EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN DESIGNING WITH TILES BY LESLEY TAYLOR BIID
MEMBER OF THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF INTERIOR DESIGN
The Tile Style Bible, for anyone buying or selecting tiles.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TILE TYPES, LET DISCUSS THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND WHERE THEY ARE BEST USED.
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TILE STYLE BIBLE
But first a little something about the Baked team!
The experienced Team at Baked is made up of both interior
Baked Tiles Ltd, is the brainchild of interior designer
designers and procurement specialists, with a combined 50
Lesley Taylor.
years experience within the tiling industry. The whole team
Lesley who is a working member of the British Institute of Interior design and Honorary Member of The Society of British and International Design, is an Award Winning designer,
are focused on bringing exciting products to the UK and to be at hand to help their customers create beautiful interiors with their Baked Tile products.
with many years of experience within both domestic and commercial design. Lesley is the only child of one of the first families in the UK to import ceramic tiles from Europe back in the 1960’s and whilst her passion and chosen career was in interior design, she has always been exposed to the complexities of the tiling industry through her parents tile company. Lesley is the author of 10 books on Interior Design and also writes an interior design column for the Trinity Mirror Newspaper group.
A tile combination design, created by one of the Baked Interior designers, for a client’s bathroom.
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TILE STYLE BIBLE
Creative tile layouts are a big trend. Here are our Chevron Wall matt black and Perspective Hexagon matt black, in an interesting layout.
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SO LET’S TALK TILE TYPES CERAMIC TILES These fall into two categories, ceramic wall tiles
successfully. Avoid using them in extremely high
and ceramic floor tiles. Both are made with a
traffic areas, as they do not have the wearing
ceramic biscuit and a glazed surface that adds
quality of porcelain based tiles, however they are
pattern colour and texture. Many people do not
more than suitable for most interior domestic
appreciate that matt finish ceramic tiles are still
settings.
glazed, it is just that they are finished with a matt glaze rather than a shiny one.
Ceramic floor tiles can be used on the wall or floor. There is one major rule to remember, whilst
Ceramic tiles are not as hard wearing as
you can use floor tiles on the wall you must never
porcelain, but have been used for centuries very
use wall tiles on the floor.
PORCELAIN TILES Tiles made of porcelain are less porous and
and colour is applied to the surface. Both these
absorbent than ceramic, meaning they are more
types of product are ideal for use in domestic
robust and can cope in very high traffic areas.
and commercial settings. If you are working on a
Most of the porcelain tiles currently on the market fall into two categories, through-body also known as through-colour porcelain tiles,
commercial project and require technical data, please just contact Baked and they can send this through and offer any advice you may need.
where the body of the tile gives it its colour, and
Shiny tiles will be either through-body porcelain
often any pattern or veining within the product.
tiles that have then been mechanically polished,
And glazed porcelain, where the pattern, design
or porcelain or ceramic tiles with a shiny glaze.
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TILE STYLE BIBLE
RECTIFIED TILES When tiles are made, the manufacturing process
However, rectified tiles go through a secondary
results in a certain amount of tolerance from one
manufacturing process that carefully cuts the
batch to another and this is normal within the
overall porcelain tile down to a calibrated size.
industry. So you will find all ceramic and non-
This means that rectified tiles will be exactly
rectified tiles have a very slight size variation, this
the same size within each batch. You should be
is monitored and falls within British and European
aware however that if you are purchasing rectified
standards.
tiles, the size advertised for that product will be a
The joint selected for grouting will allow for the small tolerances that are to be expected within certain tile types. Either the team at Baked Tiles or your tiler will be able to offer you advice if you require.
nominal size, meaning a 60cm tile may in fact be 594mm by 594 mm . If you are working on a project where the setting out is critical, please contact the team at Baked tiles and they will be able to inform you of the exact calibrated size of your selected rectified product.
ENCAUSTIC TILES Encaustic products are made up of layers of
certain amount of maintenance to ensure they
concrete and are created using a variety of
do not absorb stains etc. The Baked Tile Company
colours, that combine together to create a pattern.
does not promote encaustic products, however
Encaustic products have a wonderful matt finish
we select a number of ranges manufactured in
that also feature slight variations expected
porcelain, that replicate these characterful tiles
within handmade products. This type of tile is
but require no maintenance, are also more cost
however absorbent and requires sealing and a
effective and equally as beautiful.
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TILE STYLE BIBLE Image of one of our customers bathrooms, featuring Tuscany Tropical. Credit Instagram @jessicajordan1992
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Generally matt finish dry tiles are not slippery, however once you introduce a lubricant such as water, a tile can become a slip-hazard . Therefore, if you are using tiles in a wet area, you must ensure they have the correct anti-slip properties.
Here are guidelines for PTV ratings. 0-24 PTV is considered a high slip potential.
You will also note that we have a +36 PTV section on our home page, where you can
The UK health and safety executive, has a preferred anti-slip
25-34 PTV is considered
find all the tiles that
rating that is known as the Pendulum test.
moderate slip potential
fall into that category.
+36 PTV is considered Low Risk slip potential.
FROST PROOF TILES Porcelain tiles can cope with the temperature variations we
they also have the anti-slip qualities required for that setting.
experience within the UK and as they are non-porous, they
A patio area for example, that is never used in wet conditions
will not absorb moisture which then expands when frozen,
could be clad with a porcelain tile that has a moderate PTV ,
meaning the tiles will not crack.
however areas that you will be walking on in the rain should
Porcelain is therefore classed as frost-proof, but a note of caution, please ensure if you are tiling external areas, that
always have an adequate slip resistance of +36.
TILE STYLE BIBLE
ANTI-SLIP RATINGS
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TIPS TO REMEMBER!
TILE STYLE BIBLE
If you are mixing tiles from different ranges their thickness and overall size may vary . As we touched on above, tiles have a tolerance, so a tile advertised with a nominal size as 45cm may not be exactly the same size as a tile from another manufacturer advertised as the same nominal size. NOTES XX XXX XX
Whilst it’s not always ideal to mix two tiles within one room that are approximately the same size, if the tiles are very different in appearance, you can always stagger the joints where the two tiles meet therefore hiding the fact that there is a slight variation.
It is also very important to remember that you should never mix different batches of tiles. Not only may each batch be a slightly different size, but it is likely there will be a shade variation within the colour. So never be tempted to buy tiles in two batches, always ensure the tiles for one room come from the exact same batch.
If you are designing a whole property and you wish to use different tiles on different floor areas, always make a note of the thickness of the tiles. This is important so that your builder can accommodate any variation when laying the concrete slab or levelling the floors prior to tile installation.
Also be aware that you have to allow for cutting and waste when calculating the number of tiles to buy. The amount required varies depending on the layout you choose e.g. the size of the tile and the shape of your room. Generally, 10-15% is adequate, however you might require more if using a repeating pattern tile or extra large tiles within your design.
When selecting what tiles to use on your walls, bear in mind certain types of wall can only support up to a certain weight of tile. If you are thinking of using a heavy floor tile on your walls, please check with us to ensure it is suitable for your particular room.
A FIRST ISSUE MG REVISION DETAILS
DATE
TILE LAYOUTS
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It is not just the tiles you choose that will have an impact on your room but the size of tile and the way you lay it will also have a huge effect. Certain tiles will make a room look smaller and certain tiles will make a room look wider. Here a few visual examples. Many of you may be surprised to hear that large tiles can make a room look larger than it actually is, whereas the smaller tiles, that you may think would be more suited to the space, can in fact make a small room look even smaller.
Lay tiles horizontally to made a room look wider
Lay tiles vertically to make a room look longer
Smaller tiles make a floor feel smaller as the joints make the floor look busier
Larger tiles make a room look more spacious
Patterned tiles or creative layouts have the same effect as a patterned carpet on a room. Adding detail and the appearance of texture.
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TILE LAYOUT DESIGN IDEAS With so many wonderfully varying shapes of tiles
texture and pattern to truly reflect our personalities
now on the market, it gives the designer and you an
and design preferences.
opportunity to add a bit of personality to your tile scheme. Gone are the days where rooms were just clad in simple stone effect tiles, now we can add
Here are some of the most commonly used layouts chosen by interior designers at the moment.
GRID
OFFSET SQUARE
OFFSET VERTICAL
DIAMOND
CHECKERBOARD
HORIZONTAL STACK
VERTICAL STACK
OFFSET BRICK BOND
OFFSET VERTICAL STACK
BRICK BOND
HERRINGBONE
VERTICAL HERRINGBONE
BASKETWEAVE
BASKETWEAVE VERTICAL
Vertical Herringbone layout featuring Baked Lava Range.
CORRIDOR HORIZONTAL
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Add detail by using different coloured grouts in different areas. (your tiler won’t like it, but it will be worth the effort)
TILE STYLE BIBLE
GROUT COLOURS Whilst there is a lot of information available from the Baked
From a design perspective the colour grout you choose can
Tile Company regards the types of adhesives etc that one
give a completely different atmosphere when used with the
should use when installing your tiles, this document is
same tile. A simple subway or brick tile in a light colour, will
designed to be more a guide for the aesthetic impact the
have more of an industrial vibe if grouted in a dark grey for
tiles can have on a space. It is fair to say that the correct
example. If however you choose to grout the same tile in a
colour grout you choose will have a huge impact on the way
white grout, it would give a more traditional appearance to
your finished tiling appears.
the room.
If you want a space to look as expensive as possible, try to
The designers at Baked love getting creative with the 50
match the grout to the tile colour. That way the grid layout of
different colours of grouts that are available in store. So
your tiles will be more subtle, than if you choose to contrast
please if you have any questions just contact the design
the tile with the grout colour and make the grid layout more
team, they will help you choose the perfect colour for your
apparent.
particular setting. And for a perfect professional finish, ensure you use the best matching silicone, to seal all internal angles and where the floor tiling meets the wall.
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TILE STYLE BIBLE A
B
C
D C REVISION DETAILS
Floor Tile:
Textures Brick Dark 7.5 X 30 CM
Layout:
Herringbone with Perimeter Border
Grout Colour:
10 Dark Grey
DATE
BAKED TILE CUSTOMER
Wall Tile:
Town and Country Matt White 7.5 X 30 CM
Layout:
Vertical Stack
Grout Colour:
05 Shadow
Suggested Silicone:
05 Shadow
B
D
TILE LAYOUTS 1:20 @ A1
A
DISCLAIMER PLEASE NOTE: ALL THE TILE SIZES ARE NOMINAL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH BS STANDARDS. IF WHEN USING A RECTIFIED PRODUCT, AN EXACT SIZE IS REQUIRED, PLEASE CONTACT US.THE LAYOUTS PRODUCED ARE BASED ON INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE CLIENT. WE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ISSUES ARISING DUE TO INCORRECT INFORMATION BEING RECEIVED.PLEASE ALWAYS CHECK THE EXACT MEASURMENTS ON SITE BEFORE YOU PROCEED IF WORKING FROM ARCHITECTS PLANS.
DO NOT SCALE FOR CONSTRUCTION PURPOSES. ALL DIMENSIONS TO BE CHECKED ON SITE. NOTIFY TAYLORS OF ALL DISCREPANCIES. THE DRAWING IS COPYRIGHT
FINALLY, HOW CAN WE HELP FURTHER? Free Video consultation with one of the design team.
These are the perfect tools for you to communicate your
You are obviously spending a lot of time choosing the
chosen design to your installer. Please contact us for more
right tiles for your project, but if you are in the slightest bit
information.
concerned, why not book a video consultation with one of the Baked Tiles interior designers. They will happily give you any guidance or inspiration you may require.
Guide to buying tiles online. So now you are ready to create the room of your dreams with a bit more confidence, please make sure you check
2D plans and elevations.
out Baked Tiles video guide to buying tiles on-line, if you
Also, to ensure your project goes to plan and your room is
haven’t purchased tiles this way before it will give you all
exactly as you imagined when complete, Baked Tiles can
the information you require, regards kerbside deliveries etc.
also help you with 2D CAD based plans and elevations.
Click here to make an appointment. www.bakedtiles.co.uk