Tiles on the kitchen floor

Repair in an apartment or house is always a troublesome, exciting and costly process. You can entrust the whole thing completely to professionals and not think about design, materials and other nuances. And you can think of everything and do it yourself, based on your own preferences and taste. So, for example, if during the arrangement of the kitchen the choice fell on the floor tile, then it is worth exploring in detail all the pros and cons, styling nuances and other information.

The floor tile has both advantages and disadvantages. The biggest plus is durability. For example, a laminate, linoleum or vinyl coating will relatively quickly begin to lose its original appearance. In second place positive qualities worth practicality. Tiles are very easy to wash and you can not be afraid to use chemicals.

Of the minuses can be identified lack of heat. That is, tile is a rather cold material and walking barefoot in ceramics is not a very pleasant activity.In such cases, the tile is ideal for the corridor. But you can avoid this minus and conduct a floor heating system. It should be noted that ceramics are ideal for this system, unlike other floor materials.

Unlike heat, the tile perfectly conducts sound and, laying ceramics, it is worth taking care of additional sound insulation. And also the tile is very hard material. It is easy to hit him, for example, a small child, and break dishes or other kitchen items. And finally, the most common disadvantage is the large time and material costs of laying ceramics.

If the minuses did not scare you and the final choice was made in favor of ceramic tiles, then you should know how to choose the right material so that it faithfully serves and pleases for many years.

• In no case should tiles on walls be used for flooring. All because the wall material is less wear-resistant and very quickly lose its original appearance. In order not to be mistaken in the appointment of tiles, in the store should carefully examine the markings on the boxes.On the floor ceramics, a foot is always indicated, and a hand is drawn on the wall tile.
• Tile for the floor must be non-slip. To prevent falls, you should also consider labeling on packages. These numbers are called the friction coefficient. They must be at least 0.75. But the granite coating with a coefficient of less than 0.4 is very dangerous for the health in home premises.
• The flooring in the kitchen is considered the most wearable, so when choosing a tile you should pay attention to the classification. So, for such a room is ideal for the third grade of hardness according to PEI, or fifth grade according to GOST. Even at individual companies on the package you can find a badge with a shaded leg, which indicates the highest degree of wear resistance.
• Provided that the tile will be regularly processed with detergents, it is necessary to purchase goods with AA marking. This designation indicates the excellent chemical resistance of ceramics. In addition, due to the thickness and the special protective layer of this type of floor covering, dirt will not stick in.
• Of particular importance is the appearance of floor tiles.It should not be glossy, ribbed and porous. On the shiny ceramics will be very noticeable all the rubbing and scratches that may occur in the future. And on a ribbed or porous all the dirt and dust will accumulate on the top layer and it is very difficult to clean.

Perhaps the most common forms of floor tiles are square and rectangle. Hexagonal and octagonal shapes can also be found on the shelves of building stores, but they are not in great demand among consumers.

There are three main sizes for kitchen floor tiles. These are 20 by 20, 30 by 30 and 40 by 40. Some people use modern interiors and very small sizes for laying out certain patterns. For example, 10 by 10 or 15 by 15.

There are several important rules to remember regarding tile dimensions:

• It is necessary to select the size of ceramic tiles so that it is a multiple of the width and length of the kitchen. In this case, laying will be several times cheaper, easier and will not have to cut the material.
• It should always be remembered that the manufacturer may have an error in size within five to seven millimeters.It does not need to be considered a marriage and this happens very often. An interesting fact is that, with domestic and European firms, the material with the same error must be in the same container, while Chinese manufacturers may have tiles of different sizes in the same package.
• If the floor in the kitchen room has irregularities and cannot be removed, then it is necessary in this case to purchase tiles with the smallest size. For example, 10 by 10 or 15 by 15. Thus, a small tile will hide all the flaws and there will be no gaps under it.
• Everyone knows about it, but you need to repeat it again. It is always necessary to purchase material by a few percent more than what is required by calculation. Very often there are force majeure situations when additional tiles are required or incorrect measurements are made.

Everyone knows such a pattern, when a light shade increases and expands, and a dark shade, on the contrary, decreases and narrows. This rule is always and in all. And the floor tiles in the interior of the kitchen is no exception. Before you buy ceramics, you should carefully examine the kitchen space and highlight all the minuses and pros.

If the kitchen is small, then it is necessary to visually enlarge it due to the bright shades of the floor tile. But if the kitchen room is spacious and free, then you can safely buy dark material, but at the same time choose a white or bright furniture set.

When turning the kitchen to the north or west and the minimum natural light, it is necessary to put a tile with a warm tint and preferably without drawings. And, on the contrary, with the sunny side, you can safely choose a cold color and with ornaments.

As for color in general, it is worth noting that there are only three tones, the shades of which fit perfectly into any kitchen, be it light or dark, small or spacious. It is brown, beige and gray.

If we talk specifically about the styles, then experts recommend:

• With the high-tech or minimalism style, pick up a tile of the same tone throughout the kitchen space and even into the hallway or with a beautiful plain ornament.
• With the classic style to choose tiles that mimic marble or gloss with antique pattern.
• With the style of country or Provence pick up a matte tile that mimics worn and aged, as well as any other suitable imitation.

To date, on the shelves of hardware stores you can find the original tile, imitating stone or wood. Each such ceramics has its own characteristics, which you need to know if the choice fell on this product.

This type of tile is most often porcelain stoneware, which tends to break easily. The advantage is that when laying ceramics, the seams are completely invisible and it seems like a solid, even wooden floor. The cheapest floor tile imitating wood or parquet can be purchased for five hundred or seven hundred rubles per square meter.

Very often, high-quality ceramic tiles that imitate stone are not easily distinguished from natural materials. So high technology of building materials is so high that only a qualified specialist will be able to find out what is laid out on the floor: porcelain stoneware or marble, quartzite, basalt, granite or any other rock. The budget option will cost consumers only five hundred or seven hundred rubles per square meter.

In total there are six options for the layout of kitchen tiles:

• Traditional.
• With offset.
• Diagonally.
• Herringbone.
• Herringbone with attachment.
• Modular grid.

At the very beginning it is necessary to get rid of the old flooring and level the surface. Remove all bulges, holes, holes, looseness and other shortcomings. This is a very important point, because the durability of the coating depends on preparing the floor for laying the tile.

If the master of the house decided to lay the tile with his own hands, then it is worth remembering that at the very beginning it is necessary to think over the styling option, which is ideally suited to the kitchen's interior and taste preferences. And in the process of work, we strictly follow the pattern, because even with a slight deviation from technology, the entire floor can suffer completely.

It is important to remember that there should be no gaps and gaps under the tiles. It is necessary to properly lay the cover so that the entire area of ​​the floor was a maximum of ten percent of voids. Otherwise, in the future, there is a high risk of cracks and chipping of ceramics when heavy objects fall on it, and this will lead to a new repair and replacement of tiles.

Ceramic baseboard in the kitchen or in the hallway will look very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. Of course, you can create your own hands and put the decor of the remnants of the tile, but it is worth noting that the edges of such plinths will be sharp and the appearance is generally inaccurate.

Grouting is also very important when laying tiles. Its shade depends on the color of ceramics. If the coating imitates a stone, laid out under the parquet, has two or more shades, then the grout should get the color that prevails over the others. And also many experts recommend contrasting seams that will attract interest and attention to the floor.

Cement grout is inexpensive, but perfectly absorbs dirt, fluid and relatively quickly loses its original appearance. To avoid unpleasant consequencesExperts recommend treating cement seams with special protective chemical compounds or sealants.

It is not difficult to guess even beginner tilers from where to start should work. Of course, it is worth starting from the place opposite to the entrance to the kitchen to avoid damage to the tile.

To date, floor tiles for kitchen space is in the collection of almost every manufacturer of ceramics. For example, such well-known Russian and Polish manufacturers as:

• Kerama Marazzi. Russian manufacturer of granite, tile and mosaic, which began work in the distant 1988 in the city of Oryol. An interesting fact is that in 2013 Kerama Marazzi became the largest company in Russia that produces ceramics. In its assortment you can find tiles for floors and walls, sanitary ware, decorative products.
• Jade Pottery. The Russian company, which started the production of tiles and decorative elements for bathrooms, kitchens and dwellings in 1990. To date, part of the five largest producers of ceramics. The company is constantly developing and introducing innovations.All high-quality goods are produced on modern equipment.
• Kerabud. The Russian manufacturer established its business in 2003. All ceramics have international quality standards and are created on excellent Italian equipment. Kerabud products are quite popular in Europe and are used for decoration of residential and office premises, wall cladding, floor and facades of houses.
• Cersanit. Polish manufacturer of ceramics and sanitary equipment. It is considered the largest European company that manufactures tiles, sanitary ware, furniture, showers, toilets, and more.
• Opoczno. Polish company, whose product quality is time-tested. For more than a hundred and thirty years Opoczno allows you to create bright and stylish interior designs, combining modern styles and classic canons. Thanks to well-known designers and innovative technologies, the tile meets the highest European requirements.
• Paradyz. Polish manufacturer of high-quality and beautiful tiles, which is in great demand in forty countries around the world for more than twenty-five years. The company has a large number of awards and prestigious titles.Bright and original design, a wide range of collections, modern technologies and equipment - this is what distinguishes the manufacturer Paradyz from the rest.
• Tubadzin. Polish manufacturer of ceramic tiles, which combines several brands. The history of the creation of goods begins in the eighties and continues successfully to this day. Excellent quality and reasonable prices played an important role and conquered a large number of European countries.

No one else, like housewives, can properly assess the advantages and disadvantages of ceramic tiles in the kitchen, because they spend most of their time in this room. Judging by the reviews of women, ceramics is a fairly practical coating, since it lasts longer than, for example, linoleum or laminate. And the tile does not require special care. It is enough to wipe the floor with a damp cloth and vacuum the seams only once every two days. But from the shortcomings of housewives very often distinguish slippery flooring and cold floor.