Ceramic steps in the interior of a country house

Ceramic tile is one of the oldest building materials. Its demand is due to the presence of a large number of advantages, which distinguishes it from other facing materials. The raw material for its production is crushed clay - red, white, kaolin and quartz.

The market of building materials offers a wide range of ceramic tiles for facing steps. In order for a veneer to cope well with its functions, it is important to correctly determine its scope. In order to save money, it is not necessary to purchase ceramic tiles designed for walls as a facing material for the steps.

Let's get acquainted with the advantages and disadvantages of this material:

• Reliability. With correctly performed laying the surface of ceramic tiles can withstand loads reaching thirty thousand tons per square meter.

• Fire resistance - the ceramics used for cladding works are ideal for spaces where there is a high risk of fire.
• Thermal conductivity - ceramic tiles are characterized by quick heat release. Therefore, the steps will be cold outside the living space and warm inside the room.

• Chemical resistance. The only exception is hydrofluoric acid (or hydrogen fluoride acid), which has an extremely aggressive effect on the material.
• Moisture resistance and its low rates allow the use of ceramic tiles as a facing material for stairs, located outside the living space and in rooms with high humidity.

Despite the large number of advantages, ceramic tile still has one significant drawback - it is an increased fragility of the material.Tiles are pretty easy to damage or break. Any mechanical impact, for example, the fall of a heavy object to the surface, can provoke the occurrence of cracks or chipping.

Decorating steps on the flight of stairs in a private house can be done in a variety of ways. But before that, the foundation should be prepared, especially on the iron stairs, and an anti-slip base should be laid.

Ceramic tiles are classified by several characteristics:

It is divided into two categories - Class A and Class B.

• Class A tile is made of white clay, which is considered the most expensive and rare.
• Class B tiles are made from more affordable and affordable raw materials - red clay.

To date, there are two methods for the production of tiles - press and extrusion. When using a special press, tiles with a smooth finish and a simple design are obtained. Extrusion is allowed to achieve a more original appearance and complex curved shape.Thanks to modern equipment, the clay mixture is pressed through the molding holes, giving the tile the necessary shape. The cost of extruded tiles is much higher.

The popularity of ceramic tiles is due primarily to its widespread use for different surfaces: for floors, walls, facade, curb and pool. For flooring and cladding steps it is recommended to give preference to stoneware tiles.

On the shelves of hardware stores you can find tiles of small, medium and large format. The form can be very diverse. For facing of steps most often use a square or rectangular shape. Depending on your preferences, you have the opportunity to choose a glossy, matte, glazed and unglazed coating.

In addition to attractive aesthetic qualities, ceramic steps should have some technical characteristics. They will make the operation of the stairs safe and comfortable:

• Anti-slip coating - will provide you with safe movement of the stairs, regardless of its location (inside or outside the dwelling).
• Durability - this characteristic helps to understand how long the material is designed for.
• Frost resistance - one of the most important characteristics that you should pay attention to when using ceramic tiles for facing the stairs outside the living space.

The most affordable and affordable option for cladding steps is clinker tiles. The only disadvantage of this material is poor color gamut. However, the clinker tile fits well in almost any interior. And in spite of the fact that clinker is considered to be primarily an exterior finishing material, thanks to original design ideas, it is often used for cladding the stair structures inside the living space.

It is also worth noting that clinker is famous for its high strength and wear resistance, copes well with sharp temperature jumps and high humidity.

Ceramics will amaze you with original design, exterior design and a wide range of colors. Modern technologies make it possible to create ceramic tiles, the outer coating of which imitates wood, malachite, granite, amethyst and various metals. The range is so large that it is not difficult to choose the necessary facing material.

It is worth mentioning that ceramic tile is one of the most cost-effective facing materials. However, more expensive materials imported from European countries are found on the shelves of building stores. They attract consumers with external elegance and sophistication.

Due to the increased durability, wear resistance and variety of colors, porcelain stoneware as a facing material for the stair steps is the most suitable option. Most consumers include porcelain stoneware as artificial stones. However, the similarity with them in porcelain is exclusively technological properties.Production of ceramic granite tiles occurs under very high pressure, due to which the product acquires high strength. Porcelain stoneware is a ceramic building material made from clay.

Making such a tile will amaze you with a huge amount of various color shades, patterns and patterns. As a facing material for the steps of the stairs, porcelain stoneware is used, which imitates rocks of stone, such as marble, granite or asbestos. Despite a lot of advantages, porcelain stoneware still has one significant drawback - an extremely high cost. In addition, if you decide to perform cladding work yourself, you will need a special stationary machine, which implies additional costs, since a regular tile cutter with ceramic-granite tiles will not cope.

Ladder steps, especially on semicircular structures, are extremely traumatic area. In this connection, facing works must be carried out in accordance with the established rules and regulations.For the implementation of high-quality masonry ceramic tiles, it is recommended to consider in more detail the underlying methods of facing works.

The hinged method of laying ceramic tiles is one of the easiest to perform. As a facing material for the hinged method, it is recommended to choose a glazed ceramic tile.

The algorithm for implementing this installation method is as follows:

• first of all it is necessary to establish the approach;

• further treads are set;
• facing is carried out at one level flush, but not end-to-end;
• finish facing thorough grouting of all joints.

When planning the laying of ceramics on the steps of a wooden structure, it is recommended to purchase a special gasket material. It is fixed to the steps and to the area between them. Then with the help of a sealant it is necessary to seal all the joints.

The procedure for laying materials from ceramics cannot be started without preparatory work carried out in advance. It is not recommended to ignore it, as this can lead to the fact that the tile will fall ill and may fall off over time.

In order to avoid all sorts of errors, it is recommended to follow the following algorithm:

• Facing work begins with a thorough removal of the old coating. Use a specialized grater that can clean up any contamination and residues from the previous coating.

• Next, you need to conduct markup that will fit the sketch or diagram.
• In areas where it is obviously necessary to cut some parts of the tiles, it is strongly recommended to calculate their number. So you can significantly reduce financial costs and material consumption.
• Prepare a specialized adhesive. Carefully keep proportions. Also do not be lazy to read the recommendations specified by the manufacturer on the label.

When facing stairs with ceramic tiles, it is recommended to adhere to certain rules that contribute to obtaining a quality result. Consider them in more detail:

• First of all, materials from ceramics are faced on a horizontal surface, and already on top there is a laying of tiles - steps.
• Ceramic tile is located on the ground with the applied adhesive, after which they are aligned with notched spatulas.

• Those areas where a solid fit is required, use a smooth trowel.Also try to apply a uniform coating without any defects.
• Putting ceramic tile on the adhesive composition, very firmly push on the surface of the tile. Slight palm tapping is allowed.

This is a rather lengthy and tedious process, but in this way you will be able to properly arrange the pattern and lay the tile safely.

Among the large number of various types of finishing materials, stair steps, for lining of which ceramic tiles were used, are notable for their special charm. The variety of colors, patterns and patterns will allow you to choose exactly the material that will fit perfectly into the interior of your country house. Among other things, ceramics is famous for its high practicality and durability.

A safe covering for the stairs located outside the living space is one of the main aspects.Anti-slip coating available on many models of ceramic products will allow you and your family to move around without fear of slipping and getting injured.

The diagonal method of laying ceramic tiles is one of the most labor-intensive. But It is worth noting that a similar option visually increases the space and looks more beautiful than a ceramic tile installed in a standard way.

For information on how to properly install the tiles on the steps, see the following video.