There is an old saying in the decoration industry that "the kitchen is golden and the kitchen is silver", which shows that the kitchen plays an important role in home decoration. The kitchen reflects the life atmosphere of a home and the attitude of enjoying the essence of life. However, most people's kitchens are not large, so it is easy to focus on one thing and not the other when decorating, thus neglecting many details, especially the selection and laying of kitchen tiles.
01 Tips for purchasing kitchen tiles
The kitchen is one of the most frequently used spaces in the home, and three meals a day need to be completed in this space. As the kitchen is an area with a lot of oil, water vapor, and high temperatures, there are a lot of details that need to be paid attention to in decoration. Among them, wall and floor tiles must not only be beautiful, but also be practical. In addition, in real life, the requirements for the use of kitchen wall and floor tiles are also different.
Generally speaking, kitchen wall tiles must meet 4 characteristics.
First of all, it is oil-resistant and easy to clean. The kitchen is a place full of oil fumes, especially after stir-frying. It is common for oil to splash on the wall behind the stove. If you want to win the tough battle of kitchen cleaning, you must not only clean it frequently, but you must also take this into consideration when decorating. If you want easy cleaning, you cannot choose wall tiles with a strong uneven surface. Because this kind of tiles easily trap dirt and are not easy to clean. Even if there are stains on ceramic tiles with flat and smooth surfaces, they can be wiped clean with a cloth.
The second is friction resistance. Because there is a lot of oil stains, wall tiles need to be cleaned frequently, so their wear-resistant properties are particularly important. In particular, some families directly use steel wool to clean wall tiles. Once the wear resistance is poor, many scratches will be left on the surface of the wall tiles.
It is also resistant to high temperatures. Because the kitchen is a high-temperature area, the tiles near the stove are often in a high-temperature state. If they are too close to the heat source, the temperature changes due to heat will be too large. If the quality of the ceramic tiles is not up to standard, they may easily crack.
Finally, it has low water absorption and is moisture-proof. Kitchens have high humidity and a lot of water vapor, so the water absorption rate of wall tiles is generally less than 0.5%. This way, the tiles are less likely to have black spots in a humid kitchen, and can prevent the tiles from expanding, deforming, and falling off after absorbing water.
The kitchen floor tiles pay more attention to preventionslipperiness. The kitchen is full of water vapor, and the floor will be wet due to water splashing from washing vegetables. Therefore, kitchen floor tiles should be selected with good anti-slip properties to avoid slipping caused by wet floors.
In addition, the size of kitchen tiles is also very particular. The size of kitchen wall tiles is generally 300×600mm or 400×800mm. It is not recommended to use some special small-sized tiles, such as 75×150mm, 100×200mm, etc., because there are too many gaps after the small tiles are laid, and it is very difficult to clean after oil stains stick to them. Of course, the size of the wall tiles cannot be too large, because the kitchen is a humid area, and if the size is too large, it will easily fall off due to hollowing.
If it is an open kitchen, you can choose larger size floor tiles, such as 600×600mm or 800×800mm. However, if the area is smaller, it is recommended to choose 300×300mm. Small kitchens should not use oversized floor tiles, otherwise The overall effect of the kitchen is not pretty.
02 Things to note when laying kitchen tiles
Selecting satisfactory tiles is not enough. If you want the kitchen tiles to be installed stably and well, you must pay more attention during the laying process. So what should you pay attention to when laying kitchen tiles? Zhong Taojun summarized the following five points.
(1) Use caulking agent after laying bricks
After laying the tiles in the kitchen, you must remember to make beautiful seams. Compared with caulking agent and white cement, seaming agent is less likely to become moldy and black even if it is used for a long time. There are many styles of caulking agents on the market. Choosing a caulking agent with a similar color to the tiles can reduce the presence of tile seams and make the entire space more harmonious.
(2) Calculate the height of the tiles
Generally speaking, kitchen tiles are laid to the top, but some people do not like to lay them all over. Therefore, if you have special requirements, you need to calculate the height of the tiles in the kitchen before laying the kitchen tiles. The height is generally 2.4 meters high. Experienced workers can calculate the number of tiles from the area of the kitchen, and even calculate the amount of tiles from the height and width of the wall.
(3) Choose a simple paving method
Try to use simple laying methods for kitchen tiles, and avoid cumbersome shapes as much as possible. The more complex the paving method and shape, the more troublesome it is to clean.
(4) Prepare layout before paving
When laying ceramic tiles, layout should be done well and various details should be paid attention to. For example, the height of wall tiles should be determined, the height of tiles with waistline should be determined, the height of wall tiles divided into upper and lower parts should be determined, etc. When laying ceramic tiles, half tiles often appear. At this time, attention should be paid to leaving the half tiles at the corners or behind some large furniture, such as refrigerators, cabinets, etc., to minimize or block them, so that the overall space can be seen. Get up neatly.
(5) Determine whether the kitchen has a floor drain
Open kitchen designs are very popular now, and generally this design does not require a floor drain. If you decide to keep the floor drain in the kitchen, you need to use a door stone to separate the area. In addition, when laying floor tiles, pay attention to the slope of the ground and maintain a certain slope according to the drainage direction of the floor. At the same time, strict workmanship and paving techniques must be followed, for example, floor tiles must have shrinkage joints.
03 Kitchen tile matching options
The kitchen is a high-temperature area. In order to neutralize the smoke, it is recommended that the color of the tiles should be mainly light and cool, such as light green, light gray, etc. This color not only gives people a refreshing feeling, but also visually creates a sense of space. It will be better and more extendable, especially for small kitchens.
White
In recent years, it has been very popular to lay white ceramic tiles in the kitchen. The whole space looks brighter, cleaner, and more refined. It is fashionable and atmospheric, full of transparency, and can make the mood of cooking lighter and more cheerful. The matching difficulty is low, it is not easy to make mistakes, and the effect is very outstanding. However, white tiles tend to look dirty, so they need to be cleaned diligently every day.
Grey
In some modern minimalist kitchens, gray wall and floor tiles are also a common matching design, which can make the kitchen space look more advanced. And this requires better lighting in the kitchen.Otherwise, the overall space will appear very depressing. Gray tiles are not only timeless, they are also durable and durable.
Brown color
Brown is also a color that is relatively resistant to stains. The combination effect can make the space more warm. Although it is stain-resistant, it is easy to accumulate stains because it does not show dirt, and it is difficult to clean them when they are discovered. Therefore, this kind of stain-resistant wall tiles is installed in the kitchen. Although it looks clean, it should not be taken lightly.
Small tiles
Small tiles have always been a very classic interior decoration element and are often used in kitchens. They can easily create a visual focus and add a sense of surprise to kitchen life. There are many styles of small tiles to choose from, which can be partially matched or all paved. However, it should be noted that most styles of small tiles are not suitable for large-area paving and are more suitable for small-area embellishment, such as only one wall. Because small tiles have unique textures and colors, they may cause visual fatigue once they are laid over a large area. The effect is better when matched with solid color bricks.
Tile and wall paint combination
More and more people don’t like to have their kitchens fully covered with ceramic tiles. They prefer to use a combination of ceramic tiles and wall paint. They install ceramic tiles in areas that are likely to be exposed to oil stains, and then directly paint the areas above where there is less oil smoke. This kind of design is very special. The layering and visual impact of the space are also greatly improved. The overall tone can also be improved. It can also save a lot of tile costs and labor costs.
