E76 - All about tiles - Bathroom Design Essentials

Choosing tiles is a main consideration in your bathrooms. It's the main material that will be used and impacts functionality as well as aesthetics. Not all tiles are the same, so it's important to know the buying criteria so you can choose the right tile for the right application.  In this episode of the podcast, Frances is joined by Tiling expert, Richard Earp from Earp Bros.  Richard shares his amazing knowledge on tiles to discuss the different types of tiles and differences between poor and good quality tiles.     Shownotes:  Different Types of Tiles  Ceramic- the material has a moisture absorption of more than 3%, ideal for walls  Gres Tiles- the material has a moisture absorption of between 3% and 0.5%  Porcelain- are low absorption product (0.5% or less).  Can be used on the inside, outside, wall and floor   Technical Porcelain- has a 0.1% moisture absorption and are generally used in high-performance areas such as airports, shopping centers, and Melbourne Exhibition Centre.  Other types of porcelain:  Glaze Porcelain  Full Body Porcelain  Double Charge Porcelain  Triple Charge Porcelain  Polished Porcelain      Things to consider when choosing porcelain material:  Porcelain varies in quality mainly with accuracy and surface flatness which effect how its laid and the overall finish  Design and the surface  Colour separation rooms for glazes to create a depth of colour not seen cheaper version tiles. The more colour separations used, the better the quality.  Cheaper Porcelain tiles generally cut corners in the manufacturing process. Reduced processing of raw materials, the use of more glass as a fluxing agent to incorporate with ball clays and porcelain clays. On the other hand, high-quality tiles have lesser fluxing agents, longer firing times using higher technology to press, and the raw materials are extracted.   Terracotta-can be formed in different ways-extruded, molded and etc. It has a very high absorption material and generally requires sealing.   Cement tiles- like terracotta, cement tiles also require sealing  Placing a tile that has a higher (10%) moisture absorption on the floor is not ideal as they are not dense. If you drop something on the floor, it can easily crack, break, or chip. The moist absorption gives an indication of what type of materials the factories are manufacturing  Sealers   There are sealers that are designed to breathe in stone, terracottas and cement.   Topical Sealer- sit on top of the material  Penetrating Sealer- shields against moisture penetration and chemicals. Usually, they provide invisible protection without changing the surface appearance, and most products are breathable, allowing moisture vapor to escape.  Tile Sizes  How the size of tile impacts your selection  Spatial Awareness - larger format tiles can look great in some spaces, but a small space with large format tiles in many instances won't work. Instead of a 800x800mm tile, 600x60mm may be better. Cost – will cost more to use larger format tiles – product and labout. Porcelain sheets (2.7, 3.2 meters sheets, 1.2 meters wide.)- needs a specialist to install which costs more than 20-30% of premium. Why it costs more?  Delivery of the material   Kitchen benchtop- must be fabricated off site and it get done by machine in specialist factories  Intricacies of installing them  Tile Types    Rectified- the tile is perfectly straight  When buying tiles manufacturers should be able to provide you with the following:  Installation Procedures  Sealing guide  Cleaning guide  Sustainability   Earp Bros joined the green building council in 2004 and was the first company that went through product certification. They use two certification systems:  Global Green Tags   Product Declare  Sustainable Criteria  Green Tag Accreditation  Life cycle assessment of materials   Tips when deciding on your tiles and getting a good result at the end  Understand what you need- I.e High-maintenance vs low maintenance materials  Visualise what you want before you start your journey- Create a pinterest board  Be fully accurate on what your budget is  Surround yourself with professionals. Find trustworthy companies and people    Tile trends  Large format tiles  Natural materials- Zellige tiles are popular now        Patterns and sheets of design, like big florals       Links Mentioned in the Podcast:  Join the '5 Costly Bathroom Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them' Webinar If you like this and want to learn more, I've got a webinar coming up on 24th November from 7PM-8PM AEDT. Click here to find out more and register. Earps Bros  Whether you are looking for decorative splash-back tiles for your rental property, high performing commercial quantity slip resistant tiles or handcrafted artisan mosaics from Morocco, their range will add value to your project now and into the future. Visit their website here: https://earp.com.au/  Book a Chat   If you're thinking about renovating or creating your kitchen get in touch with Frances directly, by booking a 15 minute chat with her.    Renovating and Building your Forever Home Facebook Group   Want to be inspired to create a home your truly love, that is future proof and adaptable as your family's needs change? Join our exclusive (but inclusive)  Renovating and Building Your Forever Home Facebook Group.