BATHROOM FLOOR: INTRODUCTION
The bathroom floor is an important piece of furniture because it contributes to delineate its general style, establishing its main colors and the type of predominant finishes.
The tiles they represent a useful guide in choosing bathroom furniture because they are able to enhance its lines and shapes, thanks to skilful combinations of materials and shades.
In fact, if the floor is chosen in the right way, it homogenises the environment, enhancing the interiors, and creates an effective border line with the outside.
CRITERIA FOR THE CHOICE
In the modern house the bathroom represents a place intended for refreshment and well-being.
This influences the choice of furnishing elements that must be aesthetically and at the same time practical and functional.
The bathroom floor has the important task of enhancing the beauty of the sanitary ware and furniture present and for this reason, it must be chosen with care and attention.
USEFUL STRATEGIES
Here are some useful strategies for choosing bathroom tiles:
- Inspired by the style of the home: the predominant style in the home must be taken into account, in order not to create unsightly elements of discontinuity. A rustic setting, for example, will be better enhanced by a bathroom with terracotta flooring, rather than in modern porcelain stoneware, more suitable in homes with a sober and minimal design;
- Choose colors based on the space available: if the bathroom has a very limited number of square meters, it is preferable to choose tiles in light and bright shades to avoid weighing down the environment and giving the feeling of being in a larger room. While, on the contrary, the strong colors and detailed processes are suitable for large bathrooms because they create continuity and give character to an otherwise anonymous space;
- Choose based on the bathroom furniture: the floor can also be chosen based on the furnishings available. In fact, particularly detailed tiles can stand out next to a simple and linear bathroom furniture, while an original furniture will be highlighted by a simple and plain colored floor;
- Focus on the lifestyle: taking into account the lifestyle that leads to the interior of the home is an excellent way to choose a bathroom floor, able to really meet your daily needs;
- Evaluate the required maintenance: the installation of the floor must also take into account the difficulties related to its maintenance over time. In fact, those who conduct hectic days and do not have much time to dedicate to cleaning the bathroom should avoid delicate tiles that require specific treatment to maintain their brilliance and solidity.
TYPES
There are many different types of flooring for the bathroom, each with different characteristics and needs. Here are the main ones:
- Stoneware: it is a material widely used for the construction of the bathroom floor inside the modern house. These types of tiles are very resistant and long lasting, moreover they do not absorb liquids;
- Ceramics: ceramic tiles are the protagonists of many rooms in the house and are particularly appreciated in the bathroom, thanks to their beauty and versatility. Furthermore, there are two main versions: one enamelled, with protective functions and glossy or satin finishes, and one without enamel, more subject to infiltrations and chipping;
- Parquet: a famous floor made of wooden planks, with an extremely elegant and comfortable aesthetic, it has good thermal conductivity and offers adequate acoustic insulation. Furthermore, the classic version is entirely in solid wood, however there are other types in different essences and finishes;
- Terracotta: typical of country houses, it is obtained through a mixture of clay and water which gives it characteristic irregularities and makes each tile a unique element. In fact, it is perfect for rustic and warm bathrooms;
- finally, PVC tiles: this is a new generation type of floor, very practical and simple to install and clean; PVC is widely used in construction, thanks to its resistance to water and wear and to its great flexibility that make it perfect for adapting to multiple surfaces.
HOW TO MATCH THE FLOOR TO THE BATHROOM FURNITURE
Furthermore, to have a nice and functional bathroom it is necessary choose the most suitable floor and wall coverings, paying attention to the space available and the bathroom furniture you have.
In fact, combine the floor with furniture and bathroom fixtures it is the best way to create an elegant and refined design environment.
The suspended sanitary ware are the ideal solution to bring out the floor for the bathroom below and its peculiarities. In this way it is possible to indulge oneself with the patterns and textures of the tiles, without risking seeing them obscured by the other elements of the bathroom.
On the contrary, sanitary ware with column, with original shapes and rich in details, should be combined with a sober and linear floor, perfect to highlight its particularity.
All elements of the bathroom furniture must be chosen in the same style, in order not to create discontinuity.
A modern and minimal shower box cannot be inserted in a rustic context, without creating an unsightly effect.
In fact, it is better to combine it with rectangular, clean and linear tiles, capable of enhancing its essential beauty.
In addition, the same rule applies to the choice of bathroom accessories that can recall the colors and details of the floor or vice versa, helping to create a harmonious and well-kept atmosphere.
Space is also an element not to be underestimated in the choice of bathroom flooring.
In fact, to exploit it to your advantage it is important to follow some simple rules of perspective.
Rectangular and elongated shapes give depth to the room and are therefore preferable in narrow bathrooms while large and square tiles tend to restrict space and should be limited to large bathrooms.
Even the color can act on the perception of space: dark, strong and bright colors tend to narrow the field of vision while light and neutral colors widen it, giving the impression of being in a larger bathroom.
CONCLUSIONS
The bathroom is no longer a service room in which the visual effect can be neglected, but it has reached an ever increasing importance becoming the subject of restyling and new trendy virtuosity.
So the bathroom floor and wall covering material has also been gradually involved and reinvented, so much so as to now compose a wide range of furnishing possibilities.
Specifically, there are some fundamental factors to consider, in addition to those of which we have already spoken, to choose the perfect flooring for your bathroom.
COLORS
The shades they manage in various ways to at least apparently modify the characteristics of the environment.
That’s why choosing the right one is a difficult and not only fun task, also as regards the bathroom floor.
Undoubtedly the current direction of interior design tends to favor neutral effects, the sober and evergreen palettes of whites, ice grays and woods, but it also leaves a glimmer for whimsical patterns, if taken in small doses and without too forced mixes.
Having established this, also follow your personal taste and let your creativity run wild, also by focusing on expertly dosed printed and decorated tiles.
Remember to opt for light colored walls, regardless of trends, if the bathroom is not too large, while indulge yourself with darker colors, well lit, in case you have generous sizes.
RESISTANCE
In addition, the resistance of the tiles is a highly important factor, just for the environment in which they will be inserted.
In fact, the bathroom is the place where humidity, wetness and footsteps mix and become bitter enemies of floors and coatings.
For better maintenance and ease of cleaning, therefore, it will be necessary to opt for tiles that are also resistant to the chemical solvents of home care products.
Special waterproofing treatments applied to the tile itself can guarantee more durability of the material over time. Maximum attention also to the eventuality of scratching or damage.
Precisely for these risks, it is necessary to opt for tiles with high performance and standard hardness. Make sure the quality of the tiles is high and check all the parameters using the recognized values, from 1 to 5 regarding the resistance to wear and abrasion, spots 1 to 3, and loads 20 to 50.
SLIPPERINESS
In the bathroom, you know, the risk of slipping on the floor is always lurking.
To avoid the inconvenience, it is necessary to keep an eye on the so-called slipperiness coefficients, indicated with the R value followed by the numbers in ascending order.
Given that the classification of the products takes place according to occasions of use, in fact, in residential and internal settings, it is advisable to lean towards tiles defined with the R9 value. For its part, the porosity of the material matters.
In fact, do not be fooled by aesthetics, check several times than the tile you have spotted and would like to lay like your bathroom floor is really suitable for the environment.
DIMENSIONS OF THE TILES
Various sizes as various are the tiles, also depending on the uses.
In fact, the types of tile that can be deployed in the bathroom are numerous, however we could group them into three macro categories: those for wall cladding followed by patterns for flooring and not least those to cover the shower space.
The size will then change based on the position.
Opt for coordinated sets, also of different widths, but of the same material, such as ceramic and stoneware, and with the same finishes. The continuous outfits will give a sense of homogeneity to the bathroom while avoiding banality.
Mosaic tiles are pleasant for the shower stall, for example, come back in vogue for their style, which can be accompanied from a floor of the same color and workmanship but in large format slabs.
Finally, instead choose those for the contrasting color wall and of medium size but of the same range, so as to vary in color while maintaining internal consistency.
LEAVE A COMMENT
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Also, if you need advice or personalized advice on choosing the right flooring or tiles, do not hesitate to send an email to valeriadesign@casaomnia.it!