Porcelain Tiles

What are Porcelain Tiles?

Porcelain tiles are made from good quality raw materials such as high-grade china clays and pure grade silica’s. As a result there are less impurities that discolour the clay body, but they do need a higher firing temperature (>1200 degrees Celsius) to fuse the particles together. The end result is a clay body which is glass like i.e. low porosity and thus has a low “water absorption” (<0.5%), high chemical resistance, high abrasion resistance and are overall, a strong tile.

Monocuttura / Monoporosa:

These are a versatile tile that can be used in a variety of domestic applications. Monoporosa tiles are single fired tiles that are generally used for wall applications as they have softer glazes and higher water absorption levels, whereas Monocuttura tiles are single fired glazed tiles, mainly used for floor tiles with harder glazes and lower levels of water absorption (3% – 6%). Examples: Chess, Minima, Classic

Glazed Porcelain:

Refers to a white or pale burning clay that once fired has low water absorption of below 0.5%. There has been a shift in recent times to this form of production method in making ceramic tiles. Glazed Porcelain tiles are dense and therefore stronger and less water absorbent than Monocuttura tiles. In the past, porcelain tiles were often used in commercial applications because of their strength, low porosity, and high abrasion resistance. Due to new techniques and lower production costs, porcelain tiles can now be found in homes all over the world. Examples: Kimberley, Sandstone, Quarry

Double Charged / Loaded Porcelain:

These tiles generally have a surface that is textured, matt, semi polished or polished. The tile is made by fusing together two layers of different clays during the firing process. The decorative, top layer counts for 25% of the tile. Examples: Sapphire

Full Body Porcelain / Unglazed Porcelain / Fully Vitrified:

This term relates to the concept of the clay body colour being consistent all the way through the tile. This tile is unglazed. After it is fired, unglazed porcelain can be machined to produce a full polished, or a rough textured surface to the top of the tile. This type of product should have water absorption of below 0.5%. Examples: Waringa Vitrified, Lifestyle

Glazed Vitrified:

These are glazed and have water absorption of between 0.5% and 3%. The clay body will in most cases be coloured and will have the same colour right through the tile. This colour can be monotone or what is known as a mingle of colour. Examples: Yoho, Mandalay, Geo Slate, Urban

Benefits of Porcelain Tiles:

Porcelain tiles have a very low porosity, thus they are stain resistant, frost resistant and are strong. They can be used on the floor and the wall, internally and externally.

The rectified edges insure that each tile is the same size. The Porcelain products on offer from JTA are factory sealed.

In simple terms low “water absorption” gives the tile the following properties:

Stain resistance

Chemical resistance

Frost resistance

High strength

High abrasion resistance

All of these properties are positive selling attributes.