Porcelain Tiles – Your Complete Guide

Porcelain Tiles – Your Complete Guide

Porcelain tiles are a popular choice for surface covering due to the simple fact that they can very closely mimic natural stone, wood, marble or concrete but are lighter and cost-effective. Best porcelain tile floors possess qualities of low porosity, hardness, and an appealing appearance.  Let’s dive deeper into the marvels of porcelain tiles – what they really are, what attributes make them the first choice, their benefits, and where can you buy them from.

What are Porcelain Tiles?

Porcelain is made from denser and much finer types of clay than ceramics. Moulded and baked under high pressures and temperatures, porcelain tiles come out as stronger and more durable tiles that can withstand heavy traffic. Having water absorption of ≤ 0.5%, porcelain tiles are a popular choice for flooring and are consistent in composition throughout the body of the tile.

Why Buy Porcelain Tiles?

Porcelain tiles are known for their strength, longevity, and incredible ease of maintenance. Being a go-to design choice for both residential and commercial applications, what benefits, qualities and characteristics set porcelain tile apart from other surface covering options?

Porcelain Tiles are Durable

Conformity to ISO standards of lowest water absorption, high breaking strength, stain, and scratch resistance amongst many others, make Stile porcelain tiles the most durable. This means that once you lay your floor right, you can walk over it for a lifetime, given that you maintain it properly.

Porcelain Tiles are Easy to Clean

Porcelain generally is an exceptionally tough surface covering that does not require much care or maintenance to retain its sleek and new look through decades of use. What makes them further impervious to staining, water damage, and most scratching physical impact is the fact that they’re baked at high temperatures and have a glaze coating on their surface, making them easy to clean.

Porcelain Tiles are Visually Appealing

Porcelain tiles exude opulence. At Stile Emporium & Design Studios, they available in a broad range of colours and designs making them a perfect fit for any living space. From marble to stone to wood – you are sure to find a nature-inspired design that complements your theme and adds to the grandeur.

Porcelain Tiles come in Variety of Styles

Stile offers Porcelain tiles that come in a variety of kinds, so you can easily choose tiles that fit your preferences and complement your style. These hard-wearing and tough tiles come in various sizes to suit the largeness of room. Their seamless designs imitate that of natural materials but broaden the utility through various finishes ranging from shiny gloss to skid-resistant matt and other textured surfaces in between. You are sure to find a tile that perfectly befit your unique style.

What to Look for When Buying Porcelain Tiles?

Knowing what attributes to base your decision on when selecting high-quality porcelain flooring is paramount. Here are some simple factors you need to consider when shopping for porcelain tiles:

Are Porcelain Tiles Waterproof?

Porcelain tiles should have a water absorption of 0.5% or less as defined by ISO standards. Composed of fine clays and notable levels of quartz and feldspar help porcelain tiles achieve density and smoothness that none other has. Fired at temperatures as high as 1220°C makes it further impervious to water than an ordinary ceramic tile. This makes it ideal for use in bathrooms and foyers, where steam, water, rain, slush, and melted snow can collect and ruin other types of flooring.

What are Full-Body Porcelain Tiles?

While there may be tiles that are half ceramic and half porcelain, full-body porcelain tiles are ones which are consistent in composition throughout the body of the tile.

Their surface has a non-porous glass coating on top that brings out the best of your home’s decorative and stylistic qualities with its exquisite colours and designs. These tiles are best suited for residential purposes or areas where beauty and appeal are paramount.

Full-body porcelain tiles penetrate the design throughout the body of the tile.  These tiles possess superb resistance against chips and scratches as the entire tile is composed of the same material. Thus, they are the best for building countertops, floor, and wall coverings. If you’re worried about how to seal polished porcelain or wondering if porcelain tile needs sealing, then worry not. The microscopic holes are covered when we apply polish on our porcelain tiles giving them the same shine and look that you’d need!

How to Find the Right Surface Finish?

Ranging from glazed polish all the way to an unglazed finish, porcelain tiles offer a wide range of finishes with the ideal strength of a porcelain tile.

You can opt for matt or Anti-slip finish tiles for areas that require the strongest slip resistance such as in bathrooms, ramps and poolside floors.

The Carving Ink finish gives an embossed lines-like texture for a natural and soothing look. Mica finish, satisfying the latest interior design with a touch of luxe, gives a glittery effect making the surface shiny yet stain-free.

Lapato Polish is the perfect balance of matt and polished tiles featuring higher shine than matt tiles and a gentler finish than traditional polished porcelain tile, suitable for balconies, living rooms and patios. The flexibility to enjoy an incredible range of finishes means you will most certainly find the perfect match for your dream space!

Bigger the Tile, Cheaper the Price?

The trend in manufacturing is to aim for larger and larger tiles. This not only reduces installation time but also reduce the requirement and cost of other installation material. Moreover, they add to the beauty and seamlessness of the space. This ultimately makes larger tiles cheaper yet more appealing. However, on the downside, the largest of tiles require more specialist installation methods and is mostly only suitable for large-scale commercial applications.

Where To Buy Porcelain Tiles?

Stile Emporium and Design Studios, located nationwide, are the go-to place for all your home lifestyle needs which provide the ideal ambience for making the right choice. Be it for floor or wall, the modern porcelain tiles will serve every purpose and every decorating style you desire. And like a cherry on the cake, we got you covered with any installation materials you would need for a strong foundation.