Selecting tiles for your home is probably something that you need to invest more time and money in. After all, it is the foundation of the way your home is aesthetically seen as.
In fact, tiles have come to be one of the most widely used covering for walls as well as flooring. Available in a wide range, tiles provide different finishes, patterns and colours in a relatively lower budget.
The installation process too is simple and involves no wastage as such. However, do you know that not all tiles can be installed anywhere?
Today, there are tiles specifically manufactured for specific places to make your hunt easier. There is a difference between kitchen tiles and bathroom tiles and most often than not, they cannot be interchangeably used.
Choosing Different Tiles For Kitchen & Bathroom
Several factors should be considered while choosing your kitchen and bathroom tiles.
Place Of Installation
The first step is to analyze where you would install these tiles. Whether it is the kitchen backsplash, kitchen flooring or even walls, you need to figure out where you are going to be installing them first.
If you are looking for kitchen flooring, then ceramic or vitrified tiles, or even mosaic floor tile, are your best option. For kitchen backsplashes, you can choose mosaic tiles or highlighter tiles.
These tiles are easy to clean as well. Moreover, kitchen backsplash is one area you can be completely creative at.
Ceramic tiles can withstand hot splashes of oil and water. There are several other options available for kitchen tiles that you can choose from.
Budget For Both Spaces
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of tile shopping, fix a certain budget for the kitchen and bathroom space. This will give you a cap where you need to push back and where you can go all out. Your interior designer or tile company will help you in choosing the best tiles in your budget.
Frequency Of Foot Traffic
In comparison between kitchen and bathroom tiles, the former experiences a lot more activity and wear and tear than bathroom tiles. Hence, it’s important to select a tile that can handle such wear and tear.
Opt for tiles that can handle stains, scratches, spilled food, chemicals, etc. For bathrooms, you can go for anti-skid tiles for heightened safety.
Why Are Kitchen & Bathroom Tiles Different?
Understanding the differences between the two, can go a long way towards helping you choose the right tiles for your kitchen and bathroom. It may seem like both areas have similar requirements from their flooring, there are certain differences that come in.
For instance, an anti-skid tiling may not be required for a kitchen as much as it is required for a bathroom. Similarly, a glazed tile may not be a safe fit for a bathroom as much as it is for a kitchen.
While most tiles go with almost all areas of the house, it is always better to opt for specific tiles for such areas when they are specifically made for the purpose.
Types of Tiles For Bathrooms
Ceramic Tile
Durable, easy to clean and easy on the budget. These are the USPs of a ceramic tile. They even come in a lot of design and patterns.
These tiles are perfect for bathrooms because they resist moisture and won’t absorb odours or bacteria, which means less dirt build-up over time. They are fairly water-resistant which means there won’t be any issue relating to humidity or moisture over a period of time.
Stone Tiles
If you love a medieval-time or a rather vintage vibe in your house and specifically in your bathroom, you can go for stone tiles. They look the same as stone flooring but are much safer and durable. They even offer a fantastic surface quality which makes them easy to clean without worrying about scratching.
Glass Tile
Why not? While they may not be the first choice for a bathroom but certainly do add some pizzazz to any space they are laid in.
The sleek look of a glass tile flooring is appealing because it creates the illusion of depth and, if tinted, has a stained-glass effect. Just like some fancy hotels do!
Glass tiles are really durable and can withstand quite a traffic and wear tear, if installed correctly under expert supervision. Make sure you select a textured glass to prevent slips.
Consider using small glass tiles with lots of grout joints to create a slip-resistant shower floor with these tips in mind.
Types Of Tiles For Kitchens
Glazed Tiles
Glazed tiles are fit for walls but not so much for flooring since floor tiles need to be slip-resistant and much more durable. Therefore, they will be best suited for kitchen backsplashes or a countertop even but definitely not for kitchen flooring.
Mosaic Tiles
Mosaic tiles are known to enhance the beauty of any space they are in. These are considered good for flooring as these have strong friction and are easy to clean due to the grouts in the design. Considering that you can creatively use these tiles to create any design or pattern you like, they are not bad for the investment.
Quarry Tiles
These tiles are widely used for kitchen flooring given these are unglazed making them high on friction. These are highly-slip resistant tiles. However, the high friction also makes these tiles attract dirt easily. So, make sure you invest in a dark-coloured quarry tile, preferably brick red.
Now that you know the difference between kitchen and bathroom tiles, which one are you planning to install in your respective spaces?
Author Bio: Isha Tandon has worked within the architecture and interior design industry as a flooring consultant expert – specialising in tiles, stones, and terrazzo. She has worked with Orientbell Limited, a leading tile manufacturer in India, as a product development manager in the design team and has recently joined the marketing team as their digital content expert.
Her experience comes in handy in understanding the audience as she creates value-driven functional & informational content for the readers. She creates lifestyle pieces that focus on interior design products, trends, and processes. She loves to travel to historic places with rich architecture.
Very informative post. Keep writing such articles in future.