Walls

Ceramic tiles 10×10 for the kitchen: characteristics and decor options

10×10 tiles are the best option for any kitchen interior Kitchen work involves cutting and washing raw and cooked food, and splashes and drips are inevitable. Kitchen fumes from frying settle on the walls and ceiling, creating an unpleasant smell in the apartment, so you have to wash the kitchen every few days. In order not to spoil the wallpaper, the walls of a human-sized kitchen are sheathed with special ceramic tiles, from which all dirt is easily washed off..

The role and function of the kitchen apron

As a rule, the size of the kitchen is not always large, so it is impossible to protect yourself from dirt and splashes of water and food juices. The kitchen sink is designed so that a strong jet of water scatters in all directions. In addition, the heat treatment of food is inevitably accompanied by smoke and the formation of a special kitchen fumes, which, mixing with the unclean smells of the human body and the water closet, creates an unpleasant atmosphere of the apartment, so familiar to visitors who can distinguish one dwelling from another by smell..

When choosing tiles for the kitchen, it is important to take into account the features of the future interior.

In kitchens, wallpaper is rarely glued, since the kitchen interior is not designed to solve aesthetic problems or create a certain mood. Frequent cleaning of walls and, if possible, the ceiling requires a practical and durable coating that does not absorb odors, does not retain droplets of grease, blood, etc. and does not deteriorate from frequent wet cleaning and wiping.

As a rule, such coverage is carried out in two versions:

Tiled kitchen apron;
Gypsum fiber wall panels.

Experience says that aprons made of glazed and unglazed ceramic tiles are more practical. Such a coating is practically eternal and unchanged from the very minute when it was laid on the walls..

It is better to avoid the use of non-glazed tiles for kitchen renovation, since this coating greatly complicates cleaning.

As a rule, the kitchen is equipped with a cutting table, and hanging cabinets are located at the level of the human head. Therefore, the wall space between the tabletop and the bottom of the hinged furniture must be covered with a special apron..

The size of the apron is such that it goes 5-10 centimeters beyond the boundaries of the suspended furniture and the table top.

Tiles for the kitchen: sizes, shape and type of ornament

Kitchen ceramic tiles, as a rule, are laid on the walls, since soft linoleum usually spreads on the floor. It is not worth decorating the floor with a tiled floor, since if you drop porcelain or glassware on it, it will inevitably crack..

Kitchen wall tiles are rectangular or square. The largest size is 30×50 cm, but in practice there are smaller sizes – 30×40, 20×30, 30×30, 10×10 and 40×40 cm.

Smaller kitchen tiles look much neater and therefore more preferable.

As for the type of surface, the glossy, matte or embossed shape has its advantages or disadvantages:

Glossy ceramic tiles 10×10 perfectly washes away dirt, but the reflective surface can create unpleasant optical illusions. Still, in the kitchen, as well as in the operating room, it is best to have diffused light that evenly floods the entire space..
Embossed ceramic tiles 10×10 is beautiful and complements the drawing, enhances the perception of the depicted objects. However, the surface scars are inevitably clogged with drops of fat, on which dust and soot settle, as a result, the wall gradually turns black, and it is very difficult to wash it.
Matte ceramic tiles 10×10, appears to be the best option: it is easy to clean and does not create visual imperfections.

The tile in the design of the apron can be used in different combinations

Marking products with the letters A or AA – such tiles perfectly withstand treatment with any detergent solutions or gels

Painted tiles 10×10 for the apron “Alpine herbs” (video)

Color solutions

As a rule, light colors are chosen for the kitchen. There are 10×10 tiles, of which a whole panel is laid out, which is an image of an appetizing dish, fruit or an intricate drawing of abstract content..

Multicolor ceramic tiles imitating smalt are very beautiful and effective. However, an embossed surface with protruding fake cubes will be heavily soiled, and it will be very difficult to clean it..

If you find it difficult to choose tiles with a pattern or ornament – feel free to take a 10×10 square tile in two colors and lay it out in a checkerboard pattern..

Laying tiles with your own hands

As a rule, the amount of work on lining the walls of the kitchen is small, and the actions themselves are not particularly difficult, available to almost everyone. By doing the work yourself, you can save on hired labor and, accordingly, afford expensive Italian or Spanish ceramics.

When choosing tiles for the kitchen, you should be especially careful, since not all tiles will be combined with the configuration of the kitchen cutting table and hanging cabinets.

However, before laying 10×10 tiles, you need to perform a number of preliminary steps:

It is necessary to decide on the design of the kitchen, on the location and amount of kitchen furniture in order to maximize the use of the functions of all elements. Decide whether the kitchen will be the eating area or just the cooking area..
Carefully select and select furniture, calculating the dimensions, accurately notice the height to which it will be suspended. It should be remembered that the chosen kitchen interior will exist for many years..
Choose the type of tiles, calculate the size and quantity. You need to take a stock of 10-15%, taking into account the breakdown, the rest can then be returned to the store or left for partial repair of damaged areas.
After that, carefully outline the area of the apron, making sure that its borders are exactly horizontal..
The wall under the tiles must be perfectly leveled, plastered and finished with grout.

You can decorate the kitchen apron with tiles yourself

It is strongly not recommended to lay 10×10 tiles on a wooden interior partition, as due to the drop in humidity and temperature, the tiles will inevitably swell and burst.

If the interior partition is made of wood (which happens in houses built in the 1960s), then it is recommended to break it, replacing it with a cinder block, or to sew it up with wall panels made of gypsum fiber board without demolition.

Ceramic tiles 10×10 are laid on a special glue that allows you to grind them to the wall for some time after laying. The layer of glue applied to the inside of the tile is leveled with a special notched trowel. The coating is laid in layers, from bottom to top, the seams are marked with special crosses.

After the glue has dried, the joints are treated with a trowel mixture, and the tiled wall itself is washed and wiped with a dry cloth.

Laying 10×10 tiles in the kitchen (video)

The space of the kitchen or its working area is almost always decorated with wall tiles, which allow you to quickly and often wash away dirt, which, when settling, tarry, darken and cause the appearance of a persistent unpleasant odor in the apartment. The choice of tiles is wide, but for the kitchen, 10×10 tiles in two colors are most often used, laid in a checkerboard pattern. The most optimal size of the side of the square is 10 or 20 cm. Such a tile will harmoniously fit into the kitchen interior. Tiling work is not difficult to do on your own.

Successful choice and pleasant result!