Contents
Copyright 2020.EMILY ROBERT.
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INTRODUCTION
A tl a thn object uull square or rectangular n h. Tl a mnufturd f hrd-wrng material such as ceramic, tn, mtl, baked l, r vn gl, gnrll used fr vrng rf, floors, walls, r thr objects uh tabletops. Alternatively, tl can mtm refer to mlr unt md frm lghtwght materials uh rlt, wd, nd mineral wool, tll used for wall and lng ltn. In nthr n, a tile a ntrutn tile r mlr object, such rectangular untr used n lng gm ( tl-bd gm). Th word drvd frm the Frnh word tul, which , n turn, frm the Ltn wrd tgul, mnng a roof tl composed f frd clay.
Tl r often used t frm wall nd flr coverings, nd can rng from ml square tl t complex or m. Tl are mt ftn made f rm, tll glzd for ntrnl uses and unglzd for rfng, but thr mtrl r also mmnl ud, such glass, rk, nrt nd thr mt mtrl, nd tn. Tlng stone is typically mrbl, nx, grnt r slate. Thinner tl can b used n walls thn n floors, which require mr durbl urf that will rt mt.
CHAPTER ONE
Flr tiles
These r commonly made of rm or tn, although rnt thnlgl advances hv rultd in rubbr r gl tl fr floors as wll. Ceramic tiles may be ntd and glazed. Smll m tl m be ld n various ttrn. Floor tl r typically t nt mrtr consisting of nd, mnt nd often a ltx ddtv fr xtr dhn. Th spaces btwn th tl are commonly filled wth ndd r unndd floor grut, but trdtnll mrtr w ud.
Nturl stone tl can be beautiful but a nturl rdut they r less uniform n color nd pattern, nd rur mr planning for use and ntlltn. M-rdud tn tl r unfrm n wdth nd lngth. Grnt r mrbl tl r wn on both d and thn lhd or finished n the t urf so tht th hv a unfrm thickness. Othr nturl tn tiles uh lt r tll "rvn" (lt) n the t surface so that th thkn f th tl varies slightly frm n spot on th tl to another and from n tl to nthr. Variations n tl thkn n be hndld by adjusting th amount of mrtr undr each rt f th tile, b ung wd grout ln tht "ramp" btwn different thkn, r b ung a ld hl t knk off hgh spots.Some tn tl uh lhd granite, mrbl, and trvrtn are vr lr when wet. Stone tl wth a riven (split) surface uh slate r with a sawn nd thn ndbltd r hnd urf wll be more slip-resistant. Crm tl fr u in wt r can b md mr slip-resistant thr by using vr mll tiles tht th grut lines acts as grv or by mrntng a ntur pattern nt the f f th tl.
Th hardness f nturl tn tiles vr such tht m of th ftr tn (e.g. lmtn) tiles r nt utbl fr vr hv-trff floor r. On the thr hand, ceramic tl typically hv a glzd ur urf nd whn tht bm scratched r ttd the flr lk wrn, whr th m amount f wear n nturl tn tl wll nt show, r will b l ntbl.
Natural stone tl n be tnd b lld lud; they mut b ld nd periodically rld wth a lnt n ntrt t rm tl which only nd their grout ln ld. Hwvr, bu f th mlx, nnrtng ttrn in nturl stone, small munt f dirt n mn natural stone flr tiles d not show. The tendency f floor tl to tn dnd not nl n a lnt being ld, nd rdll rld, but also n their porosity or hw ru th tn . Slt n xml f a l ru tn while lmtn is n xml f a mr ru tn. Dffrnt granites nd mrbl hv dffrnt porosities with the less porous n being mr valued nd mr xnv.
Mt vndr f stone tl mhz that thr wll b vrtn n lr nd ttrn frm n bth of tl t nthr f th same drtn nd vrtn wthn th same batch. Stn flr tl tend t b heavier thn rm tl and mwht mr prone t breakage durng hmnt.
Rubber flr tl hv a variety f u, both in rdntl nd mmrl ttng. They r especially uful n situations whr it is desired to have hgh-trtn flr r protection fr n l breakable flr. Some mmn u nlud flrng f grg, workshops, t, wmmng pool dk, rt urt, gm, and dance floors.
Plastic flr tl nludng ntrlkng flr tl that can be ntlld wthut dhv r glue r a rnt nnvtn nd are utbl fr r ubjt to heavy traffic, wt r nd flr tht r ubjt t mvmnt, damp or contamination frm oil, grease or other substances that m rvnt dhn t th substrate. Common uses nlud old factory floors, grg, gm nd rt mlx, schools and h.
Ceramic
Crm mtrl fr tiles nlud rthnwr, tnwr nd rln. Terracotta a trdtnl material used fr rf tl. This a US trm, nd defined n ASTM tndrd C242 as a rm m tile r vr tht gnrll md b dut-rng nd f a mtn yielding a tile that is dn, fn-grnd, and mth, wth hrl-frmd f, uull mrvu. The lur of uh tl are gnrll lr nd brght
Pbbl
Smlr to m or other ttrnd tl, pebble tl r tiles made u f mll bbl tthd to a bkng. Th tl is generally dgnd n an ntrlkng ttrn tht final installations fit f multiple tl ft tgthr to hv a ml appearance. A rltvl new tile design, bbl tl wr originally developed in Indn ung bbl fund n vru locations in the country. Td, pebble tiles ftur all t f stones nd bbl from rund the world.
Digital rntd
Printing techniques nd digital manipulation f art nd photography r used in what known "custom tl rntng". D sublimation printers, nkjt rntr nd ceramic nk nd toners rmt rntng on a vrt of tile types yielding htgrh-ult rrdutn. Ung dgtl image capture via scanning or digital mr, bitmap/raster mg n be rrd n ht dtng ftwr programs. Specialized custom-tile rntng thnu permit transfer undr heat nd rur or the use of hgh tmrtur kln t fuse the tur to the tile substrate. This h bm a mthd of producing custom tl murl fr kthn, hwr, nd mmrl drtn n restaurants, hotels, nd corporate lobbies.
Diamond thd
A mthd for utm tl rntng involving a dmnd-td drll controlled b a mutr. Cmrd with th laser engravings, diamond etching n lmt vr rumtn more permanent
CHAPTER TWO
Ceramic tl may b th only flrng material that truly wrk n n rm of the hu. It's mt ftn ud n kthn and bathrooms as well as foyers, mudrooms, nd thr high-traffic r. But mn homes, ll in wrm lmt, u tile to grt fft in lvng r and bdrm, too. In other wrd, you rll n't g wrng with tile. If there r n drawbacks to th durbl, lgnt flrng, t is tht it n b hrd nd ld, nd is somewhat trk for DIYr to install.
Ceramic tiles have a hrd, solid surface, tht d nt attract r hld onto drt, dut, pollen, r thr llrgn. When th small particles d land n a rm flr, they tnd out gnt the surface, mkng it to wipe thm away with a m r ng. This hl t k the air free f rrttng materials that n be hrmful t thm nd llrg uffrr.
Maintenance nd Rr
Crm flrng frl to r frll glzd tl, whh hv a hrd protective t lr tht mk thm mrvu t wtr and most tn. This is th main rn why tl is preferred fr wt areas lk bthrm, kthn, nd lundr rm. Drt, tn, nd lud rest n th urf, allowing u t l w or m thm w.
Routine mntnn nt of little mr thn sweeping r vacuuming wth a ft bruh tthmnt t k th floor fr of dirt nd l dbr. If t-n tn d ur, you n u almost any heavy-duty cleaner wthut hvng to worry but dmgng the mtrl.
While mt rm flr tile glazed, there r unglazed ceramic tiles, uh trdtnl Sltll tile. These mut b ld t rtt their surface from liquids nd stains. And with all types f tl, th grout n between th tl utbl t mtur and stains nd huld be sealed rgulrl fr protection.
Crm flooring xtrml tough and dffult t crack. A quality ntlltn n lt for hundreds f years f the flr well-maintained. If a single tile d rk du to a vr mt, the process fr replacing a tile relatively ml.
Design
Mdrn mnufturng thnu llw rm rdur t mk materials tht n b rntd or mbd n numerous w. Sld tl can b mixed-and-matched n ttrn r accented wth utm dgn r mtf. Th n l b rntd t rrdu th lk f mn hrdwd nd nturl stones. Finally, th tiles thmlv can b cut nd hd nt trngl, rectangles, nd planks.
