Water changes how a floor behaves underfoot, and the right tile depends on whether people walk there in shoes or barefoot.

Barefoot areas

DIN 51097 rates tiles for barefoot areas in three classes. The German guidance that goes with it, DGUV Information 207-006, links them to typical areas: A for barefoot walkways and changing rooms that are mostly dry, B for showers, pool surrounds and walkways that are regularly wet, C for steps into the water, footbaths and sloping pool edges. The test itself is now described in EN 16165, Annex A.

Kitchens and other wet areas walked in shoes

Where people wear shoes, the DIN 51130 R classes apply. In Germany the workplace rules set commercial kitchens at R11 or R12, depending on the kind of kitchen and how many meals it serves, and some food production areas higher. A home kitchen has no such rule, and a moderate rating with a surface that is easy to clean is often the practical choice.

More than the tile

  • Falls to the drain, so water does not stand.
  • Waterproofing under the tiles in showers and wet rooms: neither tile nor grout is a waterproof layer.
  • Grout suited to the exposure; in pools and areas cleaned with strong chemicals, reaction-resin grout (class RG in EN 13888) is common.
  • Frost-resistant tiles for outdoor pools.

Check the rule, not the brochure

Requirements differ by country and by building type. The classes on a data sheet tell you how a tile tested; the local rule tells you which class the floor needs.