| Ceramic Tiles
Price: £10 - £25 per metre
Colours: Manufactured
Ceramic tiles are a popular choice for walls and floors in bathrooms, and larger tiles create the impression of space as there are fewer grout lines. High quality white glazed tiles are an inexpensive option and look dramatic offset against vibrant coloured borders.
Ceramic tiles are made from a blend of clays and minerals, fired in a kiln and finished with a thin water-resistant glaze. They are very practical, easily cleaned and do not need to be sealed. Ceramic tiles are light weight making them easy to cut and good for wall structures not strong enough to hold heavy tiles.
Porcelain Tiles
Price: £10 - £40 per metre
Colours: Manufactured
Porcelain Tiles are extremely hard wearing, anti-slip and frost resistant, suitable for use indoors and outdoors. Similar to unglazed ceramic and often produced to look like natural stone or laminate wood, many ranges have the same colours in matt and gloss finish.
Porcelain tiles are made from fine white clay, fired at extremely high temperatures and tinted with colours rather than glazed. The colours run the full thickness of the tile making scratches on the surface less noticeable. They are virtually non absorbent and are extremely hard and durable. Rectified porcelain is cut after its fired eliminating any size variation in the kiln, excellent for using the small grout lines.
Limestone Tiles
Price: £20 - £50 per metre
Colours: Natural
Limestone colours vary from almost white to light tones of grey and blue. Harder variations of limestone are very practical and durable, ideal as floor tiles as they can be easily maintained. Available in 3 finishes:
Polished: High gloss surface that gives a mirror like reflection
Honed: smooth, matte finish. It creates an atmosphere of cozy comfort
Tumbled: softer edges, sometimes almost rounded giving the effect of aged stone
Limestone is a soft sedimentary stone made from a variety of minerals present during its formation. These impurities give each individual tile a unique pattern, part of the inherent beauty of natural stone.
Marble Tiles
Price: £40 - £80 per metre
Colours: Natural
Marble is formed from metamorphic rock to produce a very strong and durable material ideal for walls and floors. Impurities in its formation give its translucent veins creating a classic look to compliment every environment. This makes marble on of the most attractive natural stones and its beauty has been recognised for thousands of years, with many ancient buildings decorated in marble tiles.
The colour of marble varies considerably, from pure white to jet black and a full spectrum of colours in between. Available either honed, tumbled or polished (an almost glass-like finish) marble tiles are porous making them vulnerable to surface stains. Specialist sealers help protect the tile and prevent stains without altering its colour.
Travertine Tiles
Price: £15 - £40 per metre
Colours: Natural
Travertine can vary considerably from almost white to dark brown and ochre and has unique colours within each tile created by impurities such as slay or silt. Travertine can be supplied unfilled or filled using an epoxy filler to plug small voids and cavities created during its formation.
As with most natural stone, travertine needs to be sealed to prevent stains from soaking into the surface and spoiling its appearance. Stone tiles also have to be cleaned carefully as harsh chemicals can damage the finished surface.
Slate Tiles
Price: £20 - £50 per metre
Colours: Natural
Grey slate is very common in the UK although colours from other countries vary considerably from purple, red and black to green and brown. Although less porous than other stone tiles, slate is easily stained if the surface is not sealed. Some sealants affect the surface colour and finish giving it a wet-look while others retain their natural quality.
Slate is formed from grained basalt and shale deposits which settle into layers under pressure and temperature fluctuation. This creates the characteristic partings and riven surface which is ideal for anti-slip floor tiles. The surface of each tile varies in thickness and the depth can vary considerably from tile to tile, making installation slightly tricky to avoid ridges and high spots.
Mosaic Tiles
Price: £20 - £80 per metre
Colours: Vary according to material
Mosaics are small ceramic and stone tiles sold on sheets of mesh backing to be fixed more easily. Each tile measuring less than 5cm x 5cm, they are beautifully ornate and give a delicate touch to any shower or bathroom floor.
Mosaic tiles are commonly used a border between plain ceramic tiles to add a splash of colour to a room, and work perfectly with natural stone to give elegant look. They are very useful for tiling curved walls in showers and sunken floors in wetrooms. |
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