Clinker tiles for ovens: beautiful design options

When choosing clinker tiles, you need to know its features and design possibilities. This will make the finish as harmonious as possible. Let's figure it out together.

Clinker tiles are a type of ceramic products. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that firing occurs at ultra-high temperatures (from 12,000 to 15,000 degrees C). This is made possible by the soil (shale clay) included in the special kind of clinker, which is refractory and can withstand high heat.

Due to baking, the resulting product acquires the special strength of the stone. In addition to refractory clay, quartz sand, broken ceramics, chalk and even ash are added to the composition of the clinker solution. To give additional strength, calcium oxide is sometimes mixed into the composition. To make the finished tile look attractive, various coloring pigments are added to the composition before firing.

The clinker is suitable for decorative finishing of stoves or fireplaces. It has proven itself reliably for a long time. Initially, clinker was used for practical reasons - a finish that was reliable in terms of heat resistance was needed. Today, high-quality clinker tiles are not only reliable protection, but also a good design solution.

Let's consider the main positive aspects of this type of finishing material point by point:

• Clinker tiles are non-flammable. It is heat-resistant, has a high level of fire safety, so it can be used in places where there is an open fire (for example, a fireplace, stove).
• The clinker is a good antistatic agent, it does not conduct electricity.
• This material is resistant to sudden changes in temperature, it will last outdoors in severe frost, in a hot workshop in extreme heat.
• Such tiles are unpretentious in maintenance, they do not require special efforts for cleaning, they do not absorb dust, odors and moisture, they are not subject to chemical attacks.

• This finish is extremely durable, which allows it not to be changed for quite a long time.
• This material does not fade in the sun: the clinker will look the same after 100 years as it did on the first day of installation.
• This tile contains exclusively natural ingredients that do not cause side effects.
• The clinker is distinguished by a variety of shades and textures. Finding the right type of material is not difficult.

• The material does not require special skills when working: even an inexperienced master will cope with cladding a furnace wall or pipe with clinker tiles in one day.

The disadvantages of clinker include its low thermal conductivity, which can lead to slow heating of the furnace. However, such a finish will work on the principle of a thermos - the stove will cool down more slowly.

Clinker has long and deservedly been popular with consumers. With the help of this unique material, you can recreate absolutely any idea, give the room an individual design. Modern manufacturers are constantly updating collections of clinker tiles, so you can find an option for every taste and budget. Let's take a look at some of the key design directions where clinker tile cladding can be applied.

This design is characterized by laconic simple lines, clear geometry, preferably black and white colors. Excessive severity of the interior can be diluted with a small amount of the same heat-resistant clinker of dark red or brown color. This will add a certain amount of extravagance to the design.

Repetition of the setting of production halls or factories. Models with a rough texture, imitating brickwork, as well as other untreated surfaces, will be appropriate here.

If you have imagination, even an old Russian stove can be beaten in a modern interior, overlaid with clinker elements that imitate a metal or chrome texture. For completeness, you can add multiple rows of fireproof glass tiles to your design. This solution will look most appropriate in the kitchen.

This design is suitable for country houses, country houses, small kitchens.

This design direction is characterized by various floral ornaments, therefore, when decorating the stove wall, one or more rows with a repeating floral pattern can be laid out.

For such an interior, you can choose the option of rustic facing tiles. The texture has an uneven rough surface, as if it has aged over time.

Any non-standard solutions are appropriate here: surfaces with uneven edges and broken lines look quite unusual and interesting. This design looks good in small areas, it is good to finish with this tile, for example, a part of the wall.

To convey the atmosphere of medieval castles, you should choose models with imitation of natural stone and wood. This style assumes the use of natural materials, so you can play on the contrast of various textures (for example, dark gloomy tones of tiles and thin graceful crystal of a chandelier).

For indoor walls, smooth elements, tiles with a rough textured surface, as well as various imitations are used.

Rough surface looks interesting but is more difficult to clean, so it is more suitable for stoves in rooms. Glazed models with a glossy surface look original in the interior. Designers love to use them in the implementation of various projects.

For lining ventilation pipes and other technical parts of the furnace, panels with holes for fastening are used. Often, large-format tiles are used for this, hollow inside (to facilitate the overall structure). In order for the product to have a finished look, they use all kinds of curly fragments (borders, friezes, corner elements and other decor). In modern hardware stores, tiles of various shapes are offered: from the traditional rectangle and the usual square to a non-standard hexagon and other non-formatted figures.

All clinker products can be conditionally divided into large (more than 40cm length), medium (20-40cm) and small (20cm or less) format. For interior work (for facing the stove at home), small tiles are used, since large-sized elements on a surface with a small area will look incorrect.

The exact parameters of the tiles from different manufacturers may vary., but most often its length and width are close to the size of a brick. The most commonly used samples for interior work have dimensions of 24x5 cm or 24x6 cm. Sometimes, to create a design, larger elements such as 40x70 or 48x12 cm are required. As for the clinker thickness, its minimum value is 8-10 mm. The tile can be thicker, but this type is more often used for outdoor work.

The traditional color of clinker is red-brown (brick color).Real unglazed tiles have no other tones, since only natural dyes are used in their production. Various shades of unglazed tiles are obtained by mixing several types of clay, as well as by firing at different temperatures. The color saturation can depend on the content of various impurities in the composition of the clay. With an increased iron content after firing, the tiles acquire a reddish-orange hue. In the case of lime, the color is less saturated (from yellow to white).

An interesting tone can be given by an engobeing coating. (applying a powdery mixture of clay and minerals). Also, to give different colors, glaze is used, which can be colored and transparent. The peculiarity of clinker is such that tiles from different batches may slightly differ in tone, therefore, when working with a large area of ​​the batch, it is recommended to mix with each other. Such a mix will allow obtaining a more uniform shade of the surface, as well as an additional aesthetic effect.

With the help of this material, you can radically change the style of the room. It is enough to make a few neat strokes, and an ordinary stove will turn into a work of art. For example, you can lay out the lower and upper rows with darker tiles, or put them on the floor around the perimeter of the oven itself. In the middle, use lighter colors. You can decorate with clinker not the entire wall, but only a fragment of it. To complete the picture, it is worth using corner elements and irregularly shaped fragments. This design does not require much skill, you can do it yourself.

The range of this type of finish allows you to use different types of tiles in one style solution. You can mix different colors and textures, as well as different sizes. Gloss can be easily combined with rustic and all kinds of imitations. White tiles refresh the interior. It gives additional romance and lightness to the room, reminds of family values ​​and home comfort. This material works well in any interior (for example, classic and Scandinavian styles). You can revive the coldness of white with colored splashes, as well as additional interior items in vintage style or modern details.

Brick painted clinker does not overload the interior, does not bother and does not tire the eyesight. Small thickness does not steal precious centimeters, even with a small area. Such a tile has special technical properties, due to which it practically has no contraindications for use and looks great in any interior. The color palette has many shades and halftones from light ocher to dark brown. Sometimes, to obtain an interesting shade when firing tiles, coal dust is added to the furnace, the firing temperature can reach 20,000 degrees C. Tiles with an aging effect, which is achieved by hand molding, are popular.

Since the size of the tiles is the same as the size of the brick, then the options for its layout are similar to those of brickwork. Let's take a look at some of the traditional cladding techniques.

The tiles are laid using the "whirling" method, when the rows are mixed and do not form one line. This method is especially good when laying rectangular tiles, if you want to hide uneven edges or you need to lay out a pattern. There are several options for this styling. The first is in the form of a chessboard. In the second option, the parts are mixed not by half, but by 1/3 of the entire length. The most difficult option is masonry from the corner. Here you cannot do without special tools, since the tiles will have to be cut.

The tiles are laid in pairs in blocks vertically, horizontally or alternately. This styling looks interesting.

Each subsequent decor element is laid at a right angle relative to the previous one.The irregular shape of the masonry gives a special charm to the surface.

It is used for tiles of different sizes or if it is necessary to lay out a certain ornament. With such laying, gaps are formed between the tiles, which can be filled with small fragments or simply grouting. It is not recommended to use this method in rooms with high humidity.

Specialists in the field of building materials believe that German companies are the leaders in the production of clinker tiles. The most famous of them are:

• Feldhaus. Convenient combination of finished product quality and price.
• Stroher. A huge variety of colors, textures and shapes.
• Roben. An image created over the centuries, quality tested by several generations.
• Klinker Sire. Italian ceramics are not inferior to German products in terms of quality and design. Even inexpensive options with a hint of rustic antiquity are in incredible demand.

• Vandersanden. The company, originally from Belgium, produces clinker tiles with a touch of antiquity. This imitation looks respectable.
• King Klinker. Polish clinker tiles have high water-repellency, which makes them suitable for use in saunas and baths.
• Houson Tiles. The Chinese company offers a huge selection of clinker tiles, created according to European quality standards. This brand is widely known in Europe.
• "Lithos". Products of the domestic brand are made from a special grade of kaolin clay, known for its refractory properties, and is made using a special technology by pressing under high pressure.

To simplify your workflow, there are a few tips to heed. This will allow you to achieve the most professional result.

• If the walls of the stove have an uneven surface, they must be leveled using construction mesh and special glue. You can check the result with a building level.
• Regular tile adhesive will not work. A special compound with heat-resistant properties is required.
• The joints between the tiles must be filled with a grout that matches the color.

• Cladding any surface should be started from the bottom row, checking the level each time with a stretched thread.
• When calculating the required amount of material, it is advisable to include in the estimate the costs of the fight and trimming. Ideally, there should be few pieces left after trimming.

For information on how to use clinker tiles, see the next video.