KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
28th January 2021

We strongly recommend viewing KBzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.

Tiles anywhere and everywhere

In the UK ceramic and natural stone tiles used to be confined to the bathroom and kitchen but not anymore. Now British homeowners are becoming more like their European neighbours and are using tiles throughout the home. If your home is minimalist loft, cool, uncluttered Scandinavian, richly decorated Victorian or warm country cottage there is a tile that will perfectly reflect and enhance your style.

Why not use the same floor tile throughout the house and change the moods with soft furnishings. Using the same floor covering gives a feeling of spaciousness as the hall blends into the dining room, which merges with the kitchen and melts into the lounge. Go for the latest porcelain, natural stone lookalikes in trendy pale beige or cream. They provide a neutral background to the rest of your furnishings and are extremely robust and hard wearing. Ring the seasonal changes with colourful rugs - cool pastels for the summer, deep reds and golds for the winter.

You can even tile outside as many tiles are frost resistant; but do check. Tile the floors both sides of the patio doors with the same tile and watch as the dining room passes almost imperceptibly into the garden.

But don't forget tile for the rooms in the house that do all the hard work. In kitchens ceramic tile is ideal on floors, walls, splash backs and worktops. Fat, grease and food spills are just wiped away and dirty footprints from pets and children are no problem. For extra hygiene and assurance you can use a grout with antibacterial protection and you can use bleach and strong cleaners on a glazed ceramic floor with no risk of long term damage.

In bathrooms tiles are clean and hygienic on walls and floors. We all know how careless children and some grownups can be about water in the bathroom. With ceramic tiles you no longer need to worry; whether it's from little drips or big drips liquids can just be wiped up. Why not turn your bathroom into a wetroom or add a walk in shower. There are kits available for tanking (waterproofing) the walls and floors so that the water stays in the bathroom.

Now, with the latest adhesive technology, you can tile on suspended wooden floors so give that bathroom a face lift, And while you are doing that; why not treat yourself to a bit of extra luxury and have undertile heating installed? You'll get the bonus of extra wall space where radiators are no longer needed. The systems are so thin they don't raise the floor, and they are easy to install and relatively inexpensive.

T: 0208 663 0946
F: 0208 663 0949
E [email protected]
W: www.tiles.org.uk

29th January 2010