Ceramic tiles – one of the most popular materials for finishing the kitchen. It is used as a floor and wall covering, as well as to create an apron over the working surface. Consider why it is worth making an apron for the kitchen out of tile, what are the criteria for choosing a material, what you should pay special attention to when buying, as well as how to choose the color scheme according to the interior of the room.
Kitchen apron from tile: what material to use
Choosing a ceramic tile for an apron for the kitchen, you should pay attention to some properties of this material. Here are some tips to help you choose the right tile for this purpose:
- It is best to use a tile with a glossy surface, because it facilitates the care, because it will be easier to remove dirt from such tiles. But it is worth knowing that the gloss is much more noticeable, all traces of water and fat, so you have to do the cleaning regularly. Another argument in favor of glossy tiles for the apron – the ability to reflect light, which allows you to visually expand the space. Naturally, the mirror apron for the kitchen will cope best with the task of expanding the space;
- tile with a smooth surface is preferable to relief, because the grease and dirt tend to be stuffed into the pores and cracks. It will be rather difficult to remove them in the future, so a smooth tile is always better;
- universal option that does not spoil any interior – white tile. To liven up the surface and add some variety to the design, you can add individual bright elements;
- if we talk about maximum practicality and minimum requirements for care, here the undisputed leader is the tile of beige-brown colors. Ideally, this is a ceramic tile with a pattern in the form of stains. So small pollution will be visible least of all.
The most difficult aspect of laying an apron in a kitchen is tile jointing, which are the most problematic area of such coverage. The main problem is that over time, light grout for joints absorbs moisture and becomes dirty, darkening and losing its attractive appearance. Therefore, it is necessary to purchase a special moisture-resistant and dirt-repellent composition, which will prevent the appearance of fungus and will last for a long time.
Helpful advice! Epoxy grout is considered the most practical and resistant to external factors. It is perfect for ceramic apron in the kitchen.
Another great way to solve the problem of joints between tiles is to use rectified tile, the edges of which are cut exactly. This allows you to lay the elements at a minimum distance from each other, making the seams no more than 2 mm.
Making a decision about what to make an apron in the kitchen, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the properties and characteristics of the material. There is no exception and tile, so consider a few basic aspects that are undoubtedly worthy of attention:
- The tile must have a special protective coating that will protect it from the effects of aggressive chemicals that will be used in the kitchen cleaning process. To ensure the reliability of the selected material, you should pay attention to the marking, preferring the degree of protection A or AA;
- the same ceramic tile may differ in tone. This is normal, since the elements are fired in different batches. But in order for the tile on the apron does not differ in color, it is worth checking the contents of each package before purchasing;
- in different packages tile may differ not only in color but also in size. There is even such a thing as a caliber, which indicates how much the actual size of the elements differs from the declared one. For example, if the actual and declared size of the tile is 100×100 mm, then it is said that the caliber is 0. In order for the apron to look beautiful, it is desirable that the caliber does not exceed 1;
- before buying you need to check the quality of the glaze. This can be done right in the store, inspecting random items for cracks, chips and abrasions. The tile surface should be as flat and smooth as possible.
Helpful advice! If you purchased a tile for a kitchen apron, but do not start laying immediately, you need to store the material in a dry room, in no case allowing the back of the tile to come into contact with water. Otherwise, the tile may crack after some time after laying.
Buy tiles, like any other material, under the calculation, it is not necessary. Usually, experts recommend leaving the stock, about 5-10%, if the method of laying is traditional. In the case of a diagonal placement of tiles or a combination of elements in a complex pattern, the recommended margin should be about 15%.
An important role in this issue is played by how many elements will be defective. It depends on the manufacturer: the more expensive and better the tile, the smaller the percentage of defects in the party allowed. But for an inexpensive domestic product, 5% of defective products is not the limit.
Helpful advice! It is necessary to leave a few whole tiles for the future, in case you need to replace a single damaged item. Finding a suitable option after a few years may be problematic, so you should take care of this in advance.
Of course, it is impossible not to note the Italian ceramic tiles for the kitchen apron, which for many years is considered the best. The variety of original colors and textures is incredibly large. However, for this luxury will have to pay a lot, because the Italian tile is deservedly called the most expensive.
Helpful advice! Since the size of the kitchen apron is usually not too large, you can search for the remains of Italian tiles on sales. This will allow you to get the desired quality and beauty for quite reasonable money.
Looking through the photo catalogs of tiles for the apron in the kitchen, you can make sure that the range is extremely large, and it is quite possible to choose an option for any budget. The main thing is to determine the size of the apron for the kitchen, as well as the stylistic direction in which you want to decorate the surface.