Floor tiles types and properties. Floor tiles

Floor tiles has noticeable differences from other types of floor coverings. It has low wear, has high strength, and also has the ability to withstand very large weight loads. To calculate the number of tiles, you can use the tile calculator.

Today, there are 2 types of floor tiles, which directly depend on the production method:

Pressed tiles- such a tile is obtained during the process of pressing a charge (plastic mixture). The composition of such a mixture mainly contains a certain percentage of filler and binder. The material is manufactured using special equipment (press and forming matrix). A certain mass is placed in this press source material, he is given definite shape and after which the products are fired using a special method. The result is a highly durable product.
Extruded— this tile is produced in the process of pressing the original plastic mass through a specialized hole, which gives the shape of the future tile, followed by the processes of cutting and firing.

Types and types of ceramic floor tiles.

This type of tile is made by pressing dough from press powder (kaolin and quartz). The structure of porcelain stoneware has a homogeneous structure, reminiscent of the structure of glass. Porcelain tiles are used for technical application(floors in rooms with considerable loads, in public places, in industrial buildings)

Porous or tiles that have a porous base.

This type of floor tile has a high degree of moisture absorption; this degree is considered higher, the higher the porosity of the tile itself. Porous tiles do not have a special name; everyone simply calls them: porous tiles, tiles produced by single firing. It is used for covering indoor floors or for covering indoor walls.

Single-firing, unglazed tiles produced by pressing. This tile has high performance properties (frost resistance, hardness, acid resistance, wear-resistant pattern), the body of the tile is painted right through. Metlakh tiles are used in residential and public buildings, as well as outdoors. Metlakh tiles in most respects they are similar to porcelain stoneware.

This tile is covered with a layer of colored glass, this layer gives the tile hardness, water resistance, color, shine, ornament, halftone, etc. Glazed tiles are covered with a layer of enamel before the final firing. Unglazed tiles, unlike glazed ones, are uniform in thickness; their surface usually does not have a pattern or decorative coating, but can be painted with pigments. It is used both indoors and outdoors. Decorative tiles - may be unglazed or glazed.

Cotto tiles.

Brick-colored tiles without enamel, up to 3 cm thick, are made from a clay base using the extrusion method. Cotto tiles consist of a fairly porous material that is not resistant to stains and requires constant maintenance. Used to create interiors in different styles, thanks to cotto, they look very impressive.

Extruded and pressed tiles.

Extrusion tiles are made from a dough of clay materials; the dough is given the required shape by pressing it through an extrusion head and a calibrating device. Pressed tiles are made from a batch compacted and formed by a high-pressure press.

Monocottura is produced in the following way: it is pressed, dried, glazed and then fired all together at one time. The tiles have a durable structure, low water absorption, and are suitable for cladding walls, floors and even building facades. Monocottura differs from bicottura in its greater density, the tiles are thicker, stronger, and have better wear resistance. Bicottura or double firing is the traditional production of enamel tiles. Pressed clay mixture It is fired, after which a glaze is applied to the surface of the terracotta and a secondary firing is performed.

Clinker tiles.

It is made from several types of clay with the addition of dyes, flux and fireclay. Clinker tiles have low porosity, high strength, wear resistance and inertness to chemical agents. Suitable for both external and interior decoration walls One of the advantages of clinker tiles is environmental friendliness.

Many types of tiles made from synthetic and natural materials are also used for flooring.

- used instead of flooring carpeting. It is easy to install, easy to replace dirty and worn tiles, but may fade over time. The tiles are laid using glue.

- refers to synthetic tiles PVC tiles for flooring, which has an increased coefficient of friction compared to linoleum and laminate. Synthetic tiles are durable proper care, but is destroyed by abrasive cleaning agents and has low resistance to high temperatures.

- This is a product of recycling old tires, such tiles are very wear-resistant, soft and pleasant to walk on. Stacked rubber tiles by connecting using bushings.

— the tile material contains mineral filler. The material is very convenient, has a large number of patterns, is environmentally friendly, and prevents capillary movement of moisture in the concrete base.

- is a good coating in terms of hydro, thermal and sound insulation. It is made from crumbs of various cork trees. The surface can be natural or using various synthetic and natural coatings. The tiles are laid with rubber adhesive.

In addition, they are used for flooring marble, granite and other types of tiles.

Properties and characteristics of floor tiles.

Properties of floor tiles	Characteristics of floor tiles
Wear resistance	The wear resistance of tiles is divided into 5 groups from the softest PEI I to the hardest PEI V.
Frost resistance	This property indicates minimum temperature, in which cracking of the tiles does not occur.
Water absorption	This property of enameled ceramic floor tiles should not exceed 3%.
Resistance to influence (chemical and mechanical) various substances	This property is divided into 5 classes - from AA to D. The highest - the tile is not subject to any changes, the lowest - the product completely loses its appearance.
Bending resistance and tensile strength	Often, the lower the moisture absorption properties of the material, the higher the bending resistance.
Fire resistance and fire resistance	This property determines the maximum temperature at which the tile does not crack.
Friction coefficient
	The shade of the remade tiles may differ from the color indicated on the packaging.
	There are deviations in the sizes of each batch of tiles from the nominal ones.

A prerequisite for laying floor tiles is the absence of defects in the base and its absolute smoothness and evenness.

Base for laying floor tiles:

Drywall - has the necessary strength and does not require any additional leveling.
Plywood - required special processing to increase moisture resistance. But special material for outdoor use or bakelite plywood, used in aircraft and shipbuilding, can also be used.
Plastering - in some cases concrete base leveled with durable plaster, but this is only possible if unevenness of less than 3 mm is eliminated.
Old tiles— the old coating must be coated with a primer; before coating, the loose tiles must be dismantled. The tiles are laid using elastic tile adhesive with high adhesion to non-absorbent surfaces.
Old paint - it is advisable to free the flooring from old dyes. If old paint cannot be removed, it is necessary to apply a mesh with a puncher in increments of 2 cm, then apply a thorough primer and only then install it using a larger amount of glue than usual.

Floor tiles are used for finishing various rooms for many centuries. It is very difficult to find a building that does not have ceramics on the floor in the bathroom, hallway or kitchen. The reason for this popularity is the practicality and excellent aesthetic qualities of this material. It successfully imitates granite, marble, sandstone, etc. In addition, ceramic floor tiles are indispensable in bathrooms and operating rooms of medical institutions: they are easy to clean with any means household chemicals, is not afraid of exposure to aggressive substances.

Today, specialized stores have a large assortment, but in order to make right choice, you need to know what requirements this building material must meet.

Floor tiles will become good option for finishing your floor, thanks to a wide variety of colors and textures.

About product quality

Floor ceramics, first of all, must withstand significant mechanical loads. That is why this material is made thicker than tiles intended for wall cladding. But not only thickness plays important role: production floor ceramics requires application quality materials and special technologies.

It is very important that the surface of the floor tiles is not slippery: this property is especially important for rooms such as a bathroom, where there is often high humidity.

Of course, the tiles must be in harmony with other materials used to decorate the room, as well as with furniture and decorative elements. To do this, you should pay attention not only to the color, but also to the texture: for example, in a sauna, floor tiles imitating wood will look very good, and on the porch of a private house or on the steps leading to it - with a pattern imitating a natural stone or paving stones.

What types of floor tiles are there?

Ceramics for the floor can be rectangular, square, hexagonal, have uneven (wavy edges), goose-shaped and “Moorish”. According to manufacturing technology, they are distinguished between pressed, extruded, Mexican and glazed. And although it is the latter option that is correctly called tile, this name began to be applied to any ceramic tile.

Floor tiles come in different shapes not only, but their sizes are also varied: from a few centimeters to a meter. Large format is used mainly in public buildings: waiting rooms at airports and train stations, in supermarkets and restaurants. Small demands high costs time and effort during installation, but this is compensated by the spectacular appearance of the floor surface.

TO separate species ceramics includes porcelain stoneware. Italian designers began to use this material for the first time. The technology of its manufacture has been improved year after year and as a result, porcelain stoneware has acquired exceptional strength and high aesthetic qualities. Tiles of very large sizes appeared.

Some information about manufacturing technology

Pressed tiles are produced from the mixture in powder form. The composition of the raw materials from which they are obtained by pressing ready product, includes sand, clay and other additives. Extruded tiles are made from a dough-like mass. The molding of such floor ceramics occurs using a special unit that works in a similar way to a meat grinder. It is the most fragile of all and therefore is rarely used as a floor covering. Glazed can be glossy, textured or matte. Upper layer enameled (glaze) in its composition is not much different from glass. Best imitates natural materials tiles made from agglomerate.

The ceramics are fired once or twice. IN Lately the most popular is single: it allows you to obtain products with the smallest deviations from the specified dimensions. In addition, it is denser and thicker.

The ceramic base for the floor can be porous or dense, which affects water absorption. Naturally, the lower the water absorption, the greater the strength of the tile.

Porcelain tiles, which were initially small in size and inconspicuous in appearance, acquired completely different qualities after the technology for its production changed. New methods of pressing and surface treatment (they began to treat it with special salts and apply glaze) made porcelain stoneware one of the most beautiful materials.

Before you start laying tiles, you need to familiarize yourself with their dimensions and characteristics. When choosing a bathroom design and for installation kitchen apron There is a need to choose not only the color of the finishing material, but also its dimensions. In order to choose a layout plan, you need to know the size of the tiles. For wall decoration, ceramic tiles are produced in several forms: square and rectangular. The location of the rectangular can be either horizontal or vertical. Visual effect it turns out different. Tiles that are laid vertically make the room visually taller, and if laid horizontally the room will appear wider.

Dimensions of floor tiles: select the required dimensions

The parameters and dimensions of floor tiles are one of the main criteria when choosing a material. The difficulty of choosing lies in the fact that at the moment specialized stores provide not only slabs with standard view, but also original forms that can surprise the buyer. Sometimes these shapes can be combined, and thus allow you to create a unique pattern or pattern for the floor covering. It happens that the owner prefers simplicity, in which case the width prevails over the length, or simply larger slabs are purchased. But the most important thing here is the definition standard size slabs that are most often used in private households are 300x300 mm. Of course, before purchasing, you can view some samples that a consultant can provide you with. Viewed views will help you implement correct selection slabs for your premises.

It is better to select the size of floor tiles taking into account the interior of the room

There are 8 sections in which the main dimensions of the slabs are indicated, these are:

200-200, 100-100, 250-250, 150-150 mm, these dimensions correspond to square fragments;
100-200, 300-400, 150-300 mm such sizes are classified as rectangular shapes;
114-200, 98-170 mm these dimensions refer to pentagonal slabs;
150-174, 200-230, 170-196 mm are the sizes of hexagonal shapes;
68-98, 83-117, 97-139 mm such dimensions are typical for triangular shapes;
The sizes of non-standard tetrahedral tiles will be: 76-173, 85-195, 100-230 mm;
Octagonal elements have the following parameters: 70-100-200, 60-85-170;

In order to choose the right tiles for flooring, you need to take into account the square footage of the room and especially the open part, which is intended for flooring. In order to get optimal design And visual extension premises, it is necessary to select the most suitable cladding scheme, and carefully consider the correspondence of the fragments different forms.

What is more important, length or thickness: tile sizes

When created, tile slabs can be adjusted to a certain size. The format of each tile has a certain difference. In addition to the fact that their height and width are different, their thickness also has different indicators, and this point is important. If we talk about floor tiles, they will always be thicker than other models, since this particular option is susceptible to high mechanical loads, it can reach up to 14 mm, while wall slabs are equipped with a thickness of no more than 9 mm. These indicators depend on the type of tile.

You can get acquainted with the different sizes of tiles yourself in specialized stores.

It is important to pay attention to the fact that, if desired, ceramic floor tiles can be placed on the wall, but wall tiles should never be placed on the floor, since under heavy load they can crack and cause injury. The optimal size of ceramic tiles for floor finishing is 300x300 mm. There are also a number of other sizes of both floor and wall ceramic tiles, but the most optimal and frequently used sizes are the parameters given above. Different decorative fragments have individual properties; they differ in multiples and multiples of the basic tile format.

When choosing tiles at points of sale, you must remember that small size tiles contribute to a longer process and more difficult installation.

To select tiles for kitchen tiling, you need to take into account the small or big size tiles, for a bathroom or toilet you need to choose the average size tiles

Selecting the sizes of ceramic tiles for walls

To cover a vertical surface, the principle of proportionality must be observed.

Too large forms, even if the tiles are very expensive, will not create anything other than a feeling of cramping and a significant reduction in space. While small fragments in a large room will look out of place and will take on the appearance of a large mosaic.

For wall cladding in small room It is best to choose medium-sized ceramic tiles

In addition to all this, the position of the tiles on the wall is also important. If the ceiling in the room is disproportionately high in relation to the dimensions of the room, then horizontally glued rectangular tiles will visually reduce this drawback, but at the same time add length to the room. And if wall ceramics are laid vertically, the walls will visually rise, and the length of the walls will decrease with this method. This laying principle is used to adjust the dimensions of the floor if the tiles are rectangular in shape.

Standard Standards: Tile Dimensions

Options for ceramic tiles for wall cladding differ not only in standard sizes, but also in shape. At points of sale finishing materials There are collections in rectangular and square designs. When talking about sizes, all this looks extraordinary, because some manufacturers are ready for bold experiments and provide the buyer with a wide choice of sizes.

Square tile shapes are standard options, wall cladding and have the following dimensions: 100x100, 150x150, 200x200 mm.

Ceramic tiles can come in different shapes and sizes, which you can choose at your discretion

Also frequent choice buyers are rectangular shapes for wall cladding, the optimal size of which is 200x300 mm. But when facing rectangular walls tiles other sizes can be used such as: 150x900, 150x200, 75x150, 100x150, 25x150, 100x200, 150x225, 250x300, 250x330, 275x400, 300x900 mm, and standard thickness wall tiles varies from 4 to 9 mm.

If we talk about optimal width floor tiles, then they range in size from 8 to 11mm.

Standard sizes of ceramic tiles (video)

Before you go shopping facing tiles for floors or walls, you need to understand that the size of the tile is not the most important thing, the first thing you need to pay attention to is your interest in it appearance, you should definitely like it. That is why designers recommend that you first choose a specific collection, and only then, after consultation, choose optimal size. Remember that some collections already have several options for tile sizes, this greatly simplifies the task when purchasing.

If you ask people what material is the most practical for finishing floors and walls, most will answer that it is tiles. And it's really very easy to use facing material, which becomes unrivaled when finishing a bathroom, toilet, corridor, kitchen, porch, and façade cladding. In this article we will look at how to choose tiles, what types there are, where they are used and how they differ from each other.

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Collection elements

The standard collection of ceramic tiles consists of 5 elements:

Dark background.
Light background.
Decor. Matching decorative element for inserts, usually the same size as the background. It cannot be cut in any way; you need to think through the layout in advance without cutting.
Border. Used primarily to separate dark and light backgrounds or to avoid tight cropping. In terms of size, the decor is most often cut in height; it can only be shortened in length.
Floor tiles. Most often square, larger in size than the main elements.

In fact, in one collection of such elements there can be several types, and there can also be pencils, cornices, panels, rosettes, plinths, steps.

Comparison table of tile types

Types of ceramic tiles	Main component	Water absorption,%	Manufacturing type	Number of firings	Front surface	Application
Majolica	Red clay	15-25	Pressing	2	Colored glaze	Walls inside dry rooms
Faience	White clay	10-20	Pressing	2	Colored or transparent glaze	Walls and floors inside dry rooms
Cottoforte	Several types of clay	7-15	Pressing	2	Colored glaze	Indoor floors
Cotto	Red clay	3-15	Extrusion	1	Most often unglazed	Indoor floors, less often facades and external floors
Monocottura	Red clay White clay	0-15(20) 0-6(10)	Pressing	1	Glazed	Walls and floors inside buildings, frost-resistant types are used for external floors
Clinker	Different types of clay	0-6	Extrusion, sometimes pressing	1	Glazed or unglazed	Internal and external floors, facades, edges around the pool
Red-based porcelain tiles (red gres)	Red clay	0-4	Pressing	1	Unglazed	Interior and exterior floors
Porcelain tiles (gres porcellanato)	Several varieties of light clay	0-0,5	Pressing	1	Most often unglazed	Interior and exterior floors, facades, window sills and countertops

The difference between porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles

The main difference between porcelain stoneware and regular tiles is different technologies production. For its production, greater pressure (400-500 kg per cm2) and temperature (1200-1300 degrees) are used. Due to this, it has significantly better technical indicators of frost resistance, density, water absorption, resistance to chemicals and high durability.
Initially, porcelain stoneware was invented as a tile for technical use (for public and industrial premises), but now it is used everywhere: in bathrooms, on stairs, facades, countertops.

When laying porcelain tiles, you need to use special adhesives.

There are several types of porcelain stoneware by surface type:

Technical. Reminiscent of natural granite: the surface has a natural color, high strength and low price.
Glazed. Glaze was applied to the surface followed by firing. In general, this coating gives strength and reliability, but over time it loses its appearance.
Matte. Unpolished porcelain tiles.
Polished. Usually its surface is polished to mirror shine. It looks more impressive, but costs more. After intensive use the surface becomes matte.
Structured. It has a relief surface that can imitate wood, leather, fabric or natural stone.
Satin (or waxed). Decorative surface, which is not suitable for heavy loads. It is slightly shiny, but not as slippery as polished.
. Due to the corners, which are cut at 90 degrees without chamfers, such porcelain tiles become visually seamless. It is usually large in size and is well suited for high-traffic public spaces where excess seams will interfere with cleaning.
There are also other surfaces that are less common: rustic (aged), lappated (semi-gloss), anti-slip.

Wood-look porcelain tiles

Manufacturing type

Pressed tiles. It is made from powdered raw materials, which are formed under high pressure. Powder containing 4-8% moisture is compressed in two directions under a pressure of 200-400 kg/cm2. Due to this, the granules are mixed and partially deformed. The result is a dense and durable tile even before firing.
Extruded tiles. Made from a paste-like mass passed through an extruder to give the desired shape. The strip coming out of the extruder is cut to the required dimensions.

Surface type

Glazed. It is covered with colored glass, making it brighter and more juicy. The glaze itself initially consists of a mixture of mineral compounds, it is applied and melted onto the surface. After cooling, the mass forms glass. The glaze can be colored or white, transparent or matte. With double firing, it is applied to the already fired surface, and with single firing, it is applied to the dried surface.
Unglazed. It has a uniform composition and color throughout the entire thickness. Usually it is not decorated with drawings or decorative coatings, and the top and back sides are no different. It is made in one firing.
Polished. In addition to the usual pressing and firing, the surface was treated with abrasive discs. Before grinding, the rough layer obtained after firing is cut off.
Unpolished. Does not go through the polishing stage.

Quality classification

Type of tile. The first grade usually has tiles with defects of up to 5 pieces per hundred. The second and third grades may have more defects. Please note that each manufacturer may have its own criteria for determining the type of product.
Tone. Production technology does not allow achieving the same tone on all products. Therefore, before packaging the goods and removing the defects, the tiles are divided into categories depending on the color tone. Most often, the tone is indicated on the packaging in the form of a stamp with a letter designation.
Format (caliber). After firing, the tiles may vary in size. Before packaging, manufacturers also sort them by size, within specified tolerances. On the packaging, next to the nominal size, the factory dimensions are also indicated. For example: 10x10 cm (W 980x980 mm). The factory size is indicated in brackets.

Accordingly, you need to buy ceramic tiles of the same tone and size.

Wear resistance

The method for determining unglazed tiles is determined by the EN ISO 10545.6 standard, and for glazed tiles - EN ISO 10545.7 (PEI method).

Based on abrasion resistance, ceramic tiles are divided into 5 types:

PEI I – for low-traffic areas with no dirt that causes abrasion. For example: bathrooms, bedrooms.
PEI II – for medium-duty areas that are subject to low to medium abrasion. For example: offices, living rooms.
PEI III – suitable for most environments with medium to high traffic levels and moderate levels of pollution. For example: kitchens, staircases, balconies, halls and small offices.
PEI IV – for rooms with high loads. For example: restaurants, offices, shops, public places (except for the area near cash registers, narrow passages).
PEI V is the most abrasion-resistant type of ceramic tile. You can use it anywhere without fear of bald spots appearing on the glaze.

Porosity and water absorption

Types of ceramic tiles with low water absorption are better suited for use in damp rooms or without heating, in swimming pools and outdoors due to increased frost resistance.

Category I - low water absorption (AA less than 3%);
Category II – average water absorption (AA from 3 to 10%);
Category III – high water absorption (AA more than 10%).

Friction coefficient

Depending on the friction parameter, you can determine how slippery it will be. ceramic tile. The designation R with a number determines for which zone it can be used this type tiles

R9 – work premises, entrance groups, stairs, shopping centers;
R10 – public and sanitary premises (kitchens, workshops, garages, warehouses);
R11 – car repair shops, rooms exposed to moisture on the floor;
R12 – refrigeration chambers;
R13 – places of production of fish and vegetables.

Alternative coating options

How to replace bathroom tiles on walls:

Plastic panels. Cheap, moisture-resistant material that does not require special installation skills. Attaches to glue or lathing.
Moisture resistant paint. Suitable for painting areas that will not be in direct contact with water. For example, if you are installing an enclosed shower, the remaining walls can be painted to reduce the cost of renovation. But in terms of labor intensity, this process will be more difficult.
Mosaic. Expensive material, it is mainly used for cladding rounded elements. A large number of seams require constant care.

Alternative to tile flooring in the bathroom:

Epoxy self-leveling floor. An expensive option, but very beautiful and durable. You can use a solid color or photo print as a background for it.
Vinyl tiles. A good alternative to tiles in the bathroom and toilet floor. It looks beautiful, is not afraid of moisture, several collections can be combined in one room. You need to choose options that do not have a self-adhesive layer, but are laid on glue.
Linoleum. Cheap temporary option.

Let's sum it up

For wet rooms such as a bathroom, it is worth choosing moisture-resistant non-slip types of tiles: porcelain stoneware, clinker, monocottura. In order not to overpay several times, you should not choose complex layouts with a lot of decor, which designers like to offer in stores, as long as you leave more money they have.

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One of the most popular floor coverings is ceramic tiles, which have a very long service life, up to 40–50 years, while the tiles do not lose their performance characteristics, both in terms of pattern preservation and strength. Ceramic floor tiles come in the following types:
- glazed;
- unglazed;
- porcelain stoneware.

Glazed tiles

Glazed floor tiles consist of a glossy glass-like coating that gives them extra density and hardness. On this coating a pattern is applied that provides increased moisture resistance when using the tiles in wet rooms. The only drawback of such tiles is that they are simply slippery.

This coating is well suited for both the kitchen and the corridor or hallway. The tile holds up well detergents, household chemicals and is easily washed off from contamination.

Unglazed tiles

Unglazed floor tiles differ from glazed ones in that they do not have a pattern, but are made in different color scheme. This coating has a wide range of applications and can be used in any area of your home. The only drawback would be the scarcity decorative solutions, however, designers often use it in mosaics and combined floors.

Like glazed, unglazed tiles can be glossy or matte. As a rule, glossy is used in public spaces as an interior design. It is beautiful, but walking on it without using a special anti-slip coating is not recommended, so designers often use it to frame and decorate the main surface of matte tiles.

Porcelain tiles

Exists the new kind floor tiles - porcelain stoneware. This tile is obtained by mixing basalt and spar chips. IN finished form The tiles are very similar to granite, they can be used in the bathroom or toilet, as they are not very slippery even when exposed to moisture.

Porcelain stoneware is excellent as a coating when installing heated floors; it retains heat and is quite resistant to different temperatures. In addition, the tiles have an anti-vandal coating, so they are not afraid of either women's heels or children's cars.

Regardless of the type of tile you choose, pay attention to its manufacturer and its quality. U good coverage that will serve you long years, there must be a quality certificate, the best of which is a certificate of compliance with UNI EN standards, developed by the European Commission for Standardization (CEN) in Italy.