Hard-Glazed Ceramic Tiles
When we think of tiles most of us immediately think of square, glazed ceramic tiles. These hard-glazed and fired tiles are made for both floors and walls - but don't use wall tiles on floors as they won't take the weight of furniture and heavy traffic. Mostly they are indeed square, but they vary in dimensions according to their use and from manufacturer to manufacturer - so make sure you buy enough of the same type because you may find additional tiles from different sources are slightly larger or smaller. Rectangular and irregular-shaped ones are also available and the typical shapes include hexagons, octagons and diamonds, as well as 'interlocking' tiles with more elaborate shapes or curved edges.
You can create plain fields of tiles in a single colour, or be adventurous and create walls of patterns and colours.
Glaze
Most ceramic tiles are coated in a thick layer of glaze that makes them hard-wearing, waterproof and easy to clean. Unglazed tiles have more subtle colours but they may need to be sealed in some way to prevent them absorbing grease and dirt, particularly if they are going to be used in the kitchen.
