Bathroom tiles: varieties, design options and selection criteria

It is difficult even to imagine a modern apartment without a bathroom, and that, in turn, is unthinkable without tiles. This is not surprising, because in conditions of constantly high humidity and the same temperature, most other finishing materials would quickly deteriorate, but the tile is durable and looks very beautiful, and is extremely easy to clean.

Meanwhile, modern manufacturers produce such a wide range of products that it is difficult for an inexperienced person to choose the optimal solution from the first attempt. To avoid common disappointments, consider what this material is generally like.

The use of this facing material, like most others, has advantages and disadvantages. In order for the end result to completely satisfy you, you should study both in detail, and you should start with what is good for bathroom tiles.

• Resistant to almost any external factors. It is not in vain that the tile is used mainly in rooms with harsh climatic conditions - at least it is not afraid of splashes, which are critical for most alternative materials. In addition, heating does not affect it in any way - during the manufacturing process, it experienced higher temperatures than can be in your apartment. Its only potential weak point may be the fear of mechanical shock, but with careful handling this will not become a hindrance, and some especially durable varieties are not even afraid of this.
• Practicality... Tile finishes are made up of many individual pieces, and this is their strength, which outweighs the potential weakness described above - the inability to withstand strong impacts. By accidentally splitting one of the tiles, you do not have to re-do the repair of the entire bathroom, which would certainly cost a pretty penny - just have a few spare copies to replace the damaged ones.
• Ease of maintenance. First of all, the tile is unable to absorb liquids, which means that it is much less exposed to any complex pollution - if there are any, then in most cases they can be simply wiped off. In addition, the chemical composition of the material is usually completely neutral, and therefore, in severe cases, even aggressive detergents can be used, because even they will not leave any damage.
• Diversity. Modern manufacturers have long grasped the trend of recent decades, which consists in finding their own originality - the buyer often does not want to be "like everyone else", he is looking for opportunities to stand out from others and have a unique bathroom. To achieve this, tiles are produced in different colors, sizes and textures, not to mention the exact composition of the raw materials. At the same time, the fact that the finished finish is prefabricated allows you to combine different tiles in completely unpredictable combinations, creating truly unique masterpieces.

But the disadvantages of this material are not so many, and they usually appear only at the stage of purchase and installation, but not during operation. So, tiling is considered one of the most expensive finishing methods, and the material itself weighs quite a lot, which complicates its delivery to the object in significant quantities.

Besides, it is during the delivery process that the fragility of the tile is most clearly expressed - at this stage, taking into account the quality of Russian roads, it can beat in fairly large quantities.

At the mention of tile, most people have a clear image of tiles in their heads. But in fact, not everyone sees the same thing, and this is not surprising - the tile cladding is produced in many different variations and can be made from fundamentally different raw materials, albeit with similar final characteristics. Again, this area of ​​knowledge is also worth understanding before heading to the store to purchase cladding materials.

This version of the tile has been known since ancient times, the materials for it literally lie underfoot - these are clay, sand and some other materials, fired at a high temperature and glazed on the outside for greater aesthetics.

It is the glaze that allows you to get any design option that the buyer desires, and it is also she who protects the "body" of the tile from dirt and makes it smooth.

And this material, on the contrary, can be considered relatively new - it appeared not so long ago. It is made by the method of simultaneous heating, stronger than for ordinary tiles, and heavy-duty pressing. At the same time, the composition of the raw material is somewhat reminiscent of the one from which porcelain is made, but in the end, the tile, not covered with glaze, is more like a stone.

At the same time, according to all operational characteristics, it is even more reliable than natural stone blocks, since has no extraneous inclusions and does not lend itself to cracking, is not afraid of wiping, or aggressive "chemistry", or even temperature extremes.

Such a tile is very expensive, which is justified by its amazing durability, but at home it is used relatively rarely - it belongs to it in public institutions experiencing increased stress.

Another example of cladding, which is used at home only by the person who does not feel sorry for money, if only the repair would last for centuries.

Such material is fired once, but at a very high temperature, due to which the result is somewhere comparable to porcelain stoneware - it is expensive, but it is distinguished by impressive durability, resistance to most types of external influences and the utmost ease of cleaning due to its complete waterproofness.

This is a comparative innovation, but it is rapidly gaining popularity due to the eccentricity of the appearance of the premises after renovation. Glass, like other materials for the manufacture of tiles, does not absorb water, and therefore remains extremely simple to clean, moreover, it is not afraid of the effects of aggressive "chemistry", but the question of the reliability and durability of this material remains open.

Although he is not afraid of moisture or heat, Ordinary glass is highly fragile if not specially tempered. In general, such a tile can be considered one of the cheapest, but getting it and having confidence in the reliability of the material can be quite difficult.

This is not even one material, but several at once; among all this variety, it is worth highlighting flexible stone and flexible PVC-based tiles. In both cases, we are dealing with a specific roll product of the type of wallpaper, in the manufacturing process of which fragments of stone chips were used - most often silicon, sandstone or marble.

Thanks to this approach, it is possible to kill two birds with one stone - on the one hand, the cladding looks about the same as in the case of finishing with real stone tiles, on the other hand, it is possible to neatly smooth out all the corners due to the material's ability to bend.

The great advantage of modern tiles is that it is practically unlimited in assortment neither in shape nor in size. This is very convenient, since it helps to partially solve the problem of trimming the material - in order to avoid a large amount of trimmed waste, the selection of a particular tile takes into account not only your own aesthetic preferences, but also with an eye to ensuring that the products fit as clearly as possible into the dimensions of the space to be trimmed.

In this case, the size of each individual tile also has a certain value. So, the choice of a deliberately large tile allows you to visually reduce an overly spacious room, while a small one gives a completely opposite effect.

Imagine that you have a tiny bathroom 2 x 1.5 x 2.5 meters - if you cover it with huge panels of 20x30 cm, a trained eye will be able to count the number of fragments in a matter of seconds, and then at the level of the psyche it will consider the room even tighter ... Whether it's small mosaic options like 10x10 cm - there will be a lot of them for the same wall dimensions, because of which the space will be visually distributed.

Approximately according to the same logic, they select the shape, if necessary, one way or another, correct the shape of the entire room. Square tiles 15x15 and 20x20 cm or an elongated 20x25 cm close to it are appropriate in almost any room and have almost no effect on the imaginary change in their configuration, but pronounced vertical solutions like 25x40 give a noticeable skew of proportions.

Thanks to the use of such products, the ceiling seems to be planted lower, since there are literally several tiles before it, but the walls, due to the narrowed width, seem to be longer than they really are.

At the same time, a flight of design imagination to create an original and unique interior is able to use the most unexpected variations of a tile, even if it has a hexagonal or round profile. Such geometric solutions are used both for creating unusual patterns and for laying out full-fledged pictures - for these purposes, they usually use small mosaic tiles, which allow "to draw" small details. It will cost the customer much more, but he will get what he wanted so much - a unique uniqueness.

There are no patterns in terms of choosing a bathroom tile by shade - each person is free to choose the color that he likes more than others. At the same time, some designers still give a recommendation for choosing in favor of light shades - It is believed that the main type of pollution in this room will be salt deposits, and they are perfectly visible on a dark surface.

The motivation for choosing light colors may be different - the bathrooms of most modern apartments are unenviable cramped, and white and other similar colors reflect light, creating the illusion of unlimited space.

Curious is the lack of any recommendations for the range... If a cheerful, warm finish is desirable for the kitchen, and a calm one in matte colors for the bedroom, then in the bathroom you can experiment as you please. Allowed as cold shades like aqua, and soft light green tiles, and bright hot red.

Anyway, no existing tone will make your bathroom original, therefore it is worth paying attention to the colored tiles. A mix of colored tiles that mimics the patchwork style can be lively and interesting, and although this style is not only used by you, the pattern itself can be unique on the scale of the whole world.

The fact that the finished tile is usually also glazed at the end allows manufacturers to experiment freely with tile design. Even if you are not chasing an individuality on a universal scale, it still makes sense to choose so that the result fully corresponds to your preferences and ideas about comfort.

Today, tiles are becoming very popular, imitating any other finishing material from among those that are simply inappropriate in the bathroom, or the owners will not be able to afford it... Unusual solutions under concrete allow connoisseurs of the loft, finally, to feel at home, beautiful imitations under a tree will certainly be appreciated by supporters of classic interiors, and there are also completely original options that visually copy bamboo wall - this is for those who value natural materials in all their manifestations.

Choosing roll substitutes for real tiles, you can theoretically choose seamless coating, which, due to the similarity of the material, will be classified in the category of flexible tiles, although, in fact, it is not. The advantage of this solution lies not only in the unusual appearance, but also in the fact that in the absence of seams of dirt there is simply nowhere to clog, which means that caring for the walls will be much easier.

You can also choose the cladding in the context of the texture, and there are two options here - it will be matte or glossy. Experts usually advise choosing exactly the matte option - at least it always looks the same, even in conditions of a large amount of steam and inevitable fogging, but the gloss wilts under such conditions. In addition, it was mentioned above that the most common pollution in the bathroom is salt deposits, and they also contribute little to shiny reflection.

Another thing is that the design style of the room can also put forward its requirements for the design of the finishing material. Glossy solutions cannot be called widely in demand, but manufacturers also produce them, knowing for sure that the modern trend of pursuing uniqueness sometimes even to the detriment of common sense can work in this case.

In addition, when choosing a texture, you should pay attention to whether the facing material is smooth or rough. The first option is unambiguously leading both in frequency and in practicality of use - in fact, almost any glazed tile has a smooth surface. It, in contrast to rough surfaces, has the obvious advantage that it does not have hard-to-reach places, which means that it is easy to clean.

The bathroom is the very place where mold and mildew have excellent conditions for reproduction, and therefore roughness is not welcome here - no matter how hard the owners try, they are unlikely to be able to maintain perfect cleanliness for a long time.

In the decoration of premises, as in everything else that is associated with the appearance, there are certain fashion trends that, in one way or another, affect the choice of consumers. Since tile is a very durable material, fashion trends here do not change too quickly - modern and most relevant in general took shape two or three years ago, and can easily hold out for several more seasons. Among the popular solutions, several are worth highlighting.

This is a vivid example of the fact that many consumers value visual originality much higher than practicality - buyers are not afraid of the abundance of hard-to-reach places that will be difficult to clean. But the presence of this type of tile in the interior already indicates that it is new and quite expensive.

The insanely fashionable creative direction has reached the tile for the bathroom - now it has to be covered with a patchwork pattern, and the tiles themselves are produced in sets so that it is difficult to find two identical ones. Such a solution as a whole has a reference to the rustic style, which welcomes all "home-made" solutions from improvised means, but now you no longer need to be a cool designer to think over such a renovation - the suppliers did everything for you.

A person is always inclined to choose what he does not have: a few decades ago in our country, comfort and "urban" comfort were most appreciated, but today the priorities have shifted, and sometimes you want an element of savagery in overly licked cities. You can't lay out natural brick in an apartment, and it will look too rough, but a compromise solution in the form of brick tiles is in demand not only in bathrooms, but also in other rooms.

This material costs good money, but it has tremendous strength, therefore for a long time it was perceived as a solution purely for the floor, and even then mainly in public places.Of course, wealthy owners used to line the floor in the bathroom with them, but only relatively recently it has suddenly become fashionable to decorate the walls with them.

Like any other product, tiles can be either of high quality or completely stupid, and then all its potential advantages will be neutralized. In order not to be mistaken with the choice, it is worth paying attention, first of all, to the collections of those brands that managed to establish themselves in previous years. Let's take a look at a few recognizable brands as an example.

Contrary to the Italian name, this is a Russian firm that is praised for the widest choice of design solutions and, indeed, a creative approach. For obvious reasons, it is not difficult to find it in our country - it has more than three hundred stores in all regions, and it is also one of the best economy class options. The brand is criticized only for the fact that its designers, in the flight of creative thought, sometimes forget about the need to combine floor and wall decoration.

And this is already real Italy, and an elite one - if you do not consider yourself to be among the rich people, it will hardly be affordable for you. Here you have stunning design, eco-friendly composition and outstanding resistance to wiping. The disadvantage in the form of an unbearable cost has already been mentioned, and products are sometimes criticized for imperfect geometry - in dimensions, deviations of up to a millimeter are possible, which will be noticeable with close installation.

Belarusian products were in fair demand even among our grandparents, and now, being released on updated equipment, it has only become better. This is another option for tiling a bathroom cheaply and cheerfully, believing that the renovation will last for a long time. As with the above brand, Belarusians sin a little with the accuracy of geometry.

Ukraine also produces good tiles - the plant in Kharkov cooperates with Italian design studios and boasts a high aestheticism of its products. As it should be for post-Soviet products, the finished product is inexpensive, as bonuses - decent quality and a decent assortment. The negative should be written down that tiles from different batches can vary significantly in tone, although all markings on the label are identical.

The products of this Russian company are so budgetary that they can easily compete even with obscure Turkish and Chinese manufacturers. Such a curiosity is worth mere pennies, and even has an extensive network of distributors, while the collections are praised for the presence of simple universal solutions.

Those who do not need additional introductions - the trade mark has established the production of tiles and sanitary ware in Germany, Poland, Russia and Ukraine, and this already clearly shows how demanded her products are. Such a sophisticated brand is ready to offer customers both universal and exclusive design solutions, and, of course, there is not the slightest criticism of such a tile in terms of wear and tear. The criticism is generally the same as that of all the brands described above, and even budget collections are criticized for the fragility of the glaze.

All of the above will undoubtedly help you decide on a tile for a bathroom, but it is worth once again collecting all the criteria, thanks to the knowledge of which you will be able to avoid common mistakes.

• The purpose... The most important point: tiles can be floor and wall, and there can be no question of any interchangeability! The floor is subject to the main loads, therefore it must be strong - its thickness is usually 6-9 mm, and the wear resistance coefficient must be at least III. When making a potentially durable renovation in an apartment, you should not be guided by budget floor tiles - it is better to overpay once than to start all over again.With wall tiles, the situation is much simpler - they are not subject to special loads and should be simply beautiful, and their reduced thickness makes it easier to cut.
• Texture. Gloss for the floor is categorically unacceptable - it not only shines brightly, but is also polished to an ideal state, which makes it slippery. We will not even mention excessive glare and good visibility even for water droplets - this is obvious. The embossed texture looks the most stylish, but caring for it is not easy at all, and you will have to pay a tidy sum for such a facing. Matte tiles are considered to be a kind of golden mean - they are devoid of gross flaws.
• The form. The square is considered a top solution - it is a versatile design that is equally appropriate in any direction of decoration. Rectangular tiles are also in high demand - depending on which orientation (horizontal or vertical) you choose, you can influence the visual perception of a room whose dimensions or proportions do not suit you. The mosaic is assembled from tiny components and, as a result, allows you to create whole drawings, but its installation will cost the owners very expensive, and in a cramped bathroom it will not look at all. Non-standard solutions may seem fashionable today, but tomorrow they are considered irrelevant, and this is also the most difficult challenge for the master, therefore it is not surprising that the service costs a pretty penny.
• Color spectrum. Shades of white, be it ivory or baked milk, are considered a win-win solution - this is a neutral achromatic color that goes well with other tones, gives light and spaciousness, and in terms of geometry it "loves" large size and simple shapes. Light colors allow you to cheer up, and the cold range invigorates well in the morning, and the warm one helps to relax in the evening. Bright colors allow you to add juiciness to the interior, but too saturated colors quickly tire you - it is advisable to limit their use only to accent zones. Finally, dark tones seem to be elite, but depressing, and even emphasizing the presence of dirt, therefore they are usually distinguished by the lower part of the walls and floors.

• Considering the options for decorating a bathroom, do not follow the style requirements too strictly - this greatly limits your ideas. The interior in the Scandinavian style loves white, but the designer decided to show a little imagination, so he collected tiles in different shades and a non-classical hexagonal shape. It will cost a little more to lay out the wall in this way, but it turned out not as bland as it could.

• The bathroom, tiled in an oriental style, looks even brighter. Interestingly, this does not require special tile shapes - the banal squares are turned so that they become a rhombus, and a brighter pattern is laid out on a relatively faded background. Typical colors to use for style matching are blue and red on a white background with possible splashes of gold.

• One cannot ignore the patchwork, which is literally on everyone's lips today. Everything is extremely simple here - tiles are needed that are similar either in pattern or in color, otherwise the elements (necessarily square in shape) are laid out interspersed and without any system.