Porcelain Floor Tiles
Originating thousands of years ago in China in rudimentary kilns, porcelain is the most exquisite of ceramics. Characterized by its translucent, shining, delicate appeal, porcelain is equally praised for its exceptional durability, making it the ideal flooring material.
Porcelain Floor Tiles are a convenient alternative over wood or carpet options. These products also form a popular choice to beautify such areas as kitchens, bedrooms, living spaces and bathrooms. In addition, they are excellent for decorating fireplaces and hearths as well. They can be used to complement any environment.
Porcelain tile is a newer type of ceramic tile and very popular with almost everyone. Porcelain tiles are made up of very fine porcelain clays and fired at a much higher temperature than ceramic tiles. This manufacturing process gives porcelain tiles a less porous, more dense, less prone to moisture and stain absorption and makes it much more dense than ceramic tiles. Because of this many porcelain tiles can be used indoors as well as out of doors much more successfully. But they are much harder to cut and shape due to their higher level of hardness and density.
Unglazed porcelain tile has its color throughout its composition. And because the color goes all the way through, then dings or scratches are much less noticeable. It also has much better slip resistance. Glazed porcelain tiles frequently don’t have the color all the way through, like the unglazed tiles. But due to the glazing that helps seal the microscopic pores, this makes maintenance much easier. Since porcelain can be made to look like stone, many times it is a better choice than natural stone because it is less likely to crack and it is less porous.
However, not all porcelain tiles are suitable for all areas. Tile products generally (although not all, due to the growing choice of imports) are wear-rated from low to high. Most manufacturers worldwide do meet international standards. Because all tiles are not rated for taking floor traffic, it’s important for consumers to select a tile appropriate for their project.
Regardless of whether you choose porcelain tile for your decorating project you will find porcelain tiles offered in a variety of shapes and sizes in field tiles as well as some border and accent tiles. This will give you an almost unlimited amount of decorating options by mixing and matching different field tile sizes and shapes along with borders and accent tiles to really add pizazz and charm to your decor.