Tile window sills are most often made in the kitchen, because here this extra space is also used to place dishes, household appliances, and arrange indoor plants in pots. The window sill lining in this room should be moisture resistant, durable, resistant to stress and easy to clean.
Material features
Due to its performance characteristics, tiles are ideal for decorating a kitchen window sill, because moisture and various contaminants accumulate here. This cladding can even increase its durability.
In comparison with the plastic surface, the tile does not turn yellow, does not lose its aesthetic properties over a long period of operation. This material also wins from an aesthetic point of view. A wide variety of shades and textures allows you to use it with any interior style. The material comes in different sizes, but 10 × 10 tiles are better suited for a window sill. Large enough, it looks aesthetically pleasing, and when laying there are few seams between the elements.
Scope of application
Most often, a tile window sill is made in houses made of brick, ceramic concrete, foam concrete or cinder blocks. In these houses, the window sill, as a rule, is already filled in or a kind of blank has been made, which will serve as its foundation. It must be thoroughly cleaned of dust and primed to increase the adhesion of the material to the base. If this is not done, the tile may fly off in a few months.
If you already have a window sill, but you need to make a new lining, you must first remove the old one. Next, the surface of the window sill is carefully leveled, all dents and chips are puttied. In order for the tile to last for many years, it is necessary to purchase putty, primer and glue from the same manufacturer in stores.
Ceramic tiling
Ceramics are used in rooms with high humidity: in the kitchen, in the bathroom, shower. In order to correctly calculate how much material is needed for facing the window sill, it is necessary to measure its surface, compare it with the dimensions of the tile and add 20% for a possible marriage.
You can do the tiling of the window sill with your own hands, if you follow some nuances. The material must be laid at a slight slope so that the water that falls on the windowsill does not flow into the corner, but goes to the floor.
For window sills protruding beyond the wall, you first need to make a concrete substrate and reinforce it with steel mesh or barsnot less than 4 mm in diameter. Before laying the tiles, check the tightness of the joint where the window sill is adjacent to the window. Existing gaps must be treated with silicone putty intended for wet rooms. Ordinary mastic will not work here, because due to high humidity it will begin to crumble quickly.
For cladding, you can use not only white tiles. It is necessary to take into account the design of the room, in some cases the color will look more advantageous. Some homeowners turn a tile window sill into a real work of art, but it is difficult to do it yourself, it is better to turn to professionals. It should be borne in mind that such work will cost more than standard cladding.
In general, the price of a tile window sill directly depends on the quality of the material, the manufacturer and the cost of repairs.
Design with mosaic tiles
Recently, window sill facing with mosaic tiles has become popular. The process of laying the mosaic is much simpler and does not take much time. This design looks modern and stylish.
The only disadvantage of this facing is that it has many seams, because the mosaic is much smaller than ordinary ceramic tiles. Moisture can accumulate in the seams and mold can appear, which makes it difficult to care for the surface. Problems can be avoided if you purchase high-quality grout for joints, this is not worth saving. When choosing a mosaic for cladding, you need to understand in advance that you need to take care of such a window sill more carefully.
As a finish, you can buy a finished mosaic in the store or make it yourself from broken tiles. The second option will require certain skills in working with glass. If there is no such experience, then it is better not to experiment, so as not to get injured.
The surface of the window sill before laying the mosaic is prepared in the same way as for ceramic tiles. Then a special glue is applied to it and mosaic elements are laid. Excess pieces of material are cut with a glass cutter. Excess grout is removed with a rubber spatula. After the surface is completely dry, clean it with a damp sponge.
