In short, ceramic tiles are a friend!
Does your child love to explore every inch of the house? You can allow time by glass, email, email, email, or email. It causes allergies, and it does not retain particles of dust, dirt or bacteria, which makes it ideal for contact with children or people with allergies. Plus, it’s easy to clean: Say goodbye to weekends of cleaning the house!
Environmental and Glamorous
But ceramic tiles are environmental above all! They are produced according to strict international standards in terms of reducing pollution and environmental impact during both the supply and production phases.
Ceramics are made only from raw materials of natural origin, such as sand and clay, and can contain various proportions of recycled materials, to reduce waste and environmental impact. Once removed, they can be reused to create new sub-bases, thus avoiding sending useless materials to landfill and extracting new raw materials.
In addition, ceramics are an excellent conductor of heat, which helps reduce costs and the environmental impact of a home heating system.
So…goodbye high bills!
It is versatile, beautiful and elegant. Surfaces can imitate any material and have aesthetic effects, from wood to stone, from marble to cement, and allow you to experiment with colors, glazes, textures, design effects, and 3D patterns.
But of all the materials the market has to offer, why is it?
Because ceramic is security! Among the most hygienic and high-performance materials, ceramics are not afraid of competitors … or adverse conditions. Cold, ice and snow do not deform it and do not affect the scorching sun, because they are resistant to heat and ultraviolet rays. In short, porcelain retains its beauty over time.
What should I consider before buying ceramic tiles?
Basic conditions for choosing ceramic tiles
Before purchasing any product, our recommendation is to carry out an analysis or study of it which serves as a knowledge base and which, as a last resort, avoids errors in selection and subsequent problems with already proven materials. Ceramic is a very diverse material and the possibilities in the market are very wide. Below we suggest the first concepts that you should keep in mind before purchasing ceramic tiles.
Where will I put it?
This is the first question to ask and the point from which to start. Based on this, it will be determined all the characteristics that squares must have for their correct selection.
You must take into account whether its use is for external or internal purposes, and if it is for floors (floors) or walls (cladding).
Will you be traveling heavily or will it suffer from natural wear and tear?
We must take into account whether ceramics, given its location, will be subject to constant pedestrian traffic, heavy traffic, wear from rough shoes, or subject to potential stains. All these aspects should be studied to determine the minimum requirements to be considered in terms of scratching, abrasion, slipping, etc.
Other aspects to consider in ceramic tiles
Types of stone tools according to raw materials
Their differences come mainly from the clay used, its original color and processing, which gives the properties of each material. If you have any questions about which one is most recommended, feel free to contact us.
- red paste. It is the most widespread and economical stoneware, the name of which is derived from the clay from which it is made, reddish tones. A layer of colored enamel is placed on the base of the clay to give the image of the piece.
- white paste; Its name also comes from the clay it is made of, which in this case is whitish. Recommended for both indoors and outdoors, it may or may not have a layer of enamel, such as extruded rustic.
- Stoneware. It is made of the same type of clay and sandstone throughout, but with greater pressure, which gives it the most resistance on the market.
corrected tiles
Ordinary ceramic tiles have rounded edges, which makes it necessary to use joints, however, corrected tiles are cut by means of a jet of water released under pressure on the pristine piece, to obtain tiles with edges of an ideal cross section.
The placement of these pieces makes the separation between tiles minimal. However, we always recommend a minimum joint that absorbs the expansion and contraction that all materials experience due to temperature changes.
thick stones
It does not have the characteristics of porcelain stoneware, but it has the following advantages that allow it to be used outdoors:
- Minimum water absorption
- High resistance to load breaking
- High hardness in scratching and abrasion
- Resistant to frost and thermal shock
What is pitch and gauge?
Due to the characteristics of the ceramic material, its development by chemical and firing means, it is practically impossible to have two different productions of the same model with 100% accuracy.
This is why different shades and gauges of the same model appear for different production batches, with the understanding by shading the appearance or image of the product and gauges being the thickness of the piece.
Our recommendation is to buy complete batches with enough product to install, and if you buy the same model on different occasions, always ask about tone and caliber.
Improving results with the following insights
Once you’ve decided on the product that best suits your requests, both physical and aesthetic, you should know that you can still improve your purchasing process, optimizing costs in complementary items as well as in ceramic tile performance when properly installed.
How much material do I need?
Measure square meters of the environment or room, if it has a boundary outside the square or diagonal, we recommend calculating with the maximum measurements to avoid a shortage of materials at the last moment.
It is important to add between 10% and 15% to the square meter obtained, anticipating breakage and wastage of some bits and pieces to fit the imperfect sides of the walls.
What is the correct mortar?
Currently, there are many brands on the market and a large variety of mortar. Our recommendation is to ask us, if you have doubts about the correct choice of cement and for this, we put at your disposal, in the Mortar, Cement and Aggregate department, a wide range of adhesive cements selected for each of the possibilities and characteristics of ceramic tiles and the environment in which they will be placed. In each article you will be able to get its own usage and application guide, where you will find details of all products and installation systems.
How do I place the pieces correctly?
In the first place, we must evaluate the condition of the support on which we will install the ceramics; Make sure that it is resistant, that it is clean, that it has enough flatness, that it is absorbent and rough enough, and that it is also stable. Then we prepare the mortar and apply it; a) in a thin layer (for supports with good flatness) with a notched trowel or b) in a thick layer (deficiency in the flatness of the supports) with a trowel or trowel. Glue cement should not be used in a thick layer, so you must first prepare the backing to be able to use it.
For correct execution, we recommend the use of ceramic leveling systems that ensure some pieces are flat compared to others after the adhesive tape has been installed.
Finally, after 24-48 hours, the grouting will be done using a grout-type mortar or a special joint mortar that you will also find on our website.
Correct installation and maintenance mode of wall and floor tiles
indoor place
- It is necessary before starting the installation that the support has ripened and is completely dry and hardened (all shrinkage occurred due to the setting), in order to avoid the appearance of diseases such as lifting or cracks as a result of instability.
- Before laying, check the quality, tone and caliber, as well as that the material is free from possible visible defects. To get a better decorative effect, the pieces of multiple boxes should be mixed. Handle the material with care to avoid tile edges that are not sharp or chipped.
- Under no circumstances should the parts be wet or immersed in water prior to installation, nor should they be installed using conventional mortar (thick layer). Install in a thin layer using a notched trowel and at least type C1 cement glue (EN 12.004). For large figures (a side greater than 40 cm), use the double-gluing method. Strictly respect the requirements for the use of the adhesive cement manufacturer: method, time and proportion of water in the mixture, open placement time, etc.
- The use of mounting connections of at least 1.5 mm is required. Make sure the bonding material is completely solid before grouting. Fill said joint with specific filler material to avoid potential leaks. Do not use borard, plaster, or any type of cement-based filler.
- In the event that you wish to perform a locked installation, never do so more than 15% of the longest side of the piece (eg, for 12.8 x 65 format locks, never lock more than 15%, about 10 cm.)
- If additional construction work is carried out, the pavement must be protected to prevent scratching by any abrasive object.
- After installation and grouting of tiles, remove the residual bonding or grouting material with a specific substance to clean work debris (descaler or cement remover), strictly adhering to the use requirements and concentrations specified by the manufacturer. In any case, we recommend that before using any chemical product, test its effect on an invisible part of the tile.
- For daily tile cleaning, use only hot water and household cleaners or diluted ammonia. Do not use aggressive products or products containing acids, especially hydrofluoric acid.
