Porcelain stoneware is a relatively new facing material on the modern construction market. Thanks to its unique technical characteristics and excellent decorative qualities, it quickly gained high positions in the consumer rating and is widely used for interior and exterior finishing work. Collections of porcelain stoneware tiles amaze with their diversity. They can be matte, glossy, embossed. Often plates imitate natural materials. For example, wood grain floor tiles would be a very worthy choice for living spaces.
Composition
Materials for the production of porcelain stoneware are the same as for the usual tiles. These are clay, quartz sand, mica, feldspar, various dyes and mineral additives. But the end result is different, the reason for this is a different production technology. The history of the use of ceramic tiles dates back more than one century, while porcelain stoneware on the building marketmaterials have been present for only a few decades. And at the same time, their popularity is already almost the same. It can be considered that porcelain stoneware is an improved version of ceramic tiles.
Production technology
The mass of crushed ingredients is first of all pressed in molds under a pressure of about 500 kg per 1 sq. cm. The second stage in the manufacture of porcelain stoneware is its firing at a temperature reaching up to 1300ºС. As a result, the tile is sintered so much that its structure is homogeneous, dense and practically pore-free. After that, there are finishing processes: polishing, cutting edges and others.
This is a classic technology, but if you need to get tiles with a certain, including embossed, surface pattern, then pressing is carried out not in one stage, but in several. It is logical that porcelain stoneware can be stylized as natural stone, but this is not all of its possibilities. It is really possible to find tiles with imitation of natural leather, animal skins, metal, artificially aged surfaces, soil. Porcelain stoneware for wood flooring is becoming more and more common (photo in the review).
Pros and cons
This material has increased wear resistance and does not wear out under high regular loads. In terms of hardness, porcelain stoneware is only slightly less than diamond, so neither cracks nor chips will ever appear on it. In addition to the qualities already listed, ceramic granite tiles are not afraid of moisture, or exposure to chemically active substances, or significant temperature changes.
What upshortcomings, porcelain stoneware flooring is very cold to the touch. The only way to insulate it somehow is to equip the underfloor heating system, which increases its already high cost. Laying porcelain stoneware is possible only on a carefully leveled surface. Despite the high strength, if the tiles are not properly transported or installed, they can crack. Another conditional drawback is that the surface of porcelain stoneware is rather slippery. But now anti-slip boards are already being produced.
Applications
Porcelain stoneware is widely used in industrial premises, subways and train stations. As for the domestic use of this material, it is appropriate to use porcelain stoneware tiles for flooring in places with high traffic: hallways, kitchens, living rooms. Porcelain stoneware is also used for outdoor work: decorating the facades of buildings, laying paths, stairs, open verandas.
Wood-look porcelain stoneware on the floor: the romance of wood and the strength of stone
Natural materials are valued more and more - this trend is obvious. Therefore, manufacturers of various artificial surfaces make sure that in the lines of their collections there are options that mimic the structure of natural raw materials. In addition to the texture of natural stone, wood-effect porcelain stoneware on the floor is also popular. The colors of such a tile can have a grandiose amount, imitating perfectlydifferent types of wood, from pine to oak. The floor, on which wood-effect tiles are laid, may look like finished with piece, decorative, artistic parquet or parquet board.
With all the love for such a natural material as wood, we have to admit that it is not always practical. An aggressive environment and significant mechanical impact can cause serious damage to the coating after some time. Of course, there are many synthetic materials that look like wood. But they, unlike porcelain stoneware, have much more disadvantages. They are inferior in strength, wear resistance, fire safety, and they cannot be called environmentally friendly. And porcelain stoneware under a tree on the floor can be put completely fearlessly. Although it is an artificial material, it is created exclusively from natural raw materials and does not emit any harmful substances.
Residential Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tile on the kitchen floor under the tree perfectly combines not only the aesthetics of natural wood, but the practicality of ceramic tiles. For a room like the kitchen, where something spills and falls all the time, where you constantly have to wash the floor, this choice of flooring makes sense. Caring for a porcelain stoneware surface is an order of magnitude easier than caring for a wooden one. No sanding or mastic needed - a simple wet cleaning is enough.
In hallways, porcelain stoneware will also be appropriate due to its high wear resistance and ease of maintenance. Porcelain tile for flooringliving room under the tree will look very noble, and at the same time it will not leave marks from shoes and furniture legs. Such a coating does not have to be zealously protected from damage and periodically restored, like the same parquet.
So, you can choose facing tiles from a material such as porcelain stoneware under a tree on the floor to any interior: from classic to minimalism and hi-tech, and it will serve more than one generation.
