The main danger – and the cause of the colonies of microorganisms, fungi and mold in the bathrooms – is water that seeps through the cracks between the loosely added bathrooms and the walls. Methods of eliminating this problem were made a variety of different – up to the laying of fragments of brick and wooden planks covered with cement mortar in Soviet times. In the best case, such the base was covered with pieces of tile planted on tile glue – forming a kind of skirting board around the perimeter.
Now such methods have long been a thing of the past, and plastic, special tape or ceramic corner border for a bath (or simply “ceramic corner”) is used as a seal and sealant). The latter option, although it is a slightly more costly waterproofing method, definitely wins on others both in terms of reliability and durability and decorative properties. With proper installation, the curl of ceramics will not only organically fit into the interior, but also provide guaranteed protection against moisture penetration under the bath – even with the most perfect grouting of the seams.
Advantages of ceramic borders
In comparison with plastic, ceramic curbs have a number of important advantages:
First of all, the water resistance of even the best plastics existing for today is still non -legal, and seeping a certain amount of water through the polymer border will still occur. The ceramic coating does not have this deficiency.
The layout of the bathroom, in which the bath (for various reasons) is not entirely close to the wall, does not at all allow the installation of the PVC profile – because of which the gap will have to be laid out with brick and install a ceramic corner on top of it.
The physical and mechanical properties of ceramics make it the most durable material for the installation of the corner in the bathroom, which can significantly reduce the time between repairs.
Ceramics have high chemical resistance to various household detergents, practically does not deform and several times higher than plastic in the level of resistance to gap.
Installing a ceramic border on a bath will help to avoid the main scourge of plastics-changes in the original color and yellowing due to moisture inevitably leaking into the surface.
Ceramic corners are produced in a huge assortment of textures, shapes and color solutions, which allows you to choose ceramics for absolutely any interior of bathrooms.
True, this material still has one drawback – it is quite fragile and is poorly opposed to strong blows. However, if you do not allow the fall on a narrow corner of heavy objects (which, in essence, is unlikely – since this is still not a kitchen countertop), the ceramic border will serve faithfully for many years.
Types of ceramic borders
In the modern market of auxiliary products for bathrooms, a number of standard types of ceramic borders are offered, of which the following three are the most common (also photos in the article):
“Pencils”
They have the form of thin (usually from 0.5 to 1.5 cm thick and 20 – 25 cm long) ceramic strips perfectly fitting with each other. The scope of their application is relatively thin cracks, as well as visual separation of zones, edging mirrors, framing niches and other functions of aesthetic nature. In texture (the surface is squeezed out, corrugated, with notches, in the form of beads, etc.) and color execution, the assortment of ceramic “pencils” is extremely rich. To decorate the interior, you can use strips “under silver”, “gold”, “marble”, “wood”, mattressed, and t. D.
“Corner”
Are narrow prisms with a triangular section, which turns them into a very convenient installation tool with the simultaneous pressing of two planes to the wall and the edge of the bathroom. Planting on glue allows ceramic borders of this type not only to reliably block the gap and prevent moisture to penetrate, but also create a smooth transition without protruding details. The variety of angular options is in no way inferior to “pencils” – the same abundance of color shades or their combinations, various sizes, flat or voluminous form, etc. D.
“Friza”
They are low, usually very beautifully decorated borders with a length equal to the length of the rib of the tile. In essence, they are designed to create not only and not so much a barrier that is impermeable for water between the wall and the bathroom, but for the formation of a kind of strip with a colorful color pattern, ornament and/or the original shape of the surface in this place.
Another type can be called ceramic borders, which are individual elements for installation on internal or external angles. Performed in linear sizes and forms suitable for “pencils”, “corners” and “frizes”, they serve as a necessary aesthetic completion to obtain solid ceramics lines.
With a successful and harmonious selection of “in tone” both corner and direct ceramic borders for the bathroom, you can be sure that their installation will protect the space under the bathroom from moisture and, at the same time, colorfully decorates the interior of the entire room. The price of borders depends on both sizes and the manufacturer (although the average ranges between $ 0.5 for a relatively small “pencil” up to $ 10-2 for colorful frizes of half-meter lengths and 10-15 centimeter heights).
Installation of ceramic borders
When asked about how to put a ceramic border on a bath (and whether it is possible with your own hands) should definitely give a positive answer. Nevertheless, this process requires certain knowledge and skills, in terms of difficulty, it is not much inferior to the installation of tiles. In addition, there are not one, but two different installation methods. In the first of them, the selected ceramic border for the bathroom on the tile is laid, and in the second – under the tile. And each of their two technologies begins with the preparatory stage.
Preparing materials and tools
The set of materials and tools for the installation of a ceramic border is quite extensive, and is about the following list:
Bulgarian;
sandpaper (or canvas);
rubberized hammer hammer;
putty knife;
a cyst with a sealant and a gun for it (a sealant should be chosen silicone, with a pronounced antiseptic effect, which is necessary to prevent the appearance of fungi and mold);
pliers;
glue for tiles (1 – 1.5 kg).
The number of the required elements of the border itself is calculated easy – for this it will only be necessary to divide the total length of the segments of the walls adjacent to the bathroom, by the length of one element. Since the result is unlikely to get a whole number – experts recommend rounding it to the nearest whole. Rounding in the other direction (since the length of several corner elements is not taken into account with this calculation) in any case is undesirable – since one extra element is unlikely to significantly overload your wallet. Moreover, in view of the possible breakdown or damage to ceramics during installation, the number of elements can be increased by several more pieces.
Installation for tiles
Instructions for the first type of installation will present a step -by -step performance of the following actions:
Surface cleaning around the perimeter of the bathroom. Includes the removal of all pollution, irregularities, as well as degreasing and wiping dry.
Applying a sealant using a pistol.
The alignment of the material with a spatula (to remove microscopic gaps, you can use a finger moistened in water).
Preparation of adhesive mixture in strict accordance with the instructions from the manufacturer. As a result, its viscosity should reach a state in which the glue will not crack and at the same time go well on the spatula.
In the absence of individual corner elements, cut the ends of the two jokes of the usual with a grinder (withstanding the exact angle of 45 °). Possible burrs to be tied with pliers and polish with sandpaper to a state that allows you to create a joint with a minimum possible gap.
Starting from the corner, make an alternate styling of elements, lubricating their back on their back with a thin uniform layer of glue. Installation to be carried out, to align (if necessary) using a rubberized hammer.
The remnants of the protruding glue carefully remove.
After 24 hours (the average time of the glue is completely solidified), pouring elements of the curb for half a minute for half a minute – this will increase the strength of the composition.
Installation on tiles
The list of actions of the second option – explaining how to glue a ceramic border on a bath on a tile is shorter, since this installation method is easier than the first.
Thorough cleaning and degreasing – both the edges of the bathroom and a small section of the tiles adjacent to it – is carried out similarly to the first option.
Further, any waterproof glue is applied to the tile at the installation site (the simplest composition of which is liquid nails).
After a short waiting time (indicated in the instructions for glue), ceramic elements are pressed as tightly to the wall as possible. In this case, you should monitor compliance with strict horizontality, for which it is easiest to use the level.
After a short time “setting up” the composition – remove excess glue and treat the remaining seams with an antiseptic.
Additional information can be obtained by video in this article.
