What to Remember Before Buying and Laying Relief Tile

Relief tile is used everywhere — it looks equally well in the bathroom, kitchen, and living rooms. Together with designer Alena Gorskaya, we talk about the specifics of laying and share useful tips.

Alena Gorskaya is an expert, designer, and head of a design bureau specializing in creating custom interiors.

Where to place the tile?

On an accent wall — relief looks great and draws attention. However, do not put the tile too close to other surfaces such as towel warmers or shower systems. Otherwise, uneven joints with sanitary fixtures are guaranteed.

Do not place outlets and door casings on the relief — you will have to fill the gaps with sealant. Even with complex relief, sealant won't help.

Tip: often, collections with relief tile include smooth tiles. Use them as companions and place outlets and towel warmers on them. Also, lay simple tiles under the door casing so that they can be seamlessly joined with the relief tile later.

How to lay it?

Lay the tile from wall to wall so that the ugly edges are not visible on the sides. It's better to do this last, once you have all the furniture ordered — no need to guess sizes.

Tip: before laying the tile on the wall, lay it out on the floor — this way you won't make a mistake and can choose the most suitable layout.

3 Useful Tips for Laying Tile

Create a recess in the wall for the relief

To give more volume to the layout.

Do without metal profiles

Special G-shaped corner pieces are great for framing smooth tiles. They look stylish — only a thin chrome strip is visible on the facade side. However, such corner pieces are not universal — they can’t be placed under any relief.

Visually separate the tile from the wall

Try sticking relief tiles to the protruding parts of the wall made from gypsum board. These are usually where backlighting is hidden. This trick looks great and adds more volume.

How to cut it correctly?

One of the biggest drawbacks of relief tile is that it’s hard to cut. Due to its relief, tiles have varying thicknesses, and if you cut them incorrectly or with the wrong tools, they will start breaking and crumbling. For example, large-format tiles should not be trimmed.

Tip: find out beforehand what tools the builders use. The ideal option is a water-cooled disc cutter. The tool is expensive, but very efficient.