Tiles seem to have their own charm and advantages. The walls are done with either glossy or matte finish. They are baked in a kiln with incredibly high heat, which creates a very hard tile. Much like ceramic tile, these tiles come in all kinds of colors, patterns and shapes, but they are an even harder and more durable material. It works perfectly in the living room, in the kitchen floors, in bathrooms, and whatnot. They are big 400mmx 400mmx 12.5mm and likely to be pretty heavy. As a responsible tile retailer, it’s up to us to set the record straight. Different ceramic tiles require different types of glue. There are various advantages that the porcelain tiles offer, in comparison to other kinds of tiles. Buy your tiles. 1 – “ceramic tiles are for walls; porcelain tiles are for floors” 2 – “small tiles are for walls; large tiles are for floors” Both are incorrect – in theory, you could have a large porcelain tile on your wall, or a small ceramic tile on your floor. Porcelain tiles are considered to be stronger and suitable for more heavy-duty areas in comparison to glazed ceramic tiles and so are ideal for both floor or wall areas. ... Porcelain floor tiles are used for lite use residential space & Vitrified tiles is used for heavy use in residential, commercial and … As a result, porcelain tiles are suitable for any application. Porcelain stoneware tiles are one of the most popular materials to furnish floors and walls. However, ceramic tiles are also perfect in resisting water and other liquids. Glazed ceramic and porcelain tile are most commonly used, from the ubiquitous 4 1/4-inch white squares to large-format tiles of almost any size -- provided your installer is up to it. Porcelain tiles are considered to be a bit less porous and denser than ceramic tiles because of the way they are crafted. A PEI of 2 is good for light residential areas like bathrooms. Instead we would suggest fixing to unskimmed plasterboard or a tile backer board such as Hardiebacker, using a … PEI measures the hardness and durability of your tiles in five classes. Are porcelain tiles suited to all floors? Don’t make the mistake of overestimating the strength of your walls. Heavy, large format tiles may be a load too far for some types of walls. If you are unsure, give the manufacturer/supplier a ring and ask how much the weigh per meter (or look on the box if there is a meter per box), then add around 4kg per meter for adhesive and grout. Some of us will have had that tile-nightmare when your new, stunning tiles are too heavy to be placed on your bathroom wall. A tile labelled as being suitable for walls with the Porcelain Enamel Institute’s abrasion resistance PEI rating of 0 … If you’re thinking of starting a residential building or remodeling project this year, you’ll likely be choosing some tile to cover your floors, walls or both. Porcelain tiles are stronger and harder than ceramic tiles. The tiles are cut to the desired geometric shape and are fit in together to form a geometric pattern. Tiles that are that kind of size tend to be porcelain and very dense, therefore weigh a lot. Fixing tiles in your bathroom is easily a one-man job. Mid-Sized Tile Pieces: Small tile pieces mean more grout lines, which can be a pain to clean. Porcelain tile has many advantages as a flooring material, and is considered one of the strongest fired flooring options today. This is suitable for ceramic tiles with a thickness of 12mm, or stone tiles with a thickness of 10mm. Therefore, if you want to do this job alone, tiles … Porcelain tiles, generally manufactured by the pressed dust method, are made from porcelain clays. One Man Job. New wall tiles are porcelain 330x330x9mm with a tumbled marble stone border in square mosaic manner. Good tile for shower walls includes pretty much any type suitable for very wet locations. Like most tiles, porcelain versions are easy to wipe down as they don’t absorb much moisture, making them the perfect hard-wearing tile for floors. Two walls are standard stud walls with 9mm Plasterboard, one wall is 12mm plasterboard dabbed onto a sandwich of 4 more 12 mm boards and the final wall is 12mm board dabbed onto breeze block. Many floor tiles can also be used on the walls, especially if you want a clean cohesive look that carries from the floor and over your walls. Not only are porcelain tiles crack- and scratch-resistant, but it’s also great for areas that may be exposed to water — there’s always a chance of accidental water leaks and spills. Although ceramic tiles are highly recommended for interior floors and walls, porcelain tiles are more preferable, especially for places that must endure heavy traffic– this includes hallways, kitchen floors, and commercial applications. The supplier recommends hardy backer board dabbed and then screwed to the existing walls once old tiles are removed. Unglazed Porcelain Tiles With those, you can get heavy-duty cuts that meet your specification and can be applied to many tiles. Take your tile to the home improvement store to try out glue. Some porcelain tiles are then glazed, which creates a shiny surface. To begin with, they are way more durable than other tiles and can also withstand heavy wear and tear. This is the result of a process that involves pressing and firing raw materials to create tiles that have lower water absorption. The clay used to build porcelain tiles is generally denser. Porcelain tiles were developed over centuries as an earthenware pottery product. Porcelain tiles have a high silica content. Depending on the toolkit you have at hand, you could either try a sander (with medium to coarse sandpaper) or a grinding disc. Ceramic floor tiles are mostly used for non-sleepy surface like bathroom. Tiles Bathroom is just a shower over bathtub + wc + basin with plasterboard walls (to be made good once old tiles are off). This kind … Ceramic tiles are made from red or white clays. Wall tiles, which have a wider range of colours and decorative surfaces, are produced using the bicottura method. Let’s look at a few of them. But some floor tiles are too heavy for walls, so this is something you must check before using floor tiles on your walls. (Most natural stone is at least 10mm thick and often up to 20mm thick) Small ceramic tiles are often used for walls and splashbacks and in most cases, a ready-mixed paste will be suitable for the job.If you’re fixing a larger ceramic tile (larger than 30 x 30 cm) or any size porcelain tile to your walls, you will need to use a powdered adhesive. Because of this focus on porcelain by tile manufacturers, there is now a huge choice available in porcelain for floor or wall areas. Although the translation implies these tiles are fired twice, they may in fact be fired several times, depending on the number of layers of glaze applied. Most tiles are too smooth for adhesive to properly bond and, in these cases, extra treatment is needed. Tile for Shower Walls. Porcelain tiles are available in four general types: 1. This is equivalent to ceramic tiles with a maximum thickness of 8mm plus tile adhesive or natural stone tiles with a maximum thickness of 7mm plus tile adhesive. A PEI of 2 is good for light residential areas like bathrooms. PEI is not quite as straightforward as COF, but it is vital for understanding your tiles. Plumber who is doing the work reckons this is not necessary and plans to strip old tiles, seal the walls with pva and tile as normal. Porcelain is denser than ceramic which means it has a lower absorption rate. However, opting for large tile pieces have their drawbacks too. Porcelain tiles or ceramic tiles are porcelain or ceramic tiles commonly used to cover floors and walls, with a water absorption rate of less than 0.5 percent. Creating a Feature Wall. A tile with a PEI of 1 will scratch and chip easily and should only be used on walls. Collage of various ceramic types - monocottura, bicottura plain, bicottura patterned, matte unglazed porcelain & glazed porcelain. Porcelain is denser than ceramic which means it has a lower absorption rate. If you’re not sure, call on a builder for advice. It is dense, heavy and super difficult to drill through. Pros: These tiles are quite durable. Buy extra tile for your project, since tiles will break in the process. Porcelain tiles are available through the Internet, home improvement stores and decorators. Top tip: Remember that tile swapping doesn’t work in reverse. Class 1 is suitable for walls only, whereas Class 5 is fit for heavy-duty foot traffic, such as in commercial settings. They are also scratch and … For large, standard-sized cuts, a wet saw or a tile saw is likely to be your best bet. The water absorption rate of porcelain tiles is less than 1 percent, so these tiles make a good choice for outdoor areas in cold climates, as they are frost-resistant if not frost-proof. Porcelain tiles are one type of vitrified tiles and are sometimes referred to as porcelain vitrified tiles. Essentially, porcelain is a type of man-made ceramic material. Yes, these tiles can be installed onto walls, however being a dense porcelain and combined with the weight of adhesive they will be too heavy for plastered or skimmed walls. Glazed porcelain tile: According to the Tile Council of North America, glazed porcelain tiles have a water absorption rate of 0.5 percent or less, which makes them an outstanding material for shower walls. The earliest porcelain tiles were used for flooring. Large expanses of porcelain tiles in smaller spaces are favoured to make the room look bigger whilst retaining a luxury finish. PEI – Porcelain Enamel Institute. They are versatile, offer a range of delightful choices, and can enhance any space. They can either be glazed or unglazed. The maximum weight of tiling which can be supported by a dry, well-adhered plaster background is 20kg/m². When installing porcelain tiles on walls, an aggressive adhesive is required to prevent tile slippage. Unlike shower wall panels, which can be heavy at times and require an additional pair of hands. Porcelain tiles are highly resistant against chipping and scratching. Wall Tiles Tiles which are fixed on Walls. Did a search on these forum but still confused as to what adhesive/grout to use for bathroom tiles. Tiling direct onto plasterboard, without plaster skim is more stable. What are the benefits of porcelain tiles? As a result, these walls can support a maximum weight of 32kg/m². The tiles with contrast colours are chosen to create a stunning effect that changes the ambience of the entire room. The majority of porcelain tiles are glazed porcelain and when chipped, the porcelain shows. Although ceramic tiles are highly recommended for interior floors and walls, porcelain tiles are more preferable, especially for places that must endure heavy traffic– this includes hallways, kitchen floors, and commercial applications. 2. Cutting porcelain tile can be achieved in a variety of different ways in order to achieve your perfect end results. Tile flooring comes in an infinite number of colors, textures, and patterns including tile … Glass and stone also make good tile for shower walls. You do not want your glue to discolor the tile. Porcelain tiles are highly resistant against chipping and scratching. The majority of porcelain tiles are glazed porcelain and when chipped, the porcelain shows. Supplier is suggesting that the tiles may be too heavy and simply pull off the boards from the "stud" walls and is trying to sell me Marmox Boards. ... Porcelain floor tiles & Vitrified floor tiles. If you are planning to create a feature wall, you should check your wall types first. Please help me decide. A tile with a PEI of 1 will scratch and chip easily and should only be used on walls. Thanks to the nature of porcelain tiles it’s easy and practical to install porcelain tiles on walls and then down on to the floor too.