Where you can use Smink tiles

1. Can I use Smink tiles on the floor?

Yes, in the right place. For floors we make a thicker tile, 1.4 cm (1/2 inch) rather than 1 cm (3/8 inch), and recommend a matte glaze. Like all glazed ceramics, our tiles have low slip resistance when wet. They suit interior floors in dry areas, such as hallways and living spaces. Check the slip rating before using them in wet or barefoot areas, such as bathrooms or pool surrounds, and ask us if your project needs a specific rating.

2. Can I use handmade tiles in a shower or wet room?

Yes. Smink Studio tiles are fully waterproof on their glazed face and well suited to showers, wet rooms and bathrooms. Professional installation is essential: the wall or floor behind the tiles must be waterproofed, and every joint must be fully grouted, because the backs and edges of the tiles are unglazed.

3. Are Smink tiles suitable for a kitchen splashback (backsplash) behind a cooker?

Yes. Smink Studio tiles are a popular choice for kitchen splashbacks (backsplashes), including directly behind a cooker, hob or range. Fired at over 1,000°C (1,830°F), they are unaffected by cooking heat, and the glaze resists grease and stains. Clean them with a damp cloth and a non-abrasive, pH-neutral cleaner.

4. Can I use Smink tiles outdoors or where it freezes?

Yes. Smink Studio tiles have been frost-tested to –20°C (–4°F) and have been used on the outside of buildings. Outdoor installations need an adhesive and grout rated for exterior use, and a surface that sheds water, so that moisture cannot collect behind the tiles and freeze. The results of the ‘frost test’ (EN ISO 10545-12) show that the tiles are not affected by frost.

5. Can I use Smink tiles around a fireplace or wood-burner?

Yes. Smink Studio tiles are fired at over 1,000°C (1,830°F), so they are heat-resistant and well suited to fireplace surrounds and the walls around wood-burners. Follow the stove manufacturer’s guidance on clearances, and use a heat-resistant adhesive and grout.

6. Are Smink tiles suitable for swimming pools?

Yes. Smink Studio tiles can be used in and around swimming pools. Pool tiling is specialist work, so use an installer with pool experience, a pool-rated adhesive and grout, and a fully waterproofed structure. Pool surrounds and steps are wet and walked on barefoot. Glazed tiles have low slip resistance in those conditions, so check the slip rating the space requires before choosing our tiles for them.

7. Can Smink tiles be used with underfloor heating?

Yes. Ceramic conducts heat well, so Smink Studio tiles work with both electric and water-based underfloor heating. Use a flexible adhesive rated for heated floors, and follow the heating manufacturer’s instructions on warming the floor gradually after installation.

8. Can I tile stair risers, a bar front or furniture?

Yes, and Smink Studio tiles are very well suited to this use. Stair risers, bar and counter fronts, kitchen islands, tables and built-in furniture are suitable places for patterned tiles because they are seen up close. Smink Studio designs the layout to fit each riser or panel, and trim tiles such as bullnoses give exposed edges a clean finish.