Dimensions of floor tiles

When buying materials for repair, we sometimes act impulsively, basing our choice only on external characteristics. Of course, aesthetic appeal plays an important role, but it is worth considering other parameters of the material. For example, properly sized tiles for wall and floor cladding will significantly simplify the laying process. But the purchase of unsuitable tiles can easily "kill" the whole concept of design.

Why you need to choose the right tile in size

The material from which the modern ceramic coating is made is very strong. In particular, this applies to such a popular today porcelain stoneware. Cutting floor tiles - the process is quite loud and dusty. Moreover, at the same time unaesthetic chips can form on the surface of the tile. Therefore it is quite logical to choose the sizes of a tile for a floor so that at stacking it was necessary as little as possible to cut it. First, it makes the laying process much faster and easier, and secondly, without the trimmed elements, the lined surface will look much more aesthetic.

Choosing Layout Options

In order not to be mistaken with the choice of the size of the tile, it is necessary to think in advance of the options for its layout. Tiles can be laid directly, diagonally or in the form of brickwork - these are only the most popular ways. You can use decorative inserts or panels. Sometimes manufacturers in one collection offer different sizes of tiles, so that they can be put an interesting ornament. The choice is huge, and before you decide, it's worth making a virtual layout of your future tile. To do this, you can use special programs, help specialists in the salons or in extreme cases draw all the options on paper.

Important nuance

It is worth considering that the dimensions of ceramic tiles are inaccurate. This means that the true size of each element may slightly bow out from the claimed. And this is not due to the marriage or negligence of the manufacturer, but to the technology of ceramics production. The behavior during firing of different grades and even batches of clay can differ, therefore it is impossible to withstand exactly the specified parameters of the tile. Large producers try to form batches in such a way that the sizes of the tiles in them are as close as possible to each other. Nevertheless, experienced masters say that ceramics, all elements of which exactly coincide in size, are rare.

To compensate for these deviations during the laying of tiles, joints are provided, which are filled with a special composition - grout. Therefore, when the coating is laid and the intertile seams are rubbed, the difference in the size of the plate elements becomes invisible. By the way, sometimes manufacturers specify the sizes of a tile taking into account the recommended thickness of a seam. This means that with the declared parameters 33x33 cm the tiles can have a real size of 32.8x32.8 cm.

Tile and porcelain tiles

Presented in the modern market tile for the floor can be divided into two large groups: tiles and granite. The first one is well and familiar for a long time, but the second one sometimes raises questions. Despite its name, it is made not from granite, but from clay, as well as tile. The technology of ceramic granite production makes it possible to make it thicker, more durable and resistant to loads. It is considered, that it perfectly approaches for premises with the big passableness - shops, offices, hotels. However, recently there has been a persistent tendency to use porcelain stoneware for flooring and even walls in the damp rooms of apartments and houses.

Classic and modern sizes

The most popular sizes of floor tiles are 10x10 cm, 15x15 cm, 20x20 cm, 30x30 cm. Rectangular format with a size of 20x30 cm is also quite common. There is almost no larger tile, which is connected with its consumer properties. Simply put, large tiles are easily broken and characterized by poor resistance to stress. Although if we talk about rooms with little traffic, then the tile on the floor will cope with its purpose.

But the strength of ceramic granite allows you to produce different sizes of tiles, even to very large ones. There are even giants, for example 120x90 cm, 100x200 cm and even 150x300 cm. This format is good for very spacious rooms, most often commercial ones. At home, more compact models are usually used.

The recent trend was the appearance of a tile that emits a wooden texture. Externally, such a coating resembles a parquet or a massive board, while it has all the advantages of ceramics in front of a tree for wet rooms.

The dimensions of the floor tiles offered by modern manufacturers can be seen in the following table.

This list does not contain all the possible parameters of ceramic flooring, but only the most common ones. Manufacturers constantly expand the assortment, therefore on the market there is a floor tile of the most different sizes and forms.

How to choose the size of tiles in the bathroom and in the kitchen

The size of the room plays an important role in choosing the parameters of the tile. Unfortunately, the apartments of most standard houses can not boast of space. In particular, this applies to bathrooms, which are sometimes just catastrophically small. However, the visual parameters of the room can be easily corrected by design tricks. So, you can slightly increase the space if you pick the right tile sizes. In a small bathroom, for example, it is worth staying on the middle tile. The fact is that small tiles for the floor can visually narrow and without that a small area. In addition, it implies the presence of multiple seams, and they are the most vulnerable place of coverage, especially in wet rooms.

But the spacious kitchen is a small tile, on the contrary, will make it more cozy. In addition, it does a better job of circumventing corners and protrusions. Large sizes of ceramic tiles are also suitable for large rooms. It is easier and faster to pack, it implies a smaller number of interlacing seams and looks aesthetic. But if the room has an irregular shape or structural elements, then using a large tile can be very much pruning.

Choosing a floor tile, it is worth considering all the above factors. Finally, I want to recall an important rule - do not forget to purchase tiles at least 10% more than the calculated amount! This stock is laid in the case of marriage, combat during transportation, damage during cutting, blemishes in calculation and other troubles. It's easier to think about this in advance than to buy the missing quantity in the process of laying.