The kitchen is the heart of the home. It's where we cook, eat, and gather with loved ones. But what if your kitchen is outdated and dull? That's where kitchen tiles come in. The right tiles will transform your kitchen into a stunning, aesthetically pleasing, functional space that will make you proud to host family and friends.
Plus, a beautifully tiled kitchen can boost your home's value and make cooking and cleaning a breeze. Ready to upgrade your kitchen? Let's explore the world of kitchen tiles.
The Best Tile for Kitchen
Kitchen Floor
Kitchen flooring is critical to the beauty of your entire room's design. You have options like hardwood flooring or tiles for your floor. Of the two, kitchen tiles are more durable and have more options.
The type of floor tiles you choose determines how bright your kitchen is and how it feels. You can select from various tile types, each producing a different result and aesthetic. You can get kitchen floor tile ideas from the internet or from experienced interior designers.
Designers will help you pick the best tiles for the look you want and match them to the wall tiles. The kitchen floors and walls must complement each other so that the design stays coherent.
Kitchen Walls
The more common term for this aspect of kitchen aesthetics is the backsplash. It is critical when designing your kitchen's look and feel, and it utilizes texture and color. The wall tiles you will use for this are different from the ones you use on the floor in terms of design. However, the materials are generally the same.
Backsplashes differ depending on whether your kitchen is ultra-modern or traditional. Your chosen design plan determines the type of materials you use. Fortunately, you do not have to develop something independently because designers have been creating different ideas. Many of these can be found online and used to guide kitchen design decisions.
Things to Consider When Choosing Kitchen Tiles
Durability: Durability is critical when it comes to choosing your kitchen tiles. The kitchen is one of the rooms in the house with the most traffic. Because of this, tiles with a low durability score will only last for a short time. According to the Porcelain Enamel Institute, a durability score of class 3 or 4 will perform best.
Water Resistance: Some tiles are less resistant to water and more porous than others. These tiles soak up all the water that collects or falls on them. They are a poor choice for the kitchen because it is primarily a wet environment. The best choice for the kitchen is glazed tiles with a 3 percent maximum rate and unglazed tiles with a 0.5 percent rate.
Texture: Textures play a vital role in the aesthetics of kitchen tiles. Moreover, textured tiles are less slippery and can mask dirt but are harder to clean. If you want to avoid these shortcomings, you can choose smooth tiles and add mats in places with a high risk of slipping.
Underlayment: When installing your tiles, they must have a smooth, flat, firm surface underneath. If this is lacking, you can use a cement tile backing board as a surface for the tiles.
Different Types of Tiles
Whatever you want to do with your kitchen, you will find something that works for you among these three types of tiles.
Porcelain tiles
Porcelain tiles are the most popular of the four main types available on the market. They are more durable and less porous, meaning they are harder to stain than ceramic tiles.
The tiles' main component is clay with sand added to it. The tile is then put through heat and pressure, compacting the two components tightly and firmly. The result is a hard, dense, and non-porous porcelain tile. These tiles can withstand continuous use and extreme weather. Kitchen designers can use them in high-traffic areas like kitchens and sometimes also outside.
The wood-look tile is the more popular because it looks like wood but provides more durability. These can either be glazed or non-glazed. Glazed tiles have a clear, glass-like coating added during firing, making them appear smooth.
Ceramic tiles
The second most common type of tile is ceramic tile. These are made purely from clay and often have the "non-porcelain" tag to differentiate them. Both tiles may look very similar, but their properties are different. Ceramic tiles are much more porous and less durable; however, they are much easier to install independently. Ceramic tiles are ideal for DIY projects because they are easier to cut and fit together.
Ceramic tiles can have glazing on them, which helps them get close to the properties of porcelain tiles. They can take up any color, and the glazing ensures they are impervious to spills. They are also more cost-friendly than their porcelain counterparts.
Stone Tiles
A stone tile is an excellent option if you want a classy look and impeccable beauty for your kitchen. Stone tiles can be made from various types of natural stone. We get marble, granite, slate, limestone, and travertine tiles from these natural stones. One of the reasons they are so expensive is that they require refinishing with quality stone sealants every two to three years. However, stone tiles are very durable and can withstand traffic and wear.
Your designer will probably ask you how you want your stone tiles. You can have them either honed or polished. Honed tiles have more traction even when wet but are not as vibrant. On the other hand, polished stone tiles are slippery when wet, but they are gorgeous. Polished stone tiles allow the natural beauty of the stone to show through its surface.
Want To REDESIGN Your Kitchen?
Nu Interiors is an integrated, mission-driven design firm that prioritizes teamwork and emotionally thoughtful design principles. Nu Interiors makes designs that are not only smart, useful, and clear, but also care about people and the world around them. Everybody deserves a well-thought-out, well-designed environment, and we are on a mission to improve people's homes and lives, one client at a time.
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