Talking Of Tiles (Part II)

How to choose them based on their intended use

Having looked at how to lay tiles and their visual effects, let us now focus on how to select them based on their intended use.
Which features must they have to fit your rooms?
We try to answer this and other questions by making reference to the technical details, which are harder to identify but important to know for an informed purchase.

The tiles have different characteristics of resistance to stress. There is no such a thing as a type of tile or individual product that can be said to suit any use and any environment.

Industry experts such as Ceramics of Italy start from one fundamental assumption:
"There is no such a thing as a type of tile or individual product that can be said to suit any use and any environment".
Having said this, we can only say that tiles have different characteristics of resistance to stress.
There are different types of operating conditions, i.e. the conditions the tiles will be subject to and will have to withstand once installed in the set environment:

- mechanical (stress exerted on the covering of the floor or wall)
- chemical (chemical substances that act on the surface or the underlying layers)
- hygrothermal (temperature and humidity)

These characteristics are of fundamental importance because the durability of the tiling, even when of excellent quality, depends on them.
Therefore, the choice must focus on assessing the environments to be covered, their function and type.
In an environment featuring high mechanical stress, for example, resistant types should be preferred.

Another tip: consider the thickness.
The tiles used for the floor and those used for walls must not be the same in terms of dimensions.
Floors must use thicker tiles than walls (usually thicker than 7 mm).
Using wall tiles on the floor implies a serious risk of breakage and is therefore not advised.