Skirting tile: the subtleties of selection

After laying tile coverings in their houses or apartments, many are interested in what kind of plinth is better to complete the installation of the floor. Today in the market of building materials there are many different types of similar products. The shape is also noteworthy: the plinth can be concise or with a varied decor.

The entire existing range of plinth for tile is divided into two types: ceramic and plastic. These materials are the most popular options for finishing the bathroom and toilet coverings, as they are resistant to excess moisture. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, when choosing a variety, it is worth relying on the particular conditions of a particular room.

As a rule, similar elements of wood under the influence of water begin to swell, then lose their original appearance. Ceramic skirting is a fairly common finishing material in the construction market. It is often used for porcelain stoneware tiles.

Ceramic type baseboards have a number of significant advantages.

We note the main ones:

• Ceramics are not subject to fading in the sun. This property allows the owners of country houses to finish the outer coverings with ceramic plinth and not be afraid that he will lose his appearance under the rays of the sun.
• A border of ceramics can serve as a framed tile for many years. At the same time, it will retain its original appearance, it will not crack, it will not crumble due to the temperature drop.
• Almost any type of floor tile will look great with ceramic baseboards. More often it has a glossy shade.
• Ceramic skirting is resistant to regular wet treatment using chemical compounds.It does not take long to clean the surface.
• The strength of the finishing elements are not inferior to the tile itself. They are resistant to the harmful effects of chemicals and solutions, as well as abrasion.

Despite the wide list of positive advantages of ceramic plinth, it has disadvantages:

• With a large amount of finishing work, the total amount does not seem small. This is especially noticeable if for the framing of the tiles they buy elegant borders with gilding.
• Installing ceramic skirting is the final touch of the lining. The complexity of installation depends on the overall installation, so any mismatch of the seams can spoil the overall look of the lining.

A common material for the manufacture of plinth is plastic. Most often it is chosen by buyers.

These types of products have a number of important advantages, including the main ones:

• The plastic plinth is quite simple to install. You do not need a lot of time and effort to lay it.
• He is plastic.With this property, you can easily hide bumps and other flaws on the wall or floor.

• The plastic border is distinguished by an acceptable price, due to which it is widely demanded by buyers.
• Most experts note that the plinth of plastic is moisture resistant. This allows you to use this finish in the bathroom.

Like most other types of material, plastic has its drawbacks. Plinth made of plastic is not particularly attractive compared to ceramics. Quite often, such products loosely adhere to the surfaces in the room. Because of this, excess moisture accumulates under them, which leads to the formation of fungus and mold on the walls and floor covering.

Often, when laying tile floors, customers cannot choose the most appropriate baseboard color. As a rule, for these products is the same tone as the floor. However, designers often propose making selection of finishing fragments of lining a little brighter or darker than the main floor covering. A slight difference in color makes the design versatile.

Shades can be very diverse (from white to black). In choosing to try to take into account the same shade temperature. For example, it looks beautiful in the interior cream, beige, terracotta plinth, as well as the option in the shade of ivory. Often the border has bright contrasts, made in chocolate, sand, brick, gold shades. Especially beautiful looks matte plinth.

Often, designers offer interior designs in which the color of the plinth is matched to the tone of the door. This solution is interesting, it looks beautiful in the event that the color of the door is light. This facing frame gives the room an organic look. Color design of such elements affects the overall picture of the design. Plastic plinth often performed in wood tones.

The size and shape of the tiles are varied. These characteristics must be considered by anyone who wants to decorate the interior of the room with this decor. When choosing the width of such a product, you need to rely on the height of the ceiling and the size of the entire space.

For rooms of standard sizes use a plinth 4-8 cm wide.In rooms with small footage, a plinth should be used with a width of no more than 1.5–2.5 cm. The length of the plinth for residential areas of a standard scale is 200 cm. In hardware stores, products between 260 and 300 cm long can be found.

If the choice of products does not take into account the size and shape of the space, the room is probably a violation of the geometry of the room. We must not forget about the form of the residential area. For each type of design are suitable only certain types of plinth. For example, for small rooms need a narrow plinth.

For the visual separation of the wall and floor in the arrangement of the bathroom is more advantageous to use a triangular edging in the form of a border. Often, when carrying out finishing work using a straight strip plinth. It has a fairly simple form. You do not need to buy such a product in a specialty store. You can easily make it yourself at home.

If you want to decorate the floor with ceramic material, Some important rules should be followed:

• Before starting work, remove all dust and debris from the base of the future installation.For this process, use a regular damp cloth or napkin.
• After cleaning, the surface is treated with a deep penetration primer. It strengthens the walls, makes them uniform and contributes to the maximum adhesion of the tile to the base.
• After the primer is dry, an adhesive solution is applied to the surface. This is done with a special spatula with a toothed surface.
• Tile plinth glued either at the end of the finish (top row), or on the picture.
• After applying the adhesive, let it dry completely. Then fill the joints and gaps with the jointing agent; it will increase the moisture resistance of the tile.

Laying plinth plastic has its own rules. Consider the main ones:

• Separate parts of an element need to be connected with special connecting structures and decorative corners.
• Installation of plastic plinth can occur with the help of screws, which are embedded in the dowels. At the same time you need to make a certain number of small holes for dowels.
• Laying plinth plastic can be done with liquid nails. This adhesive firmly attaches the plinth to the surface of the floor covering.At the same time it is not necessary to drill the floors and walls.

Most repair specialists point out that the installation of plastic baseboard is simple. You can easily install such items in the room without too much difficulty. It does not take much time.

White wide plinth is ideal for flooring large rooms. Especially beneficial it will look in spaces made in gray or beige shades. Such products are best performed in a single design.

For rooms of unusual and complex shape, you can use a thin baseboard with a symmetric floral ornament. It looks better if matched in dark colors. It is especially advantageous to use such a baseboard in residential spaces, made in the classical style.

In the styles of antique used white plinth with large golden patterns in the middle. Despite the fact that it is not suitable for every design style, it looks very beautiful and harmonious. However, it is important to consider when choosing: fragments should not be wide, otherwise they may lose their attractiveness.

About how to make a plinth from a tile with your own hands, watch the following video.