An important step in your flooring project is choosing the type of tile to use and the material it is made of. Consequently, we assist our clients with this process. This is the first step before you actually choose a tile design which you like. Tiled flooring comes in three unique forms namely, porcelain, ceramic and natural stone. Let’s start with the most popular, porcelain
Tiled flooring: porcelain
Porcelain comes in two variants, un-glazed and polished.
Pressed harder and fired under higher temperature, un-glazed porcelain tiles melt into a glossy material which gives them less than 0.5% water absorption and a high gloss finish. They are made in single layer whereby the colour remains the same all the way through. Or double layer, whereby the bottom layer serves as the body and the top layer the design. A great place to buy porcelain tiles is Cash Tiles.
Polished porcelain or nano treated means treating the surface of the tile with organic nano particles. The particles combine with the tile substance to form a nano film of high density. It increases the sheen of the tile, enhances the colour and protects against staining.
Ceramic tiles
Glazed ceramic tiled flooring
Glazed ceramic tiles consist of a ceramic body with a thin layer of glaze fired onto the surface. The glaze renders the tile both waterproof and chemical resistant. It is also fire resistant and highly durable. Textures range from matt to gloss finishes and these tiles have a water absorption of over 0.5%.
Un-glazed ceramic (terracotta) tiled flooring
Terracotta means “fired earth” because it is made from fired clay. There is no glaze and colours range from brown to red. They are made from natural clay.
Natural stone tiles
Cut from natural materials such as sandstone, slate, marble and travertine, natural stone tiles are unique and beautiful. Quarried from the ground and cut and shaped to size, the stone is left natural or it is polished. It has status value and is normally more expensive than other tiles. However, this tile is porous and will therefore stain unless sealed.
For an alternative to tiles, consider a Vinyl floor.