Clinker tiles for steps: the right choice of material

The external or internal staircase, as well as the porch of the house are subjected to constant mechanical stress, temperature extremes, the influence of weather conditions. This adversely affects the condition of the facing material. Clinker tiles for steps is the most suitable product that can withstand all of the above effects and last for many years. The article will consider the types, features, characteristics of clinker tiles, as well as laying tips and the cost of the material.

Clinker tiles – a universal material for facing external and internal stairs

Characteristics of clinker tiles for steps on the street

Today, the most popular finishing materials that can be used for cladding the walls of the building, stairs, steps, platforms are porcelain tiles and clinker tiles. However, the latter option is much cheaper, easier to install, and has a number of indisputable advantages, not inferior to natural material.

The characteristics of clinker tiles are in no way inferior to natural materials

For the manufacture of clinker tiles, environmentally friendly materials are used, the main of which is refractory clay. Silicate materials, loamy nodules, and feldspars are used as additional additives.

A special technology for the manufacture of facing material, namely, single firing in furnaces at temperatures above 1300 ° C, allows you to get a product with high operational and technical characteristics, which is ideal for finishing steps.

Clinker tiles are made in two ways:

• extruded method involves pressing the material, firing in furnaces at high temperature and drying the product;
• semi-dry pressing method eliminates the stage of drying the product.

Clinker tile steps are highly resistant to wear and environmental influences.

According to the first manufacturing method, the product is resistant to mechanical stress and aggressive environment. This tile is designed for sidewalks, outdoor areas, stairs and walkways on the street.

The material made by the second method will have a low thermal conductivity. Such clinker tiles are suitable for cladding the facade of the building, since the abrasion resistance and mechanical stress for the walls are not so important as for the flooring of the porch and stairs.

Product Features

Clinker tiles have characteristic features, which puts this product in first place in the rating of materials for street cladding.

Facing steps with clinker tiles is practical, convenient and just beautiful

The main feature of clinker tiles for steps on the street is increased resistance to temperature extremes. This is especially important during zero, when the liquid begins to transition from one state of aggregation to another. The material is able to withstand about 300 such cycles without loss of strength. This is important for stairs. Here, the joints between the steps and the steps are subject to a large load, and the slightest delamination can lead to the destruction of the entire structure.

Thanks to the extrusion method for the production of clinker tiles, it has a low rate of water absorption. Its structure has capillary channels through which excess moisture is removed. Therefore, on the surface of the cladding, the occurrence of mechanical damage is excluded.

Clinker tiles provide ample opportunities for various design options steps

The most durable coating is made by Stroeher. Such a tile can be scratched with effort, but not a single trace will remain on it. The Spanish clinker on this indicator is inferior to its German counterpart, but its price is much lower. Polish companies very often issue ordinary ceramic tiles under the guise of clinker. And Russian-made brick steps combine high quality material and relatively low production costs.

Clinker tiles for the porch must have anti-slip properties to avoid injuries. All ceramic products according to the European standard DIN 51130 are divided into five classes:

• Clinker R9 is used for laying massive wide staircases that have several tiers;
• Clinker tile R10 is used for public premises, where you can perform not only the facing of the stairs, but also of all its elements;
• R11 tile is used for staircase decoration in art studios, creative workshops, laboratories, and factories;

The quality of clinker tiles depends on the production technology

• indicator R12 has clinker tiles for the porch on the street. Due to the high indicators of wear resistance, strength and frost resistance, the material can be used for finishing freezers, cleaning systems, fire stations.

An important indicator for ceramic products used for flooring is the resistance of the material to bending loads. The strength value of ceramic tiles is 20 MPa. Since the main load during operation of the ladder falls on the edge of the step, it is difficult to overestimate the strength properties of the clinker.

Due to the structural surface of the clinker, better adhesion of the base to the adhesive is ensured, which affects the durability of the structure.

Varieties of clinker steps for the porch

Clinker tiles for the street can be technical, waterproof and facing. The first option is used mainly for pavement paths, areas in front of the building, in rooms with high traffic, for example, underpasses, train stations.

For finishing steps, clinker tiles with high strength indicators are usually used.

Waterproof facing products are used in pools, saunas, baths, showers and other rooms with high humidity. The facing option is used for exterior decoration of the building’s facade, internal and external stairs.

Well-known manufacturers of clinker for stairs produce material in various formats:

• clinker steps with a notch;
• ordinary steps;
• plates with a Florentine profile;
• corner clinker steps;
• corner skirting;
• right and left skirting;
• ordinary baseboard;
• angle under the step;
• profiled steps with an angle;
• balcony trims.

Manufacturers produce various types of clinker tiles, suitable for many purposes.

All products are made in various tonal and geometric variations, which allows even structurally complex staircases to be faced. The specific coloring of the floor tiles is obtained as a result of the influence of high temperature on natural clay compounds, such as iron, magnesium, silicon, which, in other forms, paint the product. Therefore, due to the different content of natural materials in the feed, the output of the floor tiles has a rich gamut of colors.

Clinker tiles for steps: product price

You can buy brick tiles for steps starting from 150 rubles. per pc The price of a product depends on its thickness, variety, design and manufacturer. The simplest tile will cost 30-60 rubles. per pc More advanced models will cost 80-100 rubles. per pc

Very popular are the corner modifications of tiles for street steps, the price of which is 300 rubles. per pc The average cost of clinker steps is 450-800 rubles. per pc

Using clinker cladding, you can create beautiful and durable steps

The price of clinker tiles for steps of ordinary performance is 1500-2000 rubles. for 1 square. m. While the Florentine profile will cost 3250-5600 rubles. for 1 square. m

The most popular facing materials are produced by the German company Stroeher. These are massive, monolithic, frost-resistant steps that will become the highlight of any interior. You can buy steps from clinker of the German brand starting from 1333 rubles. per pc

The Russian company Ecoclinker produces flooring, which is manufactured by the extrusion method, which allows you to create products with high compressive and bending strength, resistant to temperature changes and having an aesthetically attractive appearance. The minimum price of clinker tiles for steps of Russian production is 175 rubles. a piece.

The cost of clinker tiles of domestic production is much less, and the quality is not inferior to foreign manufacturers

The Spanish manufacturer Exagres produces products at a more affordable price, which is 1300 rubles. per sq. m., however, not the worst quality. The Polish company Paradyz offers a wide variety of shades and colors of paving clinker tiles, which has high technical and operational characteristics, is able to withstand significant loads without losing structural strength and the original appearance of the product. The cost of a tile starts from 1100 rubles. per sq. m. The average price of paving clinker tiles of Russian production is 1300-1400 rubles. per sq. m

If we talk about the cost of laying clinker tiles, the price of the work will depend on its size. Facing the stairs with small products up to 60 cm. Will cost 700 rubles. for 1 running meter. The execution of work with larger tiles is estimated at 900 rubles. for 1 p.m

Installation of clinker tiles

Facing staircases is one of the most difficult work for the tiler, which undoubtedly affects the price. Laying clinker tiles on the steps is one of the most expensive services, along with other facing works. Before laying the tiles, waterproofing is necessary.

Laying scheme of clinker tiles on the steps

Helpful advice! As the basis for the stairs, the best option is reinforced concrete.

The first and most important step is the markup. Here it is necessary to take into account several parameters at the same time: the plane, the evenness of the seams and the same height of all steps. The standard step height is 15 cm, width is 30 cm. The most popular size of clinker tiles for steps is the format 30×30 cm and a thickness of 15-30 mm. To calculate the number of steps, it is necessary to divide the total length of the stairs by the height of one step.

When calculating the number of tiles, it is important to adhere to the integrity of the product. Each trim will degrade the appearance of the entire cladding. Also marking the stairs, it is worth considering that the porch has sidewalls, which consist of a vertical lining.

Next, place the horizontal beacon row. He will set the plane and suture. Now you can start laying the first row. The width of the joints between the tiles is 4-5 mm. When the laid tile is set, the steps can be laid.

Tiling steps step by step

Important! The steps should be performed with a slope of 1-1.5º to avoid stagnation of water and the formation of puddles.

Since the back of the tile has low porosity, it is necessary to coat with glue, both the base and the product itself. The thickness of the adhesive layer is approximately equal to the thickness of the tile. However, it is better to make the layer thinner than thicker. Be sure to level the surface so that there are no voids.

Due to the variety of form factors, it is possible to dock steps and steps in various variations. To create a volumetric and effective laying of clinker tiles on the steps, an overlap is performed. With this method, a gap of about 2-3 mm is left between the nose of the figured step and the riser. The main advantage of this option is that you can not achieve a perfectly smooth cropping of a vertical plate. This method is used for laying clinker on wood or metal.

Butt-laying of steps is only possible on a concrete base, since its coefficient of thermal expansion is similar to that of clinker.

Options for laying tiles. 1. The distance is 3-5 mm. 2. Seam (grout). 3. Tile adhesive. 4. Tile

Between the clinker steps, it is necessary to leave gaps of about 10-12 mm, which are rubbed with special semi-dry mixes for wide joints.

Helpful advice! Do not stick the protruding part of the step. This will preserve the integrity of the structure during deformation of the base.

The choice of adhesive for clinker tiles

The construction market has a wide range of adhesive products for outdoor use. Adhesives are divided into the following types:

• universal;
• reinforced;
• moisture resistant;
• white;
• heat resistant;
• mixture for non-standard surfaces;
• frost resistant.

The choice of adhesive for laying tiles should be approached carefully

Universal glue is suitable for cladding the internal elements of the room with the help of small and medium-sized tiles. This adhesive mixture is not suitable for outdoor use, because it does not have sufficient elasticity and frost resistance. It is not able to ensure the strength of the connection, which can lead to the destruction of clinker steps.

The reinforced type of glue is suitable for lining surfaces with large tiles with dimensions of more than 30×30 cm. It responds well to static and dynamic loads, but does not tolerate temperature fluctuations. Therefore, this is not the best option for outdoor work.

Moisture-resistant glue is used for objects that are exposed to constant or prolonged exposure to water. However, such glue is not suitable for outdoor work. Heat-resistant adhesive mixture is used for facing stoves, fireplaces and other objects with high temperature. Adhesive for non-standard surfaces is used for laying tiles on metal or wood. White glue is used for facing transparent mosaic tiles.

High-quality adhesive can provide a long service life of clinker steps

Frost-resistant glue is intended for laying tiles on the street. It guarantees the stability of the lining to temperature extremes. The composition is based on special additives that provide elasticity and good adhesion of the base with clinker, and at the same time prevent the deformation of the adhesive.

Popular brands of glue

The most popular brands of frost-resistant glue are: Ceresit CM 17, Ceresit CM 117 and Eunice 2000.

The main advantages of the Ceresit CM 17 adhesive mixture are good adhesion and excellent elasticity. Glue is not afraid of moisture. The composition is able to withstand temperature extremes in the range from -50º to 70º? for 100 cycles. 30 minutes after application, the mixture completely hardens.

Moisture-resistant and frost-resistant adhesive Ceresit CM 117 is suitable for different types of substrates: concrete, lime, cement. It can be used for indoor and outdoor use. The glue is ideal for lining outdoor pools. It is able to withstand temperatures from -50º to 70º? for more than 100 cycles. The margin of time for corrective work on laying tiles is 20 minutes.

Tiles laid in accordance with all the rules using quality materials

The adhesive composition of Eunice 2000 has a wide scope. It withstands temperature fluctuations from -50º to 50º? for about 30-40 cycles. 10 minutes after application it completely hardens.

Steps made of clinker tiles not only protect the porch or staircase from destruction, but also create a monumental and elegant look of the whole structure. Despite the fact that this facing material is expensive, it has high technical and operational characteristics and can last for many years without losing its original appearance.