Facing tiles

If previously the lining of the walls was made mainly ceramic tiles, then in our time the range of this building material has greatly expanded. There were new species, very different in value and possessing different characteristics - facing clinker tiles, facing plastic tiles, facing tiles for stone. You can find products on cement or gypsum basis, which often leads people into confusion when buying.

The most important characteristics for facing tiles

Consumers are often bought for a spectacular appearance, not paying attention to other serious indicators. For facing tiles, which are most often used in the bathroom, corridor or kitchen, almost in the first place is a parameter such as water absorption. If this coefficient is less than 3%, then it is suitable even for the pool, but when this parameter exceeds 10%, then this tile can only be used inside a dry room.

If you are interested in facing the external tiles for a loggia , a balcony, for decorating the building's facade, then familiarize yourself with its frost resistance, how well this material tolerates temperature changes. Resistant to chemical influences is important in the event that you will often wash the lined surface with various household products. I do not really want the tile to lose its luster after a couple of months, become covered with shells or change its color.

Such a thing as sliding, plays a big role in choosing a facing tile for the floor. For example, the R9 indicator is suitable for the material that is covered in the dining room, dressing rooms, where people walk barefoot. The sliding parameter equal to R10 is suitable for bathrooms or kitchens. For a refrigerating chamber or a laundry, you need to buy a facing tile with an R11 index.

Application of tiles in the interior

1. Bathroom tiles . This type of decoration - a classic interior, but often people do not know how to bring a little zest here. If the facing white tile seems too boring choice, then create a panel on the bathroom wall, lay the bottom of the room with dark material, and the top light, or vice versa. Help to diversify the situation of horizontal stripes, various frames, frame mirrors from tiles of contrasting colors.
2. Facing tiles for the kitchen . In this room, the zone most affected by harmful influences is near the stove, the sink, near the refrigerator. Therefore, all walls in this room should not be covered with ceramic tiles. The rest of the space can be covered with wallpaper or plaster. Masonry tiles in the kitchen are used in different ways - in checkerboard pattern, diagonal, parquet. There is no great mechanical strength for it here, but here's the chemical and thermal resistance for the kitchen - this is the most important parameter.
3. Facing tiles for the fireplace . In the old days tiles, terracotta and majolica were used for decoration and covering of heating devices. Now more common types of tiles for stoves or fireplaces are porcelain stoneware and high-temperature clinker tiles. They are not inferior to the old models and allow imitating any color and texture.
4. Facing tiles for artificial stone . This building material is interesting and beautiful decorative view, so it is suitable not only for kitchens or baths, but it is successfully used in corridors, hallways, even in such an important place as a living room. The facade tile under the stone is not inferior to the brick and is an excellent substitute for natural stone. The level of imitation is extremely high, and at the same time the cost of works is significantly reduced.

Now the consumer often has difficulties in buying this building material. We have tried to tell you how best to use facing tiles in the interior, as well as a little stopped on what indicators when choosing it should pay close attention. We hope that this note will help many owners make the right choice.