Porcelain tile in the bathroom: indestructible beauty (21 photos)

When it comes to bathroom lining, tile immediately comes to mind. For decades, he was out of competition, but a worthy rival appeared: porcelain tile broke the monopoly. It is better than tiles, diverse in design to lay porcelain tiles in the bathroom, no special qualification is required.

Porcelain and tile: two big differences

These materials are identical in composition, the main difference in technology. In the manufacture of granite, dyes are immediately added to the basic ingredients (no synthetics, only natural). Everything is thoroughly mixed, tiles of the desired shape are molded. It is pressed and calcined under tremendous pressure and at high temperature. Clay becomes an alloy stronger than granite or marble. It does not have any pores, therefore, the standard porcelain stoneware moisture absorption is almost a hundred times less than that of tiles. This is the most important condition for a small room with high humidity, such as a bathroom, because it is in the pores that a fungus develops.

A tile is a glazed base that can wear out, chip off over time, exposing the gray substrate. Porcelain stoneware is not threatened by this: no matter how much it is rubbed or chipped, the color will not change, the design will not suffer.

Porcelain tile for the bathroom: many advantages and one minus

When deciding what material to use in the interior of the bathroom: porcelain tiles or tiles, it is worth choosing the first option. Moreover, the difference in price between them is not critical. In the bathroom, as a room with high humidity, the main advantage of porcelain stoneware is fully used - zero water absorption. Even in such extreme conditions, high-strength material will last for decades, many times longer than any other coating.

Decorating the room with granite, you can forget about this problem. However, there are other advantages:

• the durability is such that the tile can be scratched, rubbed, cleaned as you like. If you try very hard, only the gloss is damaged, the matte can withstand everything except diamond;
• cracked cobwebs will never appear on the surface of porcelain stoneware, by which their old or low-grade tile is immediately recognized;
• reduces the risk of electric shock (if there is a washing machine or other electrical appliances in the bathroom) to zero;
• porcelain tile does not respond to aggressive chemistry, so you can wash it by any means.

The downside is the need for installation under the porcelain tile of a warm floor. For the bathroom, this is especially true: hot water, steam, the heating system is not able to heat the stone, and becoming barefoot on a cold coating is unpleasant and fraught with health.

Types: different for walls and floor

Porcelain tile for the bathroom is available in such a diverse range that you can choose the most suitable modification depending on the purpose of the coating and personal preferences. Quality and safety standards for this room include the use of several types of porcelain stoneware: matte, polished, glazed.

Walls

Porcelain tiles for walls in the bathroom - most often glazed or polished tiles. The wall layer reflects light to the maximum, providing good lighting of the room and visually expanding it.This is especially valuable for small areas.

As a floor covering, these varieties are not very good, as the glaze can wear off over time and the polish is too slippery.

Floor

Practical and safe types with non-slip coating. Porcelain tile for the floor in the bathroom is presented in three versions:

• Satin The technology gives a special shine to the material. A pattern is applied to the raw tile, and after frying, a softly glowing non-slip surface is obtained.
• Structured. Matte surface with a convex ornament. Using this technology, an imitation of parquet, leather, and other coatings of an unusual structure is obtained. Such a floor in the bathroom is both beautiful and safe.
• Technical. Outwardly, the tile resembles a natural stone. The cheapest variety, basic for other species, including the latest type of glazed porcelain tiles. It is positioned as something unusual, but in fact it turns out that it is technical porcelain tile covered with smalt glaze. It looks beautiful, it is expensive, although in fact it is the same tile.

Floor tiles of any kind have anti-slip properties.

The safest floor tiles are matte or with a rough base. It is ideal because it accumulates less water and is the hardest to slip on.

Ceiling

In the bathroom, porcelain stoneware with gloss is attractive, but it is not suitable for all rooms. If you really want to, it is better to choose a light shade so that the ceiling does not hang, visually reducing the space.

Do not lay porcelain tiles in a room partially lined with small-format ceramic tiles: the difference in textures will be obvious. From such a neighborhood, both tile and granite will lose.

In this segment of building materials, the term “rectified porcelain tile” is used. It means the highest level of processing, adherence to the smallest detail of all parameters and is applicable to any kind of material with luxury quality.

Popular views

The desired bathroom design can be created effortlessly: materials will satisfy every taste and request. Especially in demand imitating the natural texture of stone, leather, metal.

Marbled

Marble porcelain tiles imitate stone with exceptional accuracy: with overflows of shades, veins, inclusions and more.

White

White marble baths have been known since antiquity. Such a design is a classic attribute of luxury. Porcelain tile is more accessible, however the tiles polished to a mirror shine look elegantly.

White visually enlarges the room, the bathroom becomes lighter and more spacious.

Gray

For walls, gray porcelain tiles of light tones, pearl or in a combination of colors of different saturation are suitable. Floors may be darker. Gray is one of the three basic colors, it is combined with any other, so you can dilute the main tone with bright inserts, so that later you can select textiles and other accessories for them. In any case, everything will look elegant.

Red

A good solution as a floor covering as a component of a spectacular mosaic with different colors. All shades of pink are perfect from this palette - it can be used on its own.

The black

It is rare in the interior. In its purest form, this is an amateur design and for extravagant natures that decorate an apartment and a bathroom in the Gothic style. More often you can find a combination of black with white veins. It looks impressive, the room is radically transformed.

The floor or walls look beautiful and solid in the form of a composition of black and white. He is loved by fans of hi-tech or techno.

The bathroom is usually small in size, so you should not abuse dark tones so that it does not seem even smaller. Optimal design with bright color fragments on a neutral, basic colors background.

Under the tree

A material with a wood texture, that is, copying parquet or a natural board, is two in one: the strength of the stone and the natural warmth of wood. Porcelain tile under a tree in the bathroom creates good energy, softens the luster of chrome and metal.

Wood imitation is obtained by applying a layer of a pigmented wood look on a porcelain stoneware. It can reproduce the texture of wood from traditional oak to exotic wenge, it can be matte or polished.

Almost like a real tree, textured material looks. It is made by structuring: a texture of parquet or boards is created under the press. To make the similarity even greater, tiles on the floor are made not in traditional formats, but in the form of parquet or planks. So it turns out like a decorative laminate, parquet, solid wood.

They can be laid out as your heart desires: in a continuous layer over the entire surface, mosaic, pattern.

Stacking

The process is almost the same as for tiles. However, the laying of porcelain tile has nuances.

For porcelain stoneware, a dense material with low adhesion (i.e. adhesion), ordinary sand-cement mortar is not suitable. Need special acrylic and latex compounds.

Before laying, the substrate is leveled and primed twice. The glue is applied to the wall or floor, and to the tile.

The mixture of adhesive components solidifies quickly, therefore it is prepared in portions, designed for a working life of no more than half an hour.

Laying porcelain stoneware on the floor should be especially careful: the surface is leveled so that there are no bumps or air cushions - even the most resistant tile of a person’s weight will not withstand and crack.

Porcelain tile can be considered an ideal solution for the bathroom. It is durable, does not absorb moisture, looks beautiful. When choosing a tile for the bathroom, it is best not to save money and buy quality material if possible. It will last for decades.