Porcelain
Porcelain tiles, like ceramics tiles, are
man-made but more hard-wearing because they are fired at a higher
temperature. They are avaliable glazed or unglazed; Glazed tiles
have filled in microscopic holes that cold be present in unglazed
tile. Because of firing proses involved, the body of porcelain
tiles are vitrified which makes them suitable for both indoor
and outdoor use. Also, as the body of tile is made of the same
material throughout, any scratches to the surface will not be
as noticeable as on ceramic tile. As with all tiles, it's recommended
that you use the product with a low PH value to clean them. Some
cleaning product are very acidic and burn the surface of the tiles
as well as causing the glaze to become dull.
Porcelain tiles are suitable for use in all areas of the home
and because they're so dense they can be bought in a variety of
tile formats, which can give your rooms a new dimension. If you
are using them in outdoors are though, make sure that they are
slip resistant.
Porcelain tiles are more difficult to cut
than ceramic tiles and specialised cutting equipment is required,
includingan angle grinder and wet saw. Porcelain tiles are laid
in the same way as ceramic tiles, but polished porcelain and lightcolured
tiles will need to be sealed in order to protect against dirt
and ensure that the polish on the tiles doesn't dull. They require
very liitle maintenance other than a light mop or clean with a
damp cloth.
Porcelain tiles can be more expencive than
ceramic and the cost to lay them will depend on whather they require
sealing or not. It is also possible to buy porcelain imitations
of natural stone tiles, which can look very realistic and cost
half the price of real stone tiles
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