You may very well be thinking after having seen the title of this article, “What else is there to picking tiles other than them having to be within my budget and also being complementary to my style of decor?” Well, you are not completely off the base here, as budget and designs do matter quite a lot. But, it is important to note that there are several other factors that you would be wise to take into consideration when you set out before buying bathroom tiles. You see, every tile has its own strengths and weaknesses. If you happen to choose the wrong kind now, then it may cost you a lot of time and money in the future further down the line. Let us take a look at the three most common types of tiles and their individual strengths and weaknesses.
1. CERAMIC TILES
These are the most common types of buying bathroom tiles. Ceramic tiles happen to be made out of clay which has been baked at a temperature that is lower than what is used in order to bake porcelain. Due to the fact that ceramic tiles are much thinner and also much less durable than porcelain tiles, they are almost exclusively used for bathroom wall tiles. In terms of price, ceramic tiles are normally less than $55/00 p/m2 but the individual price of the tiles will vary according to the size and the edge finish.
2. PORCELAIN TILES
Porcelain tiles are tiles which are extremely hard wearing and are hence very difficult to chip. This makes them the perfect option for floor tiles. The material it is made out of, happens to be a higher and also denser grade than that of ceramic tiles. They are also not porous like stone and another quality that makes them particularly adept at being floor tiles is their very low water absorption rate.
3. NATURAL STONE
These are tiles that are earthy and also warming, these types of tiles are normally made from stone, marble, slate or granite. The price you pay for these incredibly beautiful tiles is with higher maintenance and regular aftercare that is required for these tiles. Due to the fact that they are porous, natural tiles have the potential to stain very easily and if they are used in areas that are wet, they will need waterproofing.
But do not let that be the factor that deters you from using them. With just a little bit of care, they can provide you with a beautiful aesthetic and a lifetime of joy.
TILE RATINGS & GRADES
The ratings of tiles refers to the quality of the ties. Not every tile that looks the same has the same qualities and are not of the same standard. You may find some great quality tiles here.
Tiles that are of the higher grades have a lot less imperfections on the surface. They are also exact in size and are completely straight. The lower grade ones are the ones you usually see on sale at your local tile outlets. These are the ones that have imperfections on their surface and are not all the same size and these may bow. This can lead to what is known as “lippage”, which is what happens when the tiles have an uneven look which gives the impression of the tiles not being levelled properly during installation.
RECTIFIED EDGE TILES
Rectified tiles feel like they are a secret within the industry for buying bathroom tiles. These tiles are cut with laser and are ones that have a perfectly square edge. This allows them to be laid much more efficiently and closer together than their counterparts. Also owing to the fact that the grout lines are a lot narrower, you will get a look that is much smoother. These tiles are also much easier to clean and to keep clean.
TILE SIZES.
By far, the most popular size of tiles right now happens to be 300x600mm. If you are thinking of getting tiles that are larger, then do so with caution. Tiles that are too large may very well interfere with proper drainage of water and also sloping that is sufficient. This does not mean that you have to avoid these tiles completely. All that we are saying is that, if you are going to get larger tiles, make sure that you install them properly so that you do not run into any problems further down the line.
Installing tiles is not the easiest of tasks and the last thing you would want to do is to buying bathroom tiles that do not meet your requirements properly or get tiles that you will not like in the near future. For this reason, you should take the points mentioned in this article into consideration before you go out to get tiles.
Leave a Reply