Bathroom Floor Tiles--Function and Beauty
There was a time, almost a century ago, when bathroom tile flooring consisted of one-inch hexagonal mosaic bathroom floor tiles installed individually. Today there are numerous choices from ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles, natural stone tiles, mosaics, vinyl etc. All of which come in sizes, colors, and textures to make your bathroom a work of art.
In general, when considering your choice of material for your bathroom floor you should consider maintenance and durability. Often overlooked, without proper maintenance nothing looks worse than a dull and well worn tile of any material or design. Choose tile color(s), tile design(s), tile surface and texture, and layout design. All of these should be consistent with the interior flavor or theme of the bathroom and your home. Note that surface and texture are important for esthetics, serviceability, and safety.
The most durable of all floorings are stone and tile, both can last the lifetime of a house. Their toughness, beauty, array of materials, textures, colors, and floor tile patterns available makes stone and tile the materials of choice for quality and character when cost is not imperative. Solid Stone tile flooring includes quarried slate tiles, limestone tiles, granite tiles, marble tiles, etc. There is also "Stone" tile made from a ground natural stone aggregate, bound in a polymer matrix, as an affordable alternative to quarried and cut stone.
Ceramic and porcelain floor tiles are clay slabs fired and often glazed to give very hard, smooth surfaces almost impervious to water and stains. The glaze occurs between the first firing and a second one that gives the tile texture and color. Glazed floor tiles come in "every color of the rainbow" and may be smooth or textured and given a high gloss, satin, matte, or dull (non-reflective) finish.
However, do not rule out waterproof vinyl floor tiles. Today's vinyl choices are more durable, low material cost, and easy DIY installation. The cost and the newer choices of colors and designs make vinyl tile flooring a functional, and decorate alternative.
Ceramic Tile Flooring
The firing of clay is as old as civilization itself, not only for pottery, but also even for tiled mosaics that decorated the floors and walls of Ancient Greek, Roman, Middle East and the Orient in homes and edifices.
With today's advanced manufacturing techniques, ceramic floor tiles can be virtually indistinguishable from granite, marble, slate, travertine, etc. Ceramic bathroom floor tile's durability, water and stain resistance, and low maintenance make it ideal for bathroom flooring.
During glazing in kilns fired to a temperature of 1000 degrees, colors and designs applied become part of the tile and this glazed floor tile will withstand even exterior traffic and outdoor weather conditions so it is ideal for a bathroom.
However, in choosing ceramic floor tiles for your bathroom, consider slip-resistance, i.e., unglazed or textured surfaces for bathroom safety -- particularly for children or the elderly. On the other hand, choosing beautiful non-skid bathmats/ area rugs can only add to your choices when accessorizing.
Less slippery unglazed tiles will need more frequent cleaning because they are less stain resistant. Unglazed tile, usually the color of the fired clay (brown or red) or an added pigment, does not scratch as easily as glazed tile but is more liable to stain and requires periodic treatment with a sealer or wax for protection.
Tile shapes for ceramic bathroom floors include squares, rectangles, hexagons, octagons, and small diamond. If you have an artistic nature, combine the shapes, sizes, textures, colors, and designs available as part of an overall floor layout. You have the option of buy very expensive ceramic floor tiles but you can also buy quite inexpensive ones. Reproduction Victorian floor tiles and Victorian tile designs can add an unusual charm to an older home when combined with "antique" plumbing.
Porcelain Tile Flooring
Fired at an extremely high temperature (higher than ceramics), porcelain tiles retain the look, vivid color palette, and translucent quality of a teacup but not the fragility. With the thickness of tile, porcelain is far more durable than it appears. When installed, a Porcelain tile floor is beautiful and will remain so for years to come. Even in high traffic areas, porcelain will out perform other floor tiles.
Because Porcelain tile is at home both indoors and outdoors, a Porcelain tile floor is great for the bathroom. Although Porcelain bathroom floor tiles will not stain, they can become dull looking if not cleaned thoroughly. Wiping with a damp cloth easily removes pills that might seep into another material.
Porcelain floor tiles come in a variety of colors, textures, and designs. Some porcelain floor tiles, made to look like stone, are almost indistinguishable from natural granite and marble, shale, etc.
Natural Stone
Granite's natural floor tile patterns, slate's swirled tones, travertine's sophisticated look, marble's sumptuous hues, onyx's luster, and sandstone's the earthy look provide extraordinary stone tiles natural stone flooring inspire refinement of design.
Slate Tile
Slate floor tiles are different by lot and this can make a bathroom unique. Fortunately, this color and natural design variety does not create an inconsistent pattern. In fact, this actually adds to the beauty of slate. Many floor specialist advise homeowners to use durable slate floor tiles for heavy traffic areas such as the bathroom. Slate uneven and rocky surface, gives slate floor tiles natural slip resistance.
Stone Mosaics
Stone mosaics bring a level of meticulous artistry to a bathroom floor. Stone mosaics lend a look of exacting, skilled, and professional design to any bathroom floor. Mosaic tiles are small tiles mounted on perforated paper sheets for easy installation and are usually very dense, tough, and stain resistant. The numerous grout joints also aid in slip resistance. Because their small size can fit the contour of the floor, Mosaics make beautiful slip resistant shower floors. Mosaics have the look of interlocking small squares or jagged textured slate pieces put together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Travertine floor tiles
Travertine floor tiles are a natural stone product used as a floor tile or a wall tile. For use as a floor surface, travertine must be filled, honed, and sealed. Like marble, travertine is a soft material susceptible to stains, scratches, and chipping; consequently, Travertine floor tiles require more maintenance to prevent dulling of the surface. Despite this drawback, honed and filled travertine provides a satin finish without a polished, glossy look.
Vinyl Floor Tile
Usually made of vinyl, self-stick floor tiles provide an inexpensive option for the bathroom. Today, vinyl tiles possess a higher quality and can effectively imitate the looks of ceramic, porcelain, and stone tiles. Compared to other tiles they are not only cheaper but installation is fast and easy. Floor tile patterns include imitation stone or the look of ceramic or porcelain tiles with countless colors and designs.
Floor Design
Textured floors tiles can add an immediate design element to a floor. The textured material or natural stone can add focus to the center surrounded by a contrasting smooth tile as a perimeter band or the reverse. If using solid color floor tile, add tile borders with a darker shade different color. A diagonal or diamond pattern makes rooms look larger. Of course, a checkerboard effect is always popular. Unfortunately, these approaches are not applicable to very small bathrooms.
Neutral colors like beiges or whites make rooms look larger, reflect light, and are always in style. Serene or cool colors are blue, green, or violet and in lighter shades make rooms seem smaller. For drama, use brighter colors like black or red to absorb light and make the room appear smaller. Work in complementary colors with accent tiles and accessories.
Tile and Stone Installation
When installing porcelain and ceramic bathroom tiles, grout must be as small and tight as possible to maintain the floors non-absorbent quality. Larger grout will tend to crack over time. Use chalk lines or cardboard to position the central design and grid for the floor design. Anyone looking to install tile that will require grout, must seal the grout well or instruct their contractor to do so. No matter how nice the tile looks when laid stained grout will effectively detract from that look. If it is a do-it yourself project, learn to mix/apply thin-set mortar, how to cut tiles, and to grout.
When installing an update to your bathroom with ceramic tile flooring or porcelain tile flooring remove, if possible, fixtures and floor trim. Totally remove old flooring and adhesive and sand the floor. If installing vinyl self-stick tile fill holed counter sink nails if possible.