subject: Pros And Cons Of Porcelain Tiles [print this page] When porcelain tiles first came into the market, they caused nothing short of a grand revolution. The polishing and glazing techniques used in the manufacture of these tiles extended the domain of these tiles significantly. Porcelain is a very tough material. In fact, it is hard enough to be used even in airports. However, plain ceramic is increasingly used for residential purposes due to its various qualities.
A hard ceramic tile, porcelain is obtained from highly purified raw materials which are submitted to very high heat treatments. The tile is then subjected to extreme compacting pressure followed by high mechanical resistance and scratch resistance. Thus, porcelain tiles are known for their extreme toughness.
Some of the most important characteristics of porcelain are as follows:
High resistance to mechanical load and rupture
Resistance to abrasion and scratches
Resistance to size changes due to expansion or contraction
Resistance to chemical damage
Friction resistant
Thus, it is easy to see that porcelain tiles are extremely durable and resistant to wear and tear. When compared to natural stone, porcelain tiles are highly abrasion and friction resistant. The hardness of the tile ensures that the tiles do not get damaged while being cut. Further, transportation costs are also low.
For long, there has been a war raging between advocates of porcelain and ceramic tiles. While each has its own pros and cons, porcelain is best suited for patios and the outdoors because it is hard and resistant to the vagaries of weather. Porcelain being denser than ceramic, it does not absorb dirt or wetness as much as ceramic. Porcelain is also resistant to frost and extreme changes in weather. Since the tile does not crack due to expansion or contraction, it is the material of choice in areas where there are extreme weather fluctuations.
One of the most attractive advantages of porcelain is low maintenance. It is easy to clean porcelain tiles with any liquid cleaner. Since the tiles are nonporous, they do not absorb spillage. Thus, they are suited for busy areas of the house or those areas that are prone to spillage.
Porcelain tiles have the ability to make a room look beautiful because they are easy to lay. Some types of tiles may be joined to other types using narrow grout joints. Thus, it is possible to lay tiles evenly with very small joints. However, porcelain tiles are better laid by professionals.
Porcelain tiles look beautiful because of the large number of designs, colors and patterns that are available in the market today. This combined with the varying tile sizes, make porcelain a wonderful tile of choice for the indoors as well as the outdoors.
