Tiles for the kitchen on the floor (34 photos): choose the best design

The most visited room in the apartment is the kitchen, especially if the family living in it is quite large. It is unlikely that the kitchen will often be empty, visiting every day, all family members together, or in turn. Therefore, the first thing when installing the kitchen space is to take care of a stable soundproof and waterproof floor covering. Tile is the obvious choice of sane apartment residents. In everyday life, it is easy to care for her, she easily washes, is absolutely not whimsical in leaving, besides she looks very impressive.

Advantages of floor tiles:

• All materials from which tiles of natural origin are made. The main components are sand and clay, so the tile is considered the most harmless material.
• The tile is fire-resistant and fireproof, therefore it is even allowed to tile fireplace stoves.
• Ceramic tile does not burn and does not emit harmful substances when heated.
• Walls that are tiled are not afraid of moisture, grease and even fumes and odors.
• Ceramic tiles in case of fire protect the walls from collapse.

Tiles on the floor. How to choose the right one?

Initially, before choosing a tile, decide who will lay it, you or a specialist. You can do this with your own hands, but at the same time your hands should be “golden”. And of course, you should have thoughts on how the process of facing walls or floors with tiles. If you do not have such knowledge, it is better not to risk it. First of all, the master of laying tiles on the floor will be able to help you when choosing it. It will help not only to choose the size, color, but also to correctly calculate its required amount.

Sellers often either do not know how to make calculations correctly, or round off so much that often a lot of unused material remains. And this is your wasted money. Or you want something unusual, for example, to put a tile not in a square, but in a rhombus. All the subtleties of masonry are known only by a specialist. If you are not a builder, then it is better to put this matter in proven hands.

Main characteristics of floor tiles

For those who are going to choose the tiles themselves, it is necessary to have a certain supply of minimal information about it. The aesthetic side of the coin is not the most important criterion when choosing, you need to know a lot of nuances about its quality characteristics. Having chosen a tile from high-quality material, do not be lazy to learn about all the pros and cons of the existing variety of tiles. In the future, it will work for you and will last for many years.

What should be the size of the floor tiles?

When choosing, be guided in addition to personal preferences for color and size of the tile and its quality characteristics. Modern manufacturers offer several types of floor tiles: square and rectangular. But there are quite exotic hexagonal instances. Tile sizes can also vary from the smallest mosaic tiles to the largest sizes. The best option is a tile of 30 * 30 cm and 50 * 50 cm.

What material or glue to choose so that the tile adheres well?

How to choose the tile on the floor so that it is well kept and does not break off suddenly, because it will be in the living room? Do I need special glue or what's the matter?

When choosing a tile on the floor, you need to know that according to the production method, ceramic tile is divided into 2 types:

• dense;
• porous.

The bottom line is that porous tiles absorb more moisture. Accordingly, this same property helps the adhesive to better bond the tile to the floor surface. To determine where and what kind of tile you can even visually. The back wall of the material should be roughened with a porous surface.

The type of enamel that covers the front side of the tile and its layer is responsible for the external parameters - gloss, picture quality, brightness and color saturation. Glaze makes the tile waterproof and hard.

Tile mechanical properties

Everyone knows that the floor in the kitchen is most often exposed to various types of exposure. This is especially true for the floor near the stove, refrigerator and sink. Actually, where the mistress is most often, constantly cooking or cleaning something. Therefore, floor tiles should have the highest chemical and mechanical characteristics. Experts recommend taking tiles on the floor of 3 or 4 classes according to the European standard.

Another equally important criterion is the indicator of resistance to temperature and its differences, because there are cases of spillage of boiling water. As well as alkaline and acid resistance, because the kitchen floor is the place to be cleaned regularly, often with the addition of detergents. Therefore, when choosing a tile, note that the resistance to alkalis and acids according to the standard should not be lower than B class. If such data is not on the package, feel free to request it from the seller or consultant. They must have such documents.

The remaining important characteristics of floor tiles

For the floor, the most optimal range of tile thickness is from 0.8 cm to 1.3 cm. The tile must be strong, which means it must also have increased resistance to abrasion. According to the European standard, the most durable class is 5. Therefore, be sure to look at this criterion as well.

The next practically most important criterion for floor tiles is slip resistance. In the kitchen, experts recommend using tiles with either corundum spraying or ribbed with grooves. Otherwise, you cannot guarantee complete safety, because water entering the surface, especially glossy, will turn the floor into a real skating rink.

There are also disadvantages of floor tiles - this is its coldness. But it is easily eliminated with the help of underfloor electric heating.

Some Tile Laying Secrets

• The larger the tiles you put, the smaller the kitchen area will appear, and vice versa.
• The smooth surface of the tile can visually make the room brighter and more spacious, and matte will give the room additional comfort.
• With the help of a correctly selected color with the help of a tile, you can not only visually change the dimensions of the kitchen, but also create any style of atmosphere that the owners themselves want.
• The most popular colors in the style of imitation wood, metal, floral patterns and so on. Choosing the color and pattern of the tile, remember the lighting of your kitchen room at different times of the day. Indeed, under the influence of direct sunlight, the color of the tile will seem more juicy. Halogen lamps, on the contrary, will add color to the coldness, but ordinary lamps, on the contrary, will provide warmth and comfort. For example, a blue tile in warm lighting will appear green.
• Pollution is less noticeable on matte dark or grainy surfaces.
• On a glossy dark tile, mechanical damage, such as scratches and chips, will be more noticeable.
• The drawing on the tile can both draw attention to the floor surface, and serve only as a background for kitchen furniture.
• A single drawing, if necessary, can become a visual divider of a room into functional zones. And through through the room, on the contrary, it can visually combine it.
• Simple drawings visually make the space bigger, and complex drawings, on the contrary, smaller.
• The color of the grout also matters. The more contrast the tile joints, the more contrasting the color scheme, the more the floor space will attract attention. Trowel joints to match the color of the floor create the effect of surface unity.
• Another trick with grout. A seam of a dark color can visually make the floor cleaner, and a light seam on the contrary.

At first glance, it might seem that there is nothing complicated in self-laying tiles. But this is not at all true. We need not only knowledge and subtleties in the lining, but also experience. And professionalism is desirable. Otherwise, even the most expensive and sophisticated tiles can look awful. Therefore, it is better to entrust this matter to specialists.