Porcelain: thickness of floor tiles

Ceramic granite is a popular finishing material for both internal and external works. From the tiles of the presented variety, a durable coating is obtained for walls, floors, even in damp, cold rooms, and also on the street. From this material it is good to create sidewalks, paths. The facades are also finished with tiles of this type.

Ceramic granite, the thickness and size of which are very diverse, requires a special approach when choosing. From its parameters depends the scope of the material. A variety of textures and colors allows you to create a beautiful decorative coating for a variety of objects.

Manufacturing process

Finishing tiles (granite tiles), the dimensions, the thickness of which differ by the increased strength and durability, were previously produced in our country for industrial or other premises with increased load.

To give the coating the required strength, the manufacturers use a special technology in the manufacturing process. The materials are pressed at a high pressure of 450-500 kg / cm². After that, the tile is fired at 1200-1300 ° C.

The slip, which is subjected to such treatment, consists of clay, sand, coal, feldspar. Special pigments and water are added to the mixture. Sometimes, to create some shades, various oxides are added to the material. It all depends on the way the tiles are applied and the desired decorative effect.

Properties of porcelain tiles

Ceramic granite, the thickness and characteristics of which are determined by the technology of production, has a number of unique qualities. They explain the durability and strength of such products.

The water absorption of the surface of granite is from 0.01 to 0.05%. This allows the coating to repel moisture quite well. The bending strength of domestic materials is 480-550 kg / cm², while for imported products it can reach 600 kg / cm².

The wear resistance of ceramic granite is higher than that of conventional tiles. It reaches 3-5 points. Its hardness on the Mohs scale is 6-8 points. The characteristic feature of ceramic granite is frost resistance. The number of cycles is 3-4 times higher than this parameter when compared with tiles. With a decrease in temperature from +5 to -5 ºС, frost resistance is up to 300 periods. Therefore, this material is used for street installation.

Format

Studying the thickness of ceramic granite will be optimal for each object, it is necessary to pay attention to its format. A variety of sizes allows you to create a different finish.

The smallest tiles from this material are now produced in a format of 5 x 5 cm, and the most bulky ones are 120 x 360 cm.

In the latter case, the ceramic granite is relatively small in thickness and is used for finishing facades. The most commonly used formats are 30 x 30, 40 x 40 and 60 x 60 cm.

The smaller the size of the tiles, the more visible seams will be the finish. But products with small dimensions can easily be mounted on the surface with slight irregularities. Plates in the format of 60 x 60 need a perfectly flat base.

Caliber

During production, the edges of the tiles may remain uneven. The run-up of this indicator can reach 1-2 cm in different batches. Therefore, when packing, the caliber must be taken into account.

Tiles from one lot are put in the delivery set. Their caliber is the same.

If high accuracy is required for this parameter, the porcelain stoneware, whose thickness is also kept at the same level, is cut off. Such products have a mono caliber. Special diamond equipment cuts off excess material.

Such boards can be mounted in a seamless manner. This is ideal for facades. The flooring is created using conventional sorted porcelain stoneware. It must be from the same party.

Thickness of material

The thickness of porcelain stoneware for the street or interior decoration can be from 3 to 30 mm. When choosing it, they are guided by the level of the load, especially if a floor covering is created. According to construction standards, the thickness of ceramic granite for floors in rooms with high loads should be at least 8 mm. If there is heavy technological equipment in the room, this figure increases to a minimum of 12 mm.

However, for the finishing of facades, facing the walls, you can apply a thin ceramic granite. Smaller in thickness tiles can, with proper installation, not yield in strength to thick porcelain stoneware. It is necessary to choose the correct format. Tiles of thickness 8.6 mm can withstand a pressure of 200 kg / cm².

Key questions when choosing

The cost of granite depends on its thickness. Therefore, reinforced materials are chosen for warehouse, industrial premises for the arrangement of the floor. Thin varieties are great for wall decoration. For example, porcelain stoneware with a thickness of 20 mm should not be mounted on a wall, since the weight of such a finish is very large. Not every partition is able to withstand such a load.

For a floor covering subjected to high pressure and vibrations, the format of the tiles is reduced. Most often for such purposes porcelain is used 30 x 30 cm. Wall elements can have the largest dimensions. At the same time, their thickness remains minimal.

Porcelain is of great weight. Therefore, choosing the material for finishing, be sure to take this feature into account. The thicker the tiles, the greater the load the base is exposed to.

Cost

The thickness of porcelain tiles for floors and walls largely determines the cost of the material. This is also affected by the country of manufacture and the general design of the tiles. Domestic manufacturers are creating a fairly good quality material. But imported porcelain stoneware has more shades and formats.

Russian and Chinese materials in the format of 60 x 60 cm will cost the buyer about 500 rubles. For 1 m². Italian porcelain of the same format will cost about 1,5 thousand rubles. For 1 m², and Spanish - 700 rubles. For 1 m².

If the size of the tile is non-standard, it will be quite expensive to purchase such a finish. Domestic production produces a coating of only popular, standard dimensions. Wishing to purchase a 10 x 10 cm material, you will have to pay about 1,700 rubles. For 1 m². Such products are most often produced by Italian producers.

Do not buy cheap (from 170 rubles per 1 m²) tiles, because even in one package there are different sizes of products. Such products are much inferior to almost all the characteristics of medium and high-cost finishes. Therefore, it is better not to save on the quality of the presented material. On this depends the durability of the entire finish.

Cutting tiles

When installing the cladding yourself, it is necessary to prepare the appropriate tool. It is best to entrust this work to professionals. But if you want, you can do it yourself.

It should immediately be clear that the equipment for tiles is not suitable. Cutting, for example, porcelain stoneware (thickness 10 mm and above), it is necessary to use only a high-quality high-strength tool. It is better if it is electric.

The cutting tool has a diamond-coated blade. Sometimes, for similar purposes, we use an angle grinder (angle grinder). But it will be a lot of dust. Therefore, it is worth buying a special tile cutter for porcelain stoneware. It can be mechanical and electrical. The second option is preferable if the amount of work and the thickness of porcelain stoneware are large.

Thin sheets of material can be tried with a diamond cut glass. But for this it is necessary to have sufficient experience in carrying out such actions.

Expert advice

Experienced builders adhere to certain rules when carrying out finishing works from porcelain stoneware. Their advice will help the novice master to do the job well.

Mounting porcelain flooring, the thickness of which is quite large, it is better not to lay the tile exactly one above the other. In this case it is better to give preference to editing with offset. This approach allows you to hide the unevenness of the edges that may be present when trimming or calibrating. However, cutting in this case will require much more.

Also, experts do not recommend using a hand-cut glass cutter when cutting porcelain stoneware. To draw an even line on the material, it takes some experience. Before starting the installation, it is necessary to calculate the arrangement of all rows of tiles. If a narrow strip remains at the end, the first row should also be trimmed. This will also avoid cutting a thin strip of porcelain, which greatly facilitates the work and improves the appearance of the finish.

Having considered what the granite is, the thickness of which is selected according to the method presented above, it is possible to make a high-quality finish using it. This cladding has proved itself well both in street and in the room installation. Correctly selected thickness of plates will create a durable, durable coating. It will have high aesthetic characteristics, as well as strength and reliability. Therefore, such material is very popular today.