Refractory tiles for the oven: types and design options

The human need for natural warmth has been at all times. Therefore, in private houses of different levels, you can often see real Russian stoves and fireplaces with real living fire. In order for these heating elements to have an attractive appearance, as well as to increase the heat-conducting properties, they are tiled.

A number of specific requirements are imposed on the facing material for fireplaces and stoves.

This type of finish should have some properties:

• Fire resistance. The tile must withstand temperatures up to 1000 C.
• Natural origin. When heated, artificial ingredients, if present in the composition of the tiles, can release toxic substances, therefore it is very important that the raw materials for these products are exclusively of natural origin.
• Thermal conductivity. Tiles for facing fireplaces and stoves should accumulate heat from the fire inside the stove well and give it away quickly enough. High-quality heating of the room depends on this.

• Moisture resistance. The tiles must be resistant to moisture.
• Strength. In order for the tile to be able to withstand temperature differences and high loads, it must be as thick as possible - at least 8 mm. The strength of a material can also be judged by its porosity. The smaller it is, the more durable the tile is.
• Coloring. In the production of heat-resistant tiles, special paints are used that do not crack and do not lose their color intensity over time.
• External aesthetics. Today, tiles are required to be not only durable, but also beautiful, since a stove or fireplace is part of the interior decor.

With the help of special symbols, which are indicated on the packaging with tiles, you can find out whether a given sample is suitable for decorating ovens or not.

It is customary to distinguish between the following signs:

• The water absorption coefficient is indicated on the box and denoted by the letter "E". It should not be more than 3%. Granite has the highest moisture resistance: 0.5%.
• Porosity information is given by the PEI symbol and the following numbers on the packaging from I to V. For stoves and fireplaces, select level IV or V.
• Marking "A" or "B" indicates that the project of this product was developed on a computer. Tiles with the letter "A" are distinguished by a more accurate match to the stated dimensions.
• The designation "EN 122" and the letters A to D indicate the level of resistance of the tiles to chemical attack.

It is customary to distinguish between two main types of facing tiles for decorating the walls of the stove: made from natural and artificial raw materials. Natural products include slabs cut from natural stone. The second type includes tiles that were manufactured by industrial production. Most often these are clay slabs, the heat resistance of which is achieved by firing.

Ceramic slabs, in turn, are subdivided into several subspecies. Consider the main types of natural and artificial materials.

There are such natural materials:

• Marble. It is a natural rock formed from dolomite and limestone with a medium hardness. It lends itself well to processing and grinding. Marble tiles are heat resistant, able to withstand exposure to chemicals, sunlight, humid environments and other aggressive factors.
• Granite. It is a rock of igneous origin, characterized by a special density. Natural stone is very heavy, so for facing it is cut into plates with a thickness of 2-3 cm. When processing in different ways, a granite slab can be given a matte or glossy texture.
• Travertine. This material is formed in natural conditions from limestone. Travertine contains iron oxides, therefore, with aging, the stone begins to turn yellow. This material has a low thermal conductivity, which makes it possible to increase the cooling time of the travertine-lined oven. And its durability allows you to maintain an attractive appearance for more than a dozen years.

Artificially created materials are as follows.

This ceramic tile is made from a special kind of clay - kaolin, which makes it heat-resistant. Terracotta can be glazed, covered with a decorative glossy layer, and unglazed with natural pigment. Both types are characterized by high temperature resistance and adhesion to any surface. And the relatively low cost and wide range of designs make the plate very popular for the consumer.

For the production of majolica, a special grade of colored heat-resistant clay with high porosity is used. This type of tile can be considered a more advanced version of glazed terracotta. The only difference is in the design of the front side. A notable feature of majolica is the way it is decorated: first, it is poured with white glaze paint, and after hardening, a drawing is applied by hand. This explains the very high price for such products. In the decor, it is often paired with metlakh tiles.

Distinctive features of majolica, by which it is easily recognizable, are:

1. Smooth shapes with rounded edges.
2. An opaque general background on which the drawing is subsequently applied.
3. Bright, saturated colors used in decor. Blue-green and yellowish-brown gamut predominates.
4. The decor is most often plant-based.
5. Thanks to glazing, it has a shiny surface.

The tile is characterized by small dimensions - its standard size is 10x10 cm. At the same time, it is distinguished by its original design and various shapes. Metlach is used in places with high humidity and high temperature conditions. In terms of its performance properties, it can be compared with porcelain stoneware.

The product also has sufficient heat resistance to be used in places with large temperature fluctuations. The glaze on the tile is not as strong as that of analogues and can crack over time from high temperatures. Therefore, for stoves, tiles of small sizes with a width of 20-25 cm with a matte surface are chosen.

The composition of the tile contains several types of clay (such as shale, chamotte) and various additives such as mineral dyes. The tiles can have a matte or glazed surface. For facing fireplaces, the first option is most often chosen. These tiles will not crack or fade over time.

Tiled tiles are characterized by the complexity of shapes and colors. The main feature of the tile is its box-like construction. On the reverse side, the tile has small sides - a rump. This makes it possible to increase the efficiency of the furnace by an average of 15%.

Since manual labor in the manufacture of tiles is the main one, in the process of laying it is impossible to avoid errors. In addition, it is necessary to calculate the required number of tiles in advance, and the lead time is 1-3 months.

For its manufacture, special grades of refractory clays are used with the inclusion of stone flour in the raw materials. It is resistant to intense mechanical stress, does not slip and does not wear off over time. Fireclay tiles are not affected by solvents, acids and alkalis. In addition, its thickness is significantly greater than that of conventional tiles.

Fireclay tiles are one of the most durable types of finishes. It fits once and for centuries. Fireclay tiles are self-sufficient - they do not need to be grouped when laid with stone or plaster. For a long time, fireclay powder was used exclusively in industrial facilities. However, due to its obvious advantages, they began to use it for artistic purposes.

Today manufacturers offer entire collections of fireclay tiles, which contain a huge number of decorative samples for every taste.

For its manufacture, a special mixture of several types of clay is used with the addition of quartz sand and marble chips. For coloring, salts of various metals are added. Thus, porcelain stoneware is considered an ecological and harmless material.

In terms of its composition, porcelain stoneware has some similarities with tiles, but the difference lies in the process of its production. The finished mixture for porcelain stoneware is placed under a press under high pressure, resulting in a product with a monolithic structure, practically free of pores and voids, moisture-resistant and heat-resistant.

This type of tile is made by dry method using a press. It includes several types of refractory clay, quartz sand, and fragments of broken clay products that have already been fired. The peculiarity of faience is that it is more durable than majolica. This allows the tiles to be made thinner - 4-5 mm.

As for the colors, monochromatic and colored faience is produced. Moreover, the second type is more in demand. A classic example of design for faience is a blue ornament on a white background. These colors are typical for painting using the Gzhel technique.

The main raw materials used in its production are cement and concrete. The market offers the consumer various imitations of artificial stone - rocks, bricks, majolica and other types of finishes. According to its properties, artificial stone is not inferior to natural, and there can be a huge number of options for the embodiment of creative ideas. In addition, artificial stone is good because it does not require special skills to lay it, even a beginner can handle it.

To make it convenient to work with tiles for facing ovens, its dimensions should not be too large. The optimal size is 25x25 cm, and the thickness is no more than 8 mm. For porcelain stoneware and clinker, no more than 6 mm is sufficient. Such parameters will provide sufficient thermal conductivity and strength of the entire installation. In addition, these dimensions are much easier to work with.

Larger tiles can be made to order, for example, porcelain stoneware, however, it is quite heavy and may not support its own weight, and also requires more trimming and fitting. There are tiles and smaller sizes, for example, 10x10 cm.However, it is used much less often for the same reasons as the large one - it is inconvenient to work with it.

The color of the tiles is selected in accordance with the general interior, as well as depending on the material:

• For example, natural marble has a wide range of colors. Due to the content of various impurities in the rock, the stone can take on the most unusual colors. In nature, there are white, black, green, blue, blue, red, gray, beige and even moon marble. Some colors are extremely rare and therefore more valuable.
• Granite is less diverse: despite the fact that in nature there are a huge number of different shades of granite, all of them can be roughly divided into three main groups: gray, black and brown.

• Travertine is slightly richer in color. The most common in nature are white, beige and yellow. Red and dark brown stones are quite rare in nature and therefore are especially valuable. Therefore, to give additional aesthetics, the tiles are covered with a special paint.
• As for ceramic products, there are no restrictions on the choice. The color scheme of clinker, for example, pleases with a variety: from neutral white to calm beige, all shades of yellow and red, as well as light and dark brown. Some types of tiles are tinted at the production stage, and there are those that are covered with colored paint after they are made.

The determining factor when choosing the design of the oven cladding is not the type of material, but the interior of the room in which it is located. A characteristic feature of the design of facing tiles specifically for stoves is the almost complete absence of geometric patterns. It is not found in almost any style.

But the design of such products is replete with complex ornaments:

• Floral patterns typical for majolica or tiles can be used in almost all styles - from classic to modern. Also faience with its famous white and blue gzhel palette will be appropriate.
• For a classic interior, you can choose porcelain stoneware, its possibilities are almost endless. With it, you can create whole pictures.
• The modern interior does not imply too variegated finishes. An elegant monochromatic tile with small splashes of decor will be more appropriate here. Various imitations under malachite and marble, as well as under wood will look good.

• In a hunting lodge or country cottage, you can use natural stone. In order not to reduce the cost of the interior, you should not interfere with natural material with other types of finishes, it works well solo.
• Real stoves are rarely found in techno or futuristic interiors. However, if elements of such design trends are still present, a plain tile will look good here.
• In a country house, terracotta and clinker will be appropriate. Images of plants and flowers in the Khokhloma style will be especially good.

When choosing finishing tiles, buyers rely primarily on their budget. Next, you should decide on the style: which tiles for facing are suitable for a given room. For modern fireplaces, expensive, elite types such as granite or malachite are suitable. But it is better to cover a real Russian stove with ceramics. The most suitable varieties for this are majolica and tiles.

You should also take into account the size of the area for finishing. Too large tiles will look out of place in a small country house. Conversely, if you want to decorate a large, tall fireplace in a modern mansion, you should think about natural stone or porcelain stoneware.

All oven tiles must be free from defects, from the same batch, the same size and the same color, unless otherwise specified by the design. You should buy tiles with a small margin in case of a fight.

Despite the fact that granite is a rather durable and difficult material to work with, it greatly ennobles the interior. Finished slabs can have the correct geometric or non-standard shape. The latter look especially original when facing, however, special skills are required to work with such a form, and not every master will be able to lay it.

Tiles are a safe bet in any interior. They can be plain and painted, smooth and embossed. A drawing is applied to a smooth surface, and the embossed tile already has a certain pattern that can be painted.

Sometimes the oven is not tiled entirely, but only some part. Majolica is best suited for this. If you need a more budget option, you can look at terracotta or unglazed ceramic tiles. They are the best fit for a country house.

Artificial stone is also often used in stove decoration. He is able to repeat any texture, and if over time such tiles get bored, it can be easily repainted in a different color.

With the help of tiles, you can radically change not only the appearance of the stove, but also completely transform the entire interior of the room. And modern materials will help to realize any idea.

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