Ideas for Tile on Stairs
A variety of materials are used for stair treads. While carpeting offers softness and soundproofing benefits, few other stair materials can beat the durability of tile. Tile also offers an almost endless variety of design options. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Marble Tiles
-
Marble tiles are a classic choice for stairs. Marble as a building material was commonly found in ancient Greek and Roman times. Marble tiles are naturally durable and offer building owners a variety of color choices to select from. Marble tiles come in three different finishes. For an intense shiny finish on stairs, glazed or polished marble tiles are the best selection. This finish also is the best selection for bringing out the veining of the marble. Scratches and smudges do affect the appearance of this shiny tile; however, they are simple to clean. Honed marble tiles have a more matte finish, which makes them better suited for high-traffic stairs since they don't show scratching as readily as polished tiles. Tumbled marble tiles give an antique look to the marble with their rounded, worn edges. These tiles also are well-suited for high-traffic stairways and give added traction with their roughed-up surface.
Ceramic Tiles
-
Man-made ceramic tiles are available in an almost limitless array of colors, sizes and designs. They even have tiles that mimic natural stone, like marble. A tread width of a staircase is typically 9 1/2 inches. With this in mind, tile layout can vary. Use large tiles to cover the entire width of the stair tread, minimizing the number of tiles per tread; however, use smaller tiles to allow for a nearly infinite number of designs on the tread itself. Using smaller tiles increases traction. When installed correctly, ceramic tiles are very durable for normal usage and are simple to clean. However, dropping items on the stairs can chip the tile. Do not use bright glaze finished ceramic tiles on stairs because they are too slippery.
-
Terrazo Tile
-
Terrazo tile is a combination of man-made and natural tile. Granite, marble, onyx and glass chips are mixed into an epoxy matrix or Portland cement mixture and formed into a tile. The tiles are cut and then polished to an intense shine, similar to the luster found in polished marble. These tiles are more durable than natural marble and are available in a variety of colors and sizes and are often used in mosaics, which can add an individual design element to stairs. Nonexistent grout lines make this a more slippery stair material than honed or tumbled marble or ceramic tiles with texture formed in the tile or smaller ceramic tiles with multiple grout lines.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Tile wall image by Pontus Edenberg from Fotolia.com
