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What designs of ceramic tiles exist and how to combine them correctly in the interior of a small apartment? Useful tips and recommendations for the implementation of ceramic tile technology in the interior on the Room Planner blog.
Technologies of interior tiles
Tiles are a quick, cost-effective, and highly-efficient way of defining the style and décor of your home. Of all the materials that can be used to create tiles for the interior of a home or office, ceramic is the most popular by far.
The reason for this widespread popularity is the versatility of ceramic as well as its physical properties that make it highly resistant to heat, impervious to dirt, and easy to maintain. So superior are ceramic tiles advantages that they are the preferred option in every room of the home from kitchens to bathrooms to hallways. You can even find them gracing the outside of homes.
The process of designing ceramic tiles begins with clay and sand, which are ground until they turn into a very fine powder. Water is added to this powder to create a paste, which is then compressed at very high pressure into a fixed mold. Today, materials such as stone, metal shavings, semi-precious stones, glass, and crystal may also be used for a dynamic end result.
The resulting ceramic ‘wafer’ is dried before being painted in a particular color or with a design ceramic tile. A glaze is applied to it before it is fired inside a kiln at about 1,000°C.
One step of the manufacturing process is painting and it does not always have to be an image or pattern. Instead, the ceramic tile design ideas can be used to imitate a material other than ceramic, for example, wooden design ceramic tiles. This is one of the reasons for the versatility of interior design ceramic tiles.
Popular types of ceramic tiles in the interior
The popularity of ceramic is due to its long list of advantages. It pays to know what the advantages and disadvantages of ceramic tiles are before you make a decision to use them in your home. We have already touched on the myriad reasons to opt for ceramic but we should also take a closer look at the disadvantages of ceramic tiles.
Firstly, ceramic tiles can be susceptible to cracking and breakage. While it can stand up to heat and water, impact often causes it to suffer catastrophic damage. The durability of ceramic tiles can be distinguished by their grade, which runs from 0 to 5.
A tile graded 0 is the least durable and should be used exclusively for walls. Tiles graded 3 are significantly more resistant to damage and may be used as flooring in areas with light foot traffic. If a tile is graded 5, it is capable of absorbing a great deal of punishments without cracking under the pressure.
The most durable type of ceramic is porcelain. Not only does it offer greater resistance to impact but it also adapts well to the cold. Where earthenware and stoneware ceramics may succumb to frost, porcelain will endure much lower temperatures before failing.
One of the emerging trends in ceramic interior tiles is the use of large slabs. These large format ceramic tiles create a ‘cleaner’ look for floors as well as walls. The square-shaped tiles so popular years ago look dated today and can detract from the décor of an otherwise modern home.
Where to use ceramic tiles
The people who design ceramic tile understand that their products are suited to virtually any home or office, and even outdoor areas.
That said, you will find them most commonly in the kitchen and bathroom. There are an almost infinite number of kitchen backsplash ceramic tile designs, and the same holds for ceramic tile kitchen floor designs. Their choice as tiles for the kitchen stems from ceramics’ high resistance to heat. Kitchens are also often wet, and ceramic is also impervious to water.
Water resistance makes ceramic an automatic ally of the bathroom. Ceramic tiles bathroom design are perhaps second only to their use in kitchens. Bathroom ceramic tile design ideas include suggestions for their use on floors, walls, and even the ceiling.
Ceramic is a wonderful choice for interior design ceramic tile because its smooth surface is so easy to clean. Parents with young children are familiar with their little ones amusing themselves by drawing and painting on walls. With ceramic tiles lining the lower half of the children’s room and perhaps even the hallways and other rooms, there may be a lot less cleanup to do.
There is no need to confine ceramic to interior design ceramic floor tiles. Its high heat resistance, waterproof properties, and resilience make it perfect for the outdoors, too. Use them in the garden to beautify unsightly concrete or brick walls. They are also often arranged in patterns, usually to convey a garden or plant theme.
What designs of ceramic tiles are there?
Ceramic tile design is limited only by your imagination and that of its creators. With an almost endless array of materials that can be integrated into the powder created in the first step of the manufacturing process, the possibilities of texture and color are just as wide.
There is currently a trend towards ceramic interior tiling that imitates other materials. The most common of these are wood and stone, which lend themselves well to a parquet finish. Ceramic tiles are also produced in dimensions that resemble bricks. Available in a range of colors, this design brings the charm of yesteryear into your home but without so many of the limitations associated with using bricks.
If you prefer a mix of new and old, try a checkerboard design for your walls and floors. To add your own twist, substitute black and white for other light and dark shades that complement but contrast against each other.
Home owners who have the resources to splurge may even get personalized ceramic tiles. This may be a monogrammed finish, or tiles created to match the paint, finish, or décor of the room where they will be installed. If you have the luxury of using this option, select the highest quality tiles that your budget can withstand as they will need to last to make them feasible.
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