Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Faux Finish Ceramic Tiles

I was interested to read in a recent trade magazine that the ceramic tile industry is moving towards more diverse finishes for their products. Hessian, woodgrain and leather are some of the textures they are trying to capture along with the traditional marble and stone effects that we are used to.

Those involved in bathroom design sometimes overlook waterproof wall panels as they feel they are just an imitation of the real thing. Well, they are right - they are just an imitation but so are most ceramic tiles. They are painted to look like marble and although they may be made from a similar compound to the real thing, they are still just an imitation.



There are some panels that not only set out to emulate finishes such as marble or wood but actually aim to look like ceramic tiles - Beige Tile Marble being the best example above. This panel gives the appearance of butt-jointed marble tiles with the joint line being incorporated into the overall design.

Mosaic panels also emulate tiles but in this case the finish is simply a printed one - there is no relief to the panel. This does make it look a little less convincing but then it does have the advantage of being a flush, wipe-over surface with no grout to keep clean. The mosaic panels are particularly effective when used inside shower cubicles and enclosures although we have had plenty of customers that have decorated their whole bathroom using this type of cladding.

If you are thinking of a new bathroom design for your home then it might be worth giving our panelling a good look - you won't regret it!