Building Suggestions: Tiling Walls & Floors
Tiling Walls and Floors:
Too often you see odd-sized tiles either side of a window or narrow strips of tile at the corner of walls. These difficulties can, to a certain extent, be eliminated if the tiler plans the job carefully. Although many individuals attempt the odd tiling job, only an experienced, professional tiler will accomplish the high standards expected in new homes.
The Right Materials:
The massive range of tiles readily available makes the task of selecting the correct ones for your residence fairly daunting. Size, shape, colour, pattern, surface finish and scratch resistance are a few of the features that have to be considered. Ease of cutting, squareness and flatness will also be considerations which will affect the price if they take longer to lay. Tile manufacturers grade their tiles for particular uses. The tile supplier can advise you on the grade of each tile.
Tile Grades:
Grade 1 tiles really should only be utilized on walls in domestic situations. They're very brittle and scratch effortlessly.
Grade 2 tiles are the minimum standard for domestic bathroom floors. They'll scratch, so sandy boots need to be kept off.
Grade three tiles are harder and scratch resistant and suitable for use in entry areas and laundries. Care should still be taken to prevent damage by other trades once they're laid. A heavy-duty plastic sheet may be taped over the area to protect the tiles whilst construction is still in progress.
Grade 4 tiles are light industrial tiles for heavy use areas in domestic situations for instance garage floors and outdoor areas.
Grade 5 tiles are very strong tiles mostly specified for commercial or industrial use.
Recent technology has given us even harder (grade 6/7) tiles with a porcelain or polished, vitrified composition.
The stronger of these tiles include:
Terracotta tiles made of dried clay. They're normally unglazed earth-coloured tiles.
Bicatura tiles which are fired twice, once for the biscuit and once for the glaze. These are a soft tile commonly utilized on walls.
Monocatura tiles are fired only once at a higher temperature with the glaze bonding directly with the biscuit. These are a harder tile.
Extruded tiles are made by forcing the mix through a dye and cutting it to size (similar to brick making). These tiles will have little ribs on the underside and are commonly utilized in outdoor areas for their slip-resistant surface.
Vitrified tiles are extremely hard and if polished are almost as smooth as glass.
Too often you see odd-sized tiles either side of a window or narrow strips of tile at the corner of walls. These difficulties can, to a certain extent, be eliminated if the tiler plans the job carefully. Although many individuals attempt the odd tiling job, only an experienced, professional tiler will accomplish the high standards expected in new homes.
The Right Materials:
The massive range of tiles readily available makes the task of selecting the correct ones for your residence fairly daunting. Size, shape, colour, pattern, surface finish and scratch resistance are a few of the features that have to be considered. Ease of cutting, squareness and flatness will also be considerations which will affect the price if they take longer to lay. Tile manufacturers grade their tiles for particular uses. The tile supplier can advise you on the grade of each tile.
Tile Grades:
Grade 1 tiles really should only be utilized on walls in domestic situations. They're very brittle and scratch effortlessly.
Grade 2 tiles are the minimum standard for domestic bathroom floors. They'll scratch, so sandy boots need to be kept off.
Grade three tiles are harder and scratch resistant and suitable for use in entry areas and laundries. Care should still be taken to prevent damage by other trades once they're laid. A heavy-duty plastic sheet may be taped over the area to protect the tiles whilst construction is still in progress.
Grade 4 tiles are light industrial tiles for heavy use areas in domestic situations for instance garage floors and outdoor areas.
Grade 5 tiles are very strong tiles mostly specified for commercial or industrial use.
Recent technology has given us even harder (grade 6/7) tiles with a porcelain or polished, vitrified composition.
The stronger of these tiles include:
Terracotta tiles made of dried clay. They're normally unglazed earth-coloured tiles.
Bicatura tiles which are fired twice, once for the biscuit and once for the glaze. These are a soft tile commonly utilized on walls.
Monocatura tiles are fired only once at a higher temperature with the glaze bonding directly with the biscuit. These are a harder tile.
Extruded tiles are made by forcing the mix through a dye and cutting it to size (similar to brick making). These tiles will have little ribs on the underside and are commonly utilized in outdoor areas for their slip-resistant surface.
Vitrified tiles are extremely hard and if polished are almost as smooth as glass.