Porcelain tile for a bathroom: features, selection and application

The decorative finish in the bathrooms should be made of high quality materials, as this room is characterized by high humidity, which destroys the surface of the coating. To date, the most popular material for facing surfaces in the bathroom is porcelain. It is presented in a huge assortment, which allows it to be used in the design of any design.

Porcelain tile is a modern finishing material, which is in many ways superior to ordinary ceramic tiles and has unique performance properties. In the manufacture of porcelain stoneware, components such as natural dyes, spar, clay and silica sand are used. They are thoroughly mixed and sent under a special press, where the drying and firing process takes place.

Thanks to this unique production technology, an extremely dense and durable monolith is obtained, which has vitrification, porosity and the preservation of the pattern on the surface.

In addition to standard production technologies, many manufacturers use the double-loading method, with the help of which a beautiful tile with unique shades and stains is obtained.The microtech method is also very popular, which consists in thorough processing of the batch with the formation of original drawings.

The production method called “passing vein” has also found wide application. - it allows you to make interesting porcelain tiles, on the surface of which colored "veins" are placed in a chaotic manner. Such material externally resembles marble and looks chic in the modern interior of bathrooms.

Many homeowners when choosing a design in the bathroom choose porcelain stoneware, as surface treatment with this material has a number of advantages. The main advantages of porcelain stoneware include the following factors.

• High density. Such products do not contain microcracks, inclusions and voids, which improves their bending strength and allows you to perform facing even uneven surfaces. Thanks to this characteristic, the decorative coating is able to withstand loads of up to 400 kg.
• Resistance to damage of various kinds. Chips and scratches are excluded on the tiles.
• Good moisture resistance. Because of this, the material can be used in the decoration of rooms with high humidity - it will reliably last a long time. In addition, spots never form on the surface of porcelain stoneware.
• Incombustibility. In the event of a fire, the material will not only not burn, but will also help to suspend the spread of fire to another finish.
• It is not an electrical conductor. This is especially important when the “underfloor heating” system is installed in the bathrooms.
• Environmental friendliness. The material is produced exclusively from natural raw materials, therefore, compared with simple granite, it is devoid of radioactivity.
• Uniform color throughout the thickness of the tile. Thanks to this, the material retains its original appearance for many years.
• A huge range of collections. This allows you to quickly select porcelain tiles for the appropriate style.

As for the shortcomings, the following points are referred to them.

• Despite the fact that porcelain can be laid on a not-so-perfect surface, it is recommended that the floor before cladding be carefully leveled without leaving air cushions. If this is not done, then the finish may eventually crack under the weight of homeowners. The procedure for leveling the floor will require additional financial and time costs.
• High price. Compared with other types of tiles, porcelain tiles are expensive, but this is justified by its beautiful appearance and high strength.

Porcelain tile for the bathroom is represented by a huge selection of models that differ not only in price, manufacturer, but also in appearance. According to the texture of the coating, facing products are divided into several varieties.

• Such a tile coated with a layer of smalt glaze, which increases its hardness and strength. The only disadvantage of the coating is that it may fade over time. In addition, the glazed surface is slippery, which is not recommended for bathrooms.

• Matt During production, this type of porcelain is not further processed, so its surface is rough and non-shiny. The advantages of tiles include high resistance to heavy loads.

• Polished. They are characterized by a specular sheen, but due to surface polishing, its wear resistance decreases and water absorption increases.

• Satin This is porcelain tile with a polished surface, on which a layer of mineral salts is applied during the manufacturing process before firing. This type of tile is characterized by a non-slip surface and gloss.

• Structured. They have a matte or embossed surface and are well suited for finishing both the floor and walls in the bathroom.Such porcelain stoneware has a diverse design; products with imitation of parquet and genuine leather are especially popular. They serve a long term without losing their original appeal.

In addition, porcelain stoneware may differ in the shape and size of the tiles. Most often on sale there are square and rectangular options. Wall porcelain stoneware can be small in size, it is usually chosen for decorating individual sections.

As for the color scheme, then porcelain stoneware can be gray, black, red and white. Neutral colors are great for small bathrooms, they allow you to visually adjust the space, and contrasting colors is recommended for spacious rooms that require a unique interior.

Today, most designers prefer to use porcelain tiles when decorating bathrooms, since this material reflects light well and transforms the interior of the room in an original way. Porcelain tile is represented on the construction market by various manufacturers, whose products differ not only in design, but also in price and quality. The most popular brands, under whose name exquisite collections of facing material are represented, include the following.

• Kerama Marazzj (Russia together with Italy). This is the only brand in the world that uses the dry pressing method in the manufacture of porcelain stoneware. Thanks to this, the products are obtained as close as possible to natural stone, are inexpensive, have good geometry and are easy to cut. The only drawback of the collections is the complexity of the combination of the color range. Particularly noteworthy are the collections “Winter Garden”, “Floral”, “Muse”, “Alba” and “Sunset”.

• Fap Ceramiche (Italy). Under this brand, an elite and expensive tile is produced, represented by more than 30 collections (the most famous are Desert, Boston, Meltin). The products are distinguished by their unusual appearance; a pattern with imitation of wood, marble and stone is applied to their surface. The advantages of porcelain tile include a respectable appearance, resistance to mechanical damage, the disadvantages are the high price and possible deviations in size.

• Keramin. This is a Belarusian trademark that has released more than 80 tile collections. Porcelain tiles from the Buckingham, Burma, Dune and Marseille collections are ideal for bathrooms. Plus of this porcelain tile - affordable price, high quality, a large selection of designs, minus - sometimes there are discrepancies in the width and length of the tile in 1-2 mm.

• Unitile This is a Russian brand that, together with Italian and Spanish designers, created 30 unique collections, the most popular of which are Selena, Romance and Agat. The tile is sold at a low price, it has good quality, but inconsistencies of different batches from the same collection in tone can be observed.

Porcelain tile for the bathroom is represented by a huge assortment, so it is difficult to make the right choice in favor of this or that kind. In order for the facing surface to last a long time and not lose its attractiveness, it is important to pay attention to the following points when buying tiles.

• The size. This indicator depends on the configuration and area of ​​the room. For small bathrooms, it is best to purchase small porcelain tiles, square shapes. For spacious rooms, tiles of any size and shape are suitable.
• Color and texture. Designers recommend for bathrooms to choose tiles in the colors of the sea wave or delicate blue shades. Flower items are not considered a good option; they look simple and uninteresting in design. As for the texture, then for the bathroom you should purchase porcelain tile with a relief or rough surface that does not slip.
• Strength. The tile must withstand both mechanical shocks and be resistant to aggressive substances, scratches.

The bathroom is considered a special room in the house, so its design should be appropriate. For registration of bathrooms porcelain tiles are usually used, which allows you to give the interior a special look. Using this finishing material, you can translate into reality any design ideas, the only thing that is not recommended to use in the interior is too bright colors that can quickly get bored. Small bathrooms can be designed as follows.

• In white color. Snow-white porcelain stoneware is ideal for the classic style, speaking as a symbol of cleanliness. To avoid monotony, it is necessary to create several contrasting zones with decorative elements of other colors. Gray, beige, pale blue and green go well with white. To get a single composition, you should install a white suspended ceiling with a matte surface and place the furniture in the same color scheme in the room.

• In warm colors. This is a very interesting option for creating an interior in small rooms. It is advisable to give preference to porcelain tiles of white-pink or warm yellow hue. To dilute the contrast, you can separately install colored ceramic borders. Great attention needs to be paid to the lighting of the room, the lighting built into the stretch ceiling of bright colors is well suited. It is also important to provide for the presence of decorative elements in the room, in the form of small rugs, stylish towels and lace napkins on the cabinets.

• Large bathroom can be decorated in a modern style, using any design ideas. For example, a 3D solution will become an unusual solution, thanks to which the room can be transformed beyond recognition. For this, the main part of the surface is lined with light blue porcelain stoneware, and in the middle, compositions with images of sea fish, palm trees or shells are laid out. The ceiling in this case can be any shade, even a combination of several contrasting tones is allowed.

On the features of decorating the bathroom with porcelain stoneware, see below.