Ceramic tiles

Ceramic Tile - one of the oldest building materials, this material is refractory and fire-resistant, durable and does not conduct electrical current. Itself a combination of natural elements - clay, water and fire, already inspires confidence. Tile is safe for the environment as well as high-temperature treatment reduces the risk of discharges of harmful substances. Another considerable advantage: a few industrial products can be as ceramics, boast that they fully comply with international environmental norms and standards. Needed most tile in the kitchen, hallway and bathroom. Ease of cleaning, hygiene, water resistance make this material an optimal and almost indispensable in these areas. The variety of colors and types of tiles allows you to create unique interiors. The cultural history of ceramics for walls and flooring has its roots in the ancient world. Thus, even in ancient Egypt, the raw brick walls inside and outside glazed bricks or tiles. In the Nile Delta found wall tiles adorn the palace of Ramses III. The images on the clay elements of people and animals from the top were covered with a turquoise glaze. In the middle of last century in Germany in the town of Mettlach was adjusted production for the production of tiles. It is so proved, that even today the ceramic tiles are sometimes called "metlahskoy. According to the structure of the material are distinguished tiles of fine and coarse pottery. Kink "tonkokeramicheskih" tiles rather homogeneous and smooth, however rough ceramics has a coarse structure. Of course, marriage is not considered, just in front of you the other stuff. Ceramic tiles can be made in three ways: by compression molding and extrusion. "Under the press" is a powdered mixture of clay with additives with a minimum moisture content of no more than 5-6%. Under high pressure, this mixture is compacted and extruded, resulting in a plate with low porosity. Extruded tiles are used mostly long flooring. In the production of tiles by casting the original raw mass has the consistency of sour cream. "Sour cream" poured into molds (the size of the tiles), dried and calcined. This molded pretty hard to get perfect quality tiles, the exact same size. The most advanced technology available today - extrusion. With the forming of ceramic tiles in this way raw "pulled" through a special "mouthpiece". He pulls a lot of the "clay belt" ^ then cut the tiles required length. The width and thickness is determined by the profile holder. Since the whole party goes through the same mouthpiece, then in appearance, they resemble each other as twins. Tile is tiling (wall) and floor. Floor should be more robust, since the operation on her walk. Therefore, it makes the bulk (this applies to the body tiles, and a layer of glaze). Such tiles are usually produced larger sizes (though this is optional). Facing - thinner and lighter. And cheaper by 15-20 percent. Save and putting tiles on the floor in no case be - will be erased during the year. Reverse option (floor - on the wall) is possible, only because of the greater weight of tiles will have to pay more attention to the adhesion. The thickness of the walls at the same time increase a centimeter or two, that for close quarters, a substantial loss. Different tiles and form. The most common options - a square and a rectangle. Although there are six-and octagons (in this case between large tiles are placed small square). More sophisticated forms - "Provencal", "Moorish" - are rare. Tilers prefer to pursue diversity, not form, and the circuit layout. Very important indicator for the tiles - wear. Physics to determine the hardness of the special use Mohs scale, which in everyday life is not taken root. Salesmen, touting their wares, enjoy more clear: "serve no less than 10 years." For the curious reported that, according to European standards, the strength of the glaze for the tiles should be no more than 5, for outdoor - 4,5 units of Mohs. Another key indicator - water absorption, which is measured in percentage (maximum absorb water to the dry weight of the tiles). If we turn to European standards, it is noticeable that a floor tile imposed more stringent requirements (no more than 4,5%) compared to the layering (up to 20%) of the tiles - this high-firing. Here are possible options - one brand in its raw form is glazed and then fired. Other first fired, then applied the glaze and fired again in the third grade, this process is repeated several times. Increasing the number of firings and coating makes the tile more expensive, but the higher becomes its water resistance and durability. Clay, which is made from tiles, can be red or white. White clay is considered to be better and more durable. Spanish firm Rogse1apoza is in its field for manufacturers of ceramics. It produces a tile only of white clay. Specifications and standards for tile long and worked in many countries around the world. There are several systems of standards for ceramic tiles. The most famous of them - the standards DIN (Germany), UPEG (France), BS (UK), ASTM-ANSI (USA), UNI EN (Italy). There is also a Russian standard: GOST 6141 -91 (tiles for internal wall lining). But the most widespread and authority were the norm UNI EN, developed by the European Commission for Standardization (CEN) in Italy. These rules are valid in all European countries and their adopted countries outside Europe. Standards UNI EN is not have the force of law: permitted the realization of ceramic products that do not satisfy their requirements. However, the quality of such tiles can be justly questioned, so the choice is still worth to prefer products having a quality mark UNI. Buyer all necessary information about the tile can be obtained by looking at the package and finding out the value placed on her thumbnails. For example, the image of the foot on a black background placed on packages with floor tiles. Drawing the hand corresponds to a tile wall. Snowflake indicates frost. Foot on the shaded background - enhanced durability. Repeated repetition of the same icon indicates a high level of an indicator. Finally, talk about the properties of tile note: do not confuse the concept of "technical characteristics" and "quality", otherwise you will inevitably spend money for nothing. After all, it is not necessary to lay bathroom floor tiles with a high frost resistance and high wear resistance. 4th Place - indoor public facilities, shopping and exhibition halls. In the living room, as a rule, do not need tiles above Class III ictiraemosti, except for the hallway. Quality ceramic tiles assessed visually. Ceramic glazed or unglazed surface must be perfectly flat and smooth, without cracks, chips, foreign inclusions, bumps or concavities. This can be verified by two tiles together. If the gaps between them - all normal. In the qualitative differences in product length and width of tile one series should not exceed 1.5 mm in thickness - 1 mm. The difference in the thickness of a single tile should not exceed 0,5 mm. You also need to pay attention to the fact that the parties were smooth, and angles - straight. Finally, it must be the exact same color of the entire party. Slippery tiles to better define the "experienced" way (to drip water on it and try to touch) Geographically, the ceramic products can be divided (arbitrarily) into two camps: the European and Asian manufacturers. The first group of higher quality and therefore more expensive tiles from Spain, Italy, France and the Czech Republic in the second - products from Turkey, Iran and the Emirates. Throughout the world, is considered the best tile manufacture of Great Britain and Spain. British jets - very expensive (meter facing is in the shop about 1000 rubles, floor - even more expensive), which does not allow this product to become widely popular. Spanish tile is more democratic - at a cost of 400-500 rubles per square meter of wall. In this case, Spain is rightly viewed as a trendsetter in ceramic production, the producers clearly withstand all normal. Tiles made in Italy and costs almost the same as Spanish. Many consumers consider them roughly equal, but experts believe that it is not. When buying, they do look alike, but the Italian is erased much more quickly. The most popular among European producers, despite the fairly high price, product companies «Az-Teka», «Ceramika Latina», «Efes Ceramik». There is also a tile comes from the Czech Republic and the Baltic states. For the price it is more expensive Russian and Spanish are cheaper - about 300 rubles per square meter. By type and quality also takes a middle position. Leader in a group of Asian manufacturers, of course, is Iran. Jets produced in Iran - the very day the goods of mass demand. This is understandable - among their foreign "colleagues", it is the most affordable price. However, it must be noted that the country of production - is not one hundred percent guarantee against a marriage. The fact that our market is mainly falls tile 2 and the third grade, because it is much cheaper on their procurement costs. For comparison: 1 square foot Italian tile 1-th kind in Dubai costs $ 30, while the 2-3rd grade - from $ 5 to $ 15 for the same amount. However, all differences between them may lie in the slight speck or scratches that are sometimes not make out the naked eye. As for Russian producers, ie companies that are trying to adjust the output level of the world, the more often it is a joint venture with Spanish or Italian manufacture. When buying a domestic tiles need to be very careful. Sin of our businesses - non-standards. Most often this manifests in varying thickness (sometimes up to 2-3 mm) and in the shade. In several packages from one party, even if they are purchased at one store or market the tray may be tiles of different colors. Does not always curb the thickness coincides with the most tiles. In a pack may be tiles with a broken corners, with themselves over there. That is not tile pobilas during transport and at the factory, and packaged in this form. Price of domestic tiles decent quality -150-170 rubles per square meter. meter. When choosing the color tiles to be guided not only desirable fashion trends, but also knowledge of the laws of nature. Light colors can visually increase the volume of the room, so for small apartments is best to choose a light tile. Placed at right angles to each other the same surfaces are often perceived differently. Therefore it is the same color of walls and ceilings can be reached, even decorated them with material from the same batch. Even more significant changes are observed at different light decoration light. So, the blue glaze with light yellow light bulb appears green. When buying tiles does it is useful to ask the seller a factor in its glaze. If the reflection is not desired, use the best ceramic tile with the so-called "matte" glaze. We must remember also that any pollution is less noticeable on dark and grainy with a chromatic or surface structure. But the glossy tile flooring - especially dark-colored - more conspicuous scratches and small chips. A drop of water, dried on a glossy tile, leaving traces of the more notable than the darker tiles. So the bathroom, lined with tiles under the dark malachite or black marble - this, of course, beautiful. But will wipe every day. And yet, as the tile wall without a gap should be based on tiles laid on the floor, it would be better, of course, so that they match the color and texture. If we are talking about a bathroom, then we can go further and equip it all in the same style - ranging from plumbing and finishing with ceramic tiles. Most stores that sell tile, and traders in the market are the directories that contain a large number of ready-made design solutions to design bathrooms. Conventionally, they can be divided into the following styles. Classic style (white sanitary ware and white tile) will never go out of style. But as the big white space looks cold and monotonous, you want to use paste or contrasting pastel shades. Will look good and horizontal edges of bath rim, at chest level, below the ceiling. Contrasting style. Black and white, burgundy and beige - these combinations are used for a long time and have become a kind of classics, as well as more modern solutions: yellow with blue, red and green. Such combinations are impossible for the living room (tires), and the bathroom will look good - unless you spend many hours there. Decorative elements in this style is also allowed, they usually have geometric or floral design. Natural stone. Several years ago, apart from the competition was drawing "Marble", now in vogue rapidly enters an imitation of sandstone - matt rough surface with rough shells. Recently appeared on the Russian market, still in a limited number of shops, Spanish tile for a new type of natural stone. The main feature - a 5 m2 does not get two tiles with identical patterns. The Legal Code as it produces a full impression of natural stone. Tile Tolstyi this very, heavy. "Archaic" style. For such tiles, and is rapidly entering into fashion, the edges are uneven, rounded, as if accidentally broken-off. The illusion of space, "eaten by time and elements". Color solution - usually broken bricks in different colors. "Under the parquet. Tile is made as parketin on her simulated wood pattern. Stack it needs some parquet pattern, such as a tree. " Many inherent features that are characteristic for the design of ceramic tiles of the past, now obsolete. So, for example, is gradually losing popularity tile floral decoration. This is true not only of bright, flashy pictures, covering large portions of the walls - they now can hardly find a customer because of the small size of modern apartments. But even small, more or less decorated with tiles, which could serve as accents - this is already yesterday in tile fashion. They were replaced by a set of geometric shapes in bright colors, as well as the imitation of natural materials - marble, limestone, granite, different types of stones, even semi-precious. This tile will never get bored gaze. Now, about the size of tile. I must say that very few customers depart from tradition and, therefore, most running tile size - 15x15 or 20x15 cm And yet, there is not that the fashion for the size of the tiles - but certain trends. Now, for example, "fighting" two opposite: to use the tiles of a larger size - up to 40x60 inches or smaller - up to 5x5 cm existed before the opinion that in a small bathroom tiles look ridiculously large, successfully refuted by many designers. According to them, enough to experiment with form and color. But opponents of "megalomania" is worth remembering that the smaller the tile, the more skill it requires high-quality installation. To the wall, lined with tiles, has acquired a complete and original form - it is decorated with a frieze. Freeze - this band are highlighted in color or pattern, which limits the main square facing the top. The most common size of the frieze - 20x7, 5 cm and 20x5 cm for wall decoration is often used and the decor - single tile with a pattern. Sales occur tiles that mimic the old European paintings, there are tiles with pictures of flowers or fruit, or geometric pattern. Make a choice tiles need to calculate the surface area is coated. Buy stuff should be 10-15 percent larger than the area facing: the fitting will inevitably have to cut the edge that is bound to break up during transport. Well, having bought the tiles, you must purchase and components for the solution. Our market is increasingly penetrate specially prepared dry mixes for facing tiles. They are also called glue, cement-based. Excellent quality of different adhesives Italian «Lito flex» and «Cement Col», packed in bags of 25 kg. You can also buy and grout for joints, and then the joints between the tiles are not gray, and color. It is advisable to buy a grout Italian «Lito Stuk x 24". However, German is good enough grout «Koruwo», as well as Turkish counterparts «Betek> and« Sika ».