When designing a bathroom or designing a kitchen apron, it is important to decide not only on the color of the finishing materials, but also on their dimensions. A significant role in choosing the size of the tile is played by the size of the area that needs to be covered. Not only the general appearance after repair, but also the cost of repairs will depend on this.
When choosing a layout plan, it is important to know what sizes can be found in the distribution network in order to initially lay down some proportions. If earlier in the Soviet Union the main sizes were 100 * 100 and 150 * 150 mm, now the choice is much wider, and you can choose more accurately.
Sizes of ceramic tiles for walls
For wall decoration, tiles are produced in two formats: rectangular and square. Rectangular can be positioned with a long side vertically or horizontally. The effect is different. The tile stretched upward visually makes the room taller, and the horizontal one makes it wider. Both species can be of different sizes – from small to large.
There are several standard sizes:
- rectangular for walls: 200*300; 250*400; 250*500;
- square wall: 100*100, 150*150, 200*200.
But there are a lot of non-standard tile sizes. For example, there is a large square on the walls – up to 40 * 40 cm. Or a long and narrow rectangular one – 10 * 30 cm, 20 * 50 cm or 20 * 60 cm. Such tile sizes are usually not found in mass collections. When buying non-standard options, always take it with some margin: author’s collections are produced in a small edition. If it becomes necessary to replace a broken tile, it may no longer be on sale.
The thickness of wall tiles is from 4 to 9 mm. The thickest is more often used for exterior wall decoration. The optimal thickness for the walls of the bathroom and kitchen is from 6–8 mm.
For the floor
A thick ceramic tile with a hard protective coating or porcelain stoneware is laid on the floor. It comes in the form:
- square (standard tile sizes, millimeters 200*200, 300*300, 330*330, 350*350, 400*400, 450*450);
- rectangular, mm: (100*200, 150*300, 200*300, 300*400);
- multifaceted (five, six and octagonal).
In addition, these sizes are non-standard: smaller and larger. The largest floor can have a side of 600, and rectangles – 20 * 600 mm or even longer. Usually such long and narrow ones imitate a wooden surface or parquet.
The thickness of ceramic floor tiles in the standard version is from 8 to 11 mm, but there is increased strength – up to 25. For private houses, they are used extremely rarely, except to lay the floor in a garage or in a parking lot, under a carport. In general, where a high coating strength is needed.
Another type of tile for flooring is porcelain stoneware. It is mainly produced in squares, and more often in larger ones. Standard sizes of porcelain stoneware are 200*200, 300*300, 400*400, 450*450, 600*600.
There are rectangular ones, they are long and narrow: 60 * 120 is the standard, and also found in such sizes: *200.
The standard thickness of porcelain stoneware is from 8 to 14 mm, but there is a thin one – from 4 to 8 mm. Thin porcelain stoneware is usually laid in the technical rooms of apartments or private houses. The load here is small and the strength of the material is sufficient to withstand it.
Tiles are classified according to the intensity of use. For example, when choosing products for the floor, look at its class:
- PEI I. Low intensity. Walls.
- PE II. Small. Floor in the bedroom, bathroom.
- PE III. Average. Floor in any place of individual housing.
Mosaic tile
This type of finishing material is usually distinguished into a separate category, since it has many specific features and properties. These are pieces of ceramics, glass, porcelain stoneware or natural stone, fixed on a grid. Can be used for both floors and walls. It is especially good on curvilinear structures – thanks to small fragments, it fits surfaces of any curvature.
Mosaic tiles are square with a side of 10 to 50 mm. Much less common are those consisting of rectangles, polyhedra or a rounded shape. These are designer author’s collections and the sizes there can be very different, but usually also within these limits of 1–5 cm.
The thickness of the mosaic is from 2 to 12 mm. Thinner usually ceramics and glass. They often decorate walls. For laying on the floor, a material of greater thickness with increased resistance to abrasion is used. There may already be porcelain stoneware and stone, and the thickness is from 0,5 cm or more.
Choosing a tile size
Choosing the dimensions of the tiles on the walls and floor is not only in appearance, but also because how convenient it is to work with it. For example, it is difficult to lay with a large tile. It’s heavy, but that’s not the point. A large plane is more difficult to put in the right position. Under it, a perfectly even base is required so that, after applying a uniform layer of glue, you can immediately lay it almost evenly, and making small adjustments is no longer a problem.
With tiles of small sizes, another problem is a lot of seams. Even if there are crosses, it is problematic to keep them absolutely even without experience. Because of this, laying a small tile moves more slowly. Therefore, the most popular sizes are medium. They are easy to work with even for those who decide to lay tiles on walls or floors with their own hands for the first time. For small rooms, from an aesthetic point of view, medium or small is optimal, and a large one looks more organically in a spacious room.