

Photos are transmitted only in color and size, and even then imperfectly. Texture, light reflection, geometry and type of edges can only be evaluated in the store. There are several types of stands and not all of them are equally good.

Facing as in reality (on tile adhesive and grouting) only in expensive salons. An example of such a stand with Italian tiles in the last photo. The usual one is glued onto liquid nails without grouting. And with such stands you can’t be fooled because edges and what seams will turn out on them is incomprehensible. When choosing, pick up 2 separate tiles and check their geometry by applying them to each other with the front part to the back. Must fit tightly without gaps and holes.

At first, just go through several points photographing your favorite samples with a price tag. The price range is very wide and you should never choose the first tile you like. And further:

Do not listen to the advice of sales consultants on the appearance and design issues.

These people are not builders or designers, their taste and sense of beauty is not a requirement when hiring them. Therefore, their opinion and advice will be of a near-random quality, and may be biased by the desire to draw in leftovers or expensive and

99% of the cases are slop curbs and decors.

The coolest types of tiles (for concrete and wood) are very different and it is absolutely impossible to select them from photographs.

It is better to choose matte and semi-matt

In terms of appearance and texture, much has already been said in the material about tiles in the bathroom, but this is important to repeat here.

Matte and semi-gloss tiles look better, more expensive and more natural than glossy.

If someone tells you the opposite, then either this person did not see live enough of the finished bathrooms, or he has no taste. A bunch of photos proving that matte tiles look cool, see the articles on the loft bathroom and the Scandinavian bathroom. Wood, concrete, stone, travertine, metal, marble - materials that imitate tiles worthy of choice.

We choose the finishing material and why should it be glossy at all? The idea does not come to paint the walls with gloss paint. Why then does it seem to some that you need to glue the walls of the bathroom with glossy glazed incomprehensibly with what?

Of course there are exceptions. Imitation of marble and some other options for classic styles in gloss - normal.

Fine, but no more. Even marbled expensive and cool designs are not in a pure gloss:

Among the exceptions are pure white and black tiles, white boar and mosaic:

Carved Tile Edge

Rectified tile (seamless) is a tile with an edge trimmed exactly 90 degrees, due to which the joints appear much narrower after laying. Previously, only very expensive brands had such an edge. Now even budget options often come across with a trimmed edge. And such a tile without options is better than usual. She does not have a single minus, and narrow seams look very cool.

Here is an example with a good appearance, but where, due to the beveled glaze edges, the seams are visually simply huge. If this is so visible even in the photo, imagine how it looks in life.

This may seem like a trifle, but firstly the devil is in the details, and secondly it is really important and affects the perception of the finished repair. Take the rectangle, choose the right color for the grout and the appearance of the bathroom will already be at a fundamentally different level.

The floor is porcelain, the walls are ceramic

Usually not ceramic tiles, but porcelain tiles are laid on the floor. It is harder and heavier. In appearance, it can not be distinguished, although more often it imitates natural materials. If it comes to choosing tiles for the bathroom, then concentrating on this is not worth it. Any tile designed for the floor will withstand the load in the bathroom without any problems.

A more interesting situation is when you like porcelain stoneware, but you want to use it on the bathroom wall. It is possible, but porcelain stoneware is much stronger and heavier, which is rather a minus than a plus for walls. To lay it on the wall, you need to use more crosses on horizontal seams (a smaller number will be pressed through by the mass and horizontal seams will turn out already than vertical ones). The second problem is durability. In the tile on the wall you have to cut technological holes for outlets, faucets, etc. It is possible to cut them in porcelain stoneware, but do not be surprised at the amounts that will be requested for it. In short, granite can be laid on the wall of the bathroom, but it is technologically more complicated and will cost more.

Read separately how to finish the bathroom with tiles - this is no less important.

Light is more practical than dark

If the rules above are followed, then the choice of color for the bathroom is not so important. The main thing is that these should be natural colors, and not bright or acidic, it is not clear what. In the color scheme from white to black and unsaturated dirty shades of other colors, the bathroom will already look good.

At the same time, white tiles better hide water splashes and plaque on the walls. Dark tiles will have to be rubbed much more often because white salt stains from dried water remain on it. The most practical color for bathroom tiles is gray. It can be very different and a combination of several different texture types can produce an interesting result:

Tile - Finish

The choice of tiles for the bathroom is the choice of finishing material, and not the decor and the whole design. You can highlight some elements with color or patterns, but only pointwise and balanced. There is also plumbing, towels and lighting that gives a play of light and shadow. Hence the rule:

A single tile or wall should not be beautiful. We design the entire bathroom and just choose the finishing material for it.

Here is a photo where the accent tile is selected and used correctly:

And then they already decided that we need to be wiser with each wall and, as a result, we expectedly went too far:

Tile size

It’s generally correct to talk about a combination of aspect ratio and size. Square tiles for the bathroom can be selected only in large sizes starting from 60 × 60 centimeters. Less squares can be taken only for accent tiles with a pattern (patchwork, etc.). Smaller squares look morally obsolete.

There are exceptions when very small squares fit a certain style. But keep in mind that there are still unreasonably many seams.

A 2 to 1 aspect ratio is only suitable for highly big tiles. It is expensive and this is too rare a case that is not suitable for most bathrooms, so we will not dwell on it in more detail.

Almost all good budget options go 3+ to 1. Of course there are exceptions and expensive Spanish and Italian options are cool in any size. But if your budget is not exceeded $ 20 / meter and you have a small bathroom, then it is better to pay attention to the size 3 × 1.

Exceptions: mosaic, bricks, pentagonal and hexagonal and other accent:

But something else is important to know about tile size. When choosing tiles from different collections, considerthat with the declared same size, in fact, it may differ by 1-4 mm. What is 2 mm you say? This is why, when laying two types of seemingly the same size tiles, it will be impossible to get into the seams. Is it necessary to explain that the absence of a seam in the seam at the corners and joints looks disgusting?

That is why it is necessary to choose tiles live in the store, having a tape measure with you. And for a combination of different collections, you must necessarily measure it yourself and make sure that the dimensions match up to 1 mm. If this is not the case, report it to your tiler. Experienced can use when laying crosses of different sizes and combine seams due to their different thicknesses. But this is additional work which is not always possible, and the master must give consent.

The size should match the size of your bathroom. A large tile for a bathroom always looks cool on a large stand, but imagine it in the context of the size of your bathroom. If less than 3 pieces lie on the entire length of the wall, then it is worth taking a closer look at the smaller options. Standard 2+ tiles on one wall. Considering the size of our standard apartments, it’s possible to walk around only in the bathroom combined with the toilet.

Which is NOT worth choosing

Part of the tiles on sale is simply complete rubbish that should not exist at all. But while there are people who, for unknown reasons, choose her, she will continue to destroy their bathrooms. A list of sloppy options that should not be used under any circumstances. First photo, underneath the reason.

This is a clear illustration of why a small square tile and even one color are bad. It looks outdated and outdated, but it is not classic either. This is an initially failed choice - it is absolutely impossible to get a good look.

The one with a pattern in this size is normal, the main one is not good because too shallow. It is clear that this is 1 collection, but no one forbids us to combine. Any large concrete tile would look much better with this decorative pattern.

Choose a tile that is better realistic imitates natural materials. These are 2 examples of the most miserable imitations. Even regardless of the choice of brown for marble and imitation of mold on concrete, decorative elements also obviously spoil everything, obviously from the same collection.

It’s never necessary to lay the floor like this, but it’s okay. The tile on the walls, though so-so, but combines well. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to say that the bathroom looks good. So what is the problem? This again leads us to the idea that something is wrong with these collections.

In expensive collections, the tiles are selected so that they look good in a real bathroom. In cheap, it goes well with each other, but somehow too deliberately. As a result, the bathroom she finished looks like a stand in a store.

In the first photo, everything is fine. I do not like it, but okay. The second one is already worse because the color of the floor in saturation is knocked out of the general gamut. This is an example of why it is risky to use bright tiles. In the photo - the best that could happen, but that is the nuances.

Choose a tile correctly and good luck in repair!

Characteristics and types of floor tiles

Floor tiles, which are used in the bathroom and the bathroom, differ from the wall in greater thickness and strength. The following indicators are important for this product: abrasion, wear resistance, resistance to mechanical stress and point impact. Floor tiles are constantly exposed to water, they must protect the concrete floor from dampness and the formation of mold or fungus. Experienced craftsmen recommend using the following types of tiles to cover the floor in the bathroom:

Clinker tile of Cotto. This type of tile is similar to clinker, but the structure of this material is more porous. Cotto is not covered with glaze, so the surface of the tile is rough and matte. What to use cotto in the bathroom, it is covered with a hydrophobic composition to protect against moisture and stains.

Cotto Monocottura. Monocottura is a glazed floor tile that is fired only 1 time during the manufacturing process. It has high wear resistance, as well as low moisture absorption, due to which it has a long service life during installation of the bathroom and does not absorb water.

Monocottura Porcelain tile. Porcelain flooring is very strong, reliable and durable. It resists moisture and temperature extremes. The disadvantage of this tile is considered a meager selection of shades.

Note! The most stable and wear-resistant coatings for the bathroom floor are considered clinker and porcelain stoneware. They have a common drawback - a small selection of shades, which includes only natural colors. Therefore, a less stable monocotture, which has a wide range of shades and decorative elements, is used more often.

Qualities of floor tiles

Floor tiles for the bathroom are used in difficult conditions, it is daily affected by water, hot steam, high humidity and temperature changes. The loads to which it is exposed differ from the effects on wall coatings, therefore it is incorrect to use the same material for facing different surfaces. Quality tiles used for flooring should have the following qualities:

Low hygroscopicity. Since the bathroom has high humidity, and direct contact of the floor with water is almost inevitable, the tile should have low moisture absorption. This property gives the material a special production technology, and in particular, firing, which makes the tile structure finely porous. The glazed surface also protects against moisture.
Resistance to aggressive household chemicals. The bathroom is kept clean by strong and abrasive detergents, therefore, the floor lining must tolerate contact with chemicals.
Resistance to temperature changes. During the operation of the bathroom, the temperature changes sharply from high to low or vice versa. High-quality tile withstands these transitions without forming cracks and without cracking.
Resistance to sliding. It is important that the floor tiles are not slippery, even if the floor is wet. Coverage with poor glide resistance often causes household injuries.
Mechanical stability. The floor in the bathroom is subjected to high mechanical stress, pinpoint shock, falling heavy objects. Therefore, the tile is chosen strong, quite thick.

Important! Quality floor tiles are thicker and heavier than wall tiles. The thickness of this material is usually 8-12 mm. The most popular sizes are 20x20 cm, 20x30 cm and 30x30 cm. However, manufacturers produce tiles of smaller dimensions (10x10 cm, 15x15 cm), and porcelain stoneware can have a large coating area (60x60 cm or 45x45 cm).

Marking floor tiles

When choosing a material for a bathroom lining, a variety of products can be confused. It should be kept in mind what characteristics a floor tile should have. Manufacturers affix a product labeling that describes the basic properties of the material in the form of diagrams and pictograms. It contains the following information:

On the packaging of the floor tiles, a schematic representation of the foot is applied, which indicates that this floor is suitable for floor mounting.
The shaded foot indicates that this material belongs to the maximum class of wear resistance.
A sketchy snowflake in the marking of ceramic products indicates frost resistance of the material. This quality is inherent in finely porous coatings.
The number on the background of flames indicates the number of firing in the manufacturing process. Most of the floor tiles are fired 1-2 times.
The image of a boot on an inclined surface indicates the coefficient of friction of a wet surface. For a tiled floor, this figure should be higher than 9.
A flask on a black background indicates resistance to chemical detergents. The maximum chemical resistance class is indicated by code AA; tiles labeled C and D are not suitable for the bathroom floor.

Professional tilers note that for bathrooms in commercial and administrative buildings, it is important to consider the abrasion of floor tiles. Abrasion resistance is indicated in the labeling with the letters PEI and a numerical coefficient from I to IV.

Choice of colors and designs

Floor tiles in the bathtub are matched to the color of the walls, furniture or decor. The color of the coating determines how often the floor will need to be washed and cleaned. The range of colors that manufacturers offer allows you to create complex drawings or even mosaic images. The main task is to choose a shade on which stains from detergents, dried drops of water or dust are not noticeable. The following patterns exist in the choice of flooring design:

Glossy pottery of dark colors is considered an impractical option for the bathroom, since on it every dried drop looks like a white stain. It’s difficult to maintain such a coating. If homeowners still want a dark color floor, you can do a combination of colors, leaving areas in contact with water, light in color.

The designers consider the black color unsuccessful for the bathroom floor, since dust, soap stains, drops are clearly visible on it. Although in the collections of bathroom ceramics this coloring is quite common, it looks attractive, you can use this option if you are willing to spend a lot of time on cleaning.

Experienced craftsmen advise to pay special attention to the color of the grout for the decorative flooring of the bathroom. Light grout during operation becomes dirty and darkens, therefore it is rarely used for floors. More practical finishes considers grouting neutral shades.