Planning a bathroom or a kitchen comes with a lot of decision making, not least of which is finding the right tiles. When looking through your options, you’ll find a huge variety of both bathroom tiles and kitchen tiles, but they won’t always match.
But why is it that some are labelled bathroom tiles and some are labelled kitchen tiles? And is there a real difference between the two?
Understanding Use Cases
On the surface, there isn’t a difference between bathroom and kitchen tiles. Most of the time, if it’ll work for one, it’ll work for the other. That said, when you dig into the details, some types of tile are better suited to one than the other.
For example, some types of stone are far more porous than others. For bathrooms this will mean regular resealing is a necessity. This is generally less of a concern in a kitchen.
On the other hand, kitchen floors are far more likely to be stained by food spillages. Again, regular resealing will mostly take care of this problem however some people choose to have darker tiles in their kitchen for this reason while they might prefer lighter tiles in their bathroom.
Wall and Floor Tiles
One place where you will find a significant distinction is in the difference between wall and floor tiles. Floor tiles are generally thicker than wall tiles, and although they can be used on walls, the reverse is usually not true.
If you’re designing a kitchen, it’s also worth noting that any wall tiles will have to be resistant to splashback. On the other hand, in a bathroom, all tiles will have to be water resistant, but you won’t have to worry as much about discolouration.
The Importance of Informed Decisions
At the end of the day, the most important things to consider when choosing your tiles are aesthetics and durability. Put simply, will this look good and will this keep looking good once it’s been subject to the regular wear and tear of day-to-day usage.
Both of these are, to an extent, personal decisions, depending a lot on your taste and how you use these spaces. That said, it’s always good to check with professionals before making a final decision. Here at Authentic Stone, we’re always happy to answer questions about which materials will work best for which use cases.
Of course, whether you’re looking for bathroom tiles or kitchen tiles, you’ll find it all at Authentic Stone. Get in touch with us today by calling 01273 516 162 or emailing [email protected].
