Thickness of porcelain tiles for facade

Such a finishing material as porcelain stoneware was first used by Italians back in the late 1970s and has since gained immense popularity around the world. Today porcelain tiles are considered to be one of the most popular coatings for finishing exterior and interior surfaces.

The lining made of it has a beautiful appearance, versatility and durability. The material has been actively used in the decoration of building facades, equipping pedestrian paths and decorating rooms.

When choosing such products, it should be borne in mind that the thickness of ceramic granite, its size and weight determine the scope of each type of tile. That is why before buying this or that variant, it is necessary to pay attention to its technical characteristics.

What is made of porcelain stoneware

Very often one can hear the opinion that this kind of ceramic tile is made from natural granite, but this statement is erroneous. In fact, the components for the production of porcelain stoneware are:

• kaolin and illite clay;

• quartz sand;

• feldspar;

• Different coloring pigments.

The materials are pressed under the influence of pressure, after which they are fired in the furnace at high temperatures. During firing, all components are fused together, forming a solid monolithic structure. The design, size and thickness of the porcelain tile are set in the process of making the tile, so the manufacturer gets the finished product at the exit, which does not need to be cut and painted.

What linear dimensions can ceramic granite tiles have?

Determining which thickness of ceramic granite is optimal for a particular object, you should pay attention to the linear dimensions of the tile (width and height). In the construction markets, you can find products of the most diverse parameters, which allows you to perform many types of decoration with its application.

For decoration of surfaces inside premises the smallest tiles in the size 50х50 mm are used. The facing of multi-storey buildings is made with materials of the maximum size (1200х3600 mm). In interior decoration, products with sizes 300x300, 400x400 and 600x600 are very popular.

The thickness of the product

Choosing the products of a particular brand, it is necessary to take into account not only the size and color of the tile, but also its thickness. This indicator indicates how much the product is suitable for various loads and mechanical effects. However, this does mean that the more the thickness of porcelain is, the better it is suitable for laying on the floor.

To arrange some coatings, you can use more thin samples. In addition, if we take into account that thick products cost an order of magnitude more (which is related to the consumption of raw materials), then in order to choose ceramic granite it is necessary to understand more thoroughly in order to save yourself from unnecessary expenses.

The porcelain tiles are divided into three main types:

• hyperfine;

• standard;

• Thick.

What properties each option has, and what should be the thickness of porcelain for the facade, floor and various vertical surfaces, we will consider further.

Features and sizes of ultra-thin ceramic tiles

The finest ceramic granite tile is an innovative material that appeared on the domestic market quite recently, so it's no surprise that some masters did not have time to work with it yet. The thickness of the superfine granite hardly reaches 4 mm, while the width and height of the product are within 500x500 mm.

The merits of this variety include its low cost. Speaking of shortcomings, it is worth emphasizing the low strength and complexity in work. This is due to the small thickness of porcelain tiles. On the floor with a large patency of people and increased loads of such a tile is not stacked.

But for the arrangement of coatings in residential premises, where there is no heavy load on the base, such a tile will be a very advantageous option. It can be mounted directly on the old (but perfectly flat) coating. Most often, fine porcelain stoneware is laid on ceramic tiles.

In the process of work, the elements of the coating are taken with vacuum suckers, by means of which the product is carefully placed on the prepared surface. The cutting of the plate is carried out with the help of a special tool with water cooling and disks with diamond dusting.

Characteristics of plates of medium thickness

Ceramic granite of medium thickness is the most widespread and demanded today. It is considered a universal option and can be used in residential and industrial premises, in supermarkets and offices. This coating is capable of withstanding loads from 200 kg per square centimeter.

The thickness of plates ranges from 7 to 14 mm, while the dimensions can be very diverse (from 50x50 mm to 600x600 mm). Optimum thickness of porcelain for the facade, sidewalk and other external surfaces.

Products of medium thickness are of several types:

• technical tiles;

• glazed coatings;

• matte products;

• structured tiles;

• polished coatings.

Technical tiles are considered to be the most economical option, which is ideal for flooring in industrial premises. Its minimum thickness is 10 mm. It has an untreated rough surface, which is very important for the movement of equipment and the safety of workers.

Structured tiles are distinguished by the presence of various patterned reliefs. It is not thinner than 10 mm. In rooms where a large load is applied to the floor, this is the thickness of the porcelain tiles (more than 10 mm tiles are laid on the floor of the garage).

Other types are characterized by excellent decorative qualities and are used mostly in living quarters. The indicator of their thickness starts from a mark of 7 mm.

Thick granite

This category includes products with a thickness of more than 20 mm. They are characterized by maximum strength, durability and are more often used outside the premises.

In our country, such porcelain is rare, which is due to its high cost. In addition, because of the impressive weight of the material, the process of mounting the tiles becomes much more complicated, since it takes a lot of effort to move it.

Usually thick porcelain stoneware is laid without the use of adhesive compounds on the prepared sand base.

Thickness of porcelain tiles for ventilated facade

With the question of arrangement of the floor covering, everything is extremely simple - depending on the intensity of the loads, the optimum thickness of the slabs is selected. In the case of ventilated facades, the rule "the thicker the better" is not suitable, since the walls and foundation of the building may not withstand heavy loads.

As mentioned earlier, for tiling facades, the optimal option is a tile of an average thickness of 8 to 12 mm. Such products are characterized by sufficient strength and light weight.

When choosing ceramic granite for the facade, experts recommend giving preference to products with the maximum linear dimensions (600x600 or 600x300). Such plates immediately cover most of the frame, so that the time for finishing works is greatly reduced. It is also important that large plates form a smaller number of seams, creating the effect of monolithic lining.

What will be the total thickness of porcelain tiles with glue? How much will the floor rise?

In the process of repairing any premises to masters, it is very important to understand the height of the floor level after laying the facing material. To find out, it is not enough just to measure the thickness of the tile, because it will be laid on a layer of glue, which also slightly lifts the floor.

If as a facade was chosen ultra-thin ceramic granite, then the height of the room will change only by a couple of millimeters, because this tile is put on a minimum layer of adhesive.

A 10 mm thick tile is laid on an adhesive layer equal to 4 mm (assuming a perfectly flat surface). For elements of large size (600x600 mm), the adhesive layer should be increased to 7 mm.

Adding these indicators, you can calculate what the result will be the thickness of porcelain stoneware with glue. For floors that need to be leveled with a fixing mixture, the adhesive layer can be increased to 1 cm.

Manufacturers of porcelain tiles

I would like to say a few words about the producers of ceramic granite, since the quality of the material and the conformity of the products to certain sizes depend on their reliability.

The following brands have gained special popularity and consumer confidence:

1. Polish manufacturer, whose products are sold under the delirium of Cerrol. Ceramic granite of this brand is distinguished by its high resistance to low temperatures and abrasion.

2. Spanish brand Timber. The main emphasis of the manufacturer makes on the external perception of the product. On the tile of this trademark you can often see various drawings and embossing in the form of paintings by famous artists.

3. Domestic producer "Kerama Marazzi". The production of this product is carried out in the factories of Russia, nevertheless, the tile is not inferior in quality to known foreign analogues.

The dimensions and thickness of Keram Marazzi porcelain stoneware are very diverse and differ depending on the name of the collection. Plates with dimensions of 30x20 cm have a thickness of 9 mm, articles measuring 30x30 by 1 mm already.

The lining with dimensions of 20x80 cm is considered to be the thickest with this manufacturer (11 mm) and is much less common in the market. The most popular thickness of ceramogranite "Kerama Marazzi" (standard) - 9 mm. Such a tile measures 42х42 cm.

Cost of tiles

Depending on the manufacturer, the price tag for this finishing material can vary significantly. Foreign brands are much more expensive, although the quality does not always exceed domestic copies. The cheapest is considered Chinese tiles.

Products of Russian manufacturers (600x600) will cost about 700 rubles per m². The products of the above-mentioned Spanish brand will cost the buyer from 1200 rubles per m². Tiles of non-standard shapes and sizes will have a price tag 2-3 times higher, which is due to the technology of its production.

The thickness of ceramic granite also has a direct impact on its cost.

Tips for buying porcelain stoneware

1. When buying porcelain stoneware, do not give preference to too cheap products. Today in the shops you can find a veneer from 170 rubles per m². As practice shows, the linear dimensions of such tiles often do not coincide. This material will be very difficult to lay beautifully, and its service life is much less than usual.

2. Acquiring thick porcelain stoneware, take into account the fact that the procedure for its production is quite complicated, therefore, the occurrence of a marriage takes place. Experts recommend taking 2 tiles from one package and folding them face-to-face. If there are clearances between the products, the goods are obviously of poor quality.

3. Ultra-thin tiles can be purchased only in those cases where the job of laying it will be performed by a professional, since it will be very difficult for newcomers to do this work.

Conclusion

Analyzing all the above information, we can conclude that the performance of this material is most affected by the thickness of porcelain stoneware. The photos published in this article show all the variety and sophistication of this decoration, but how long it will last will depend on the correct choice of tiles and compliance with the technology of its installation.

We hope that we could answer all your questions regarding the choice of ceramic tiles. We wish you successful purchases and easy repair!