Porcelain comes in many colors and patterns, depending on the pigments, clays, and visual designs used during manufacturing. High-resolution designs allow manufacturers to create porcelain tiles that resemble natural stone, including marble.
Ancient Chinese porcelain are based on five colors: red, yellow, green, blue and purple. Porcelain with these five colors are instantly recognizable for their elaborate brushwork. Today, you can still find masters of such art in Jingdezhen, birthplace of the craft.
Porcelain has been described as being "completely vitrified, hard, impermeable (even before glazing), white or artificially coloured, translucent (except when of considerable thickness), and resonant".
What makes through-body porcelain tiles ideal for high-traffic areas is its ability to hide scratches, chips and wear. The entire tile is composed of the same material and the color on the top goes all the way through, so scratches easily blend in with the surface.
According to Bob Vila, most tiles, except for glazed quarry tiles, can be painted over. Ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone are fair game, but they need to be sanded, primed, and painted with epoxy paint. Bathroom walls and backsplashes are better suited for painting.
The best process for re-coloring ceramic tile involves properly cleaning and bonding a hi-tech acrylic coating to the original tile surface. This process is most often called refinishing, resurfacing, or reglazing. The best refinishing results are produced by professional refinishers.
Take care to avoid exposing porcelain to permanent inks or dyes, as these might not be removable. If porcelain surfaces are exposed to permanent marker or dye, rinse the area with water as soon as possible then apply approved cleaning product. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
Porcelain clays are denser and thus less porous than ceramic clays. This makes porcelain tile harder and more impervious to moisture than ceramic tile. Due to its through-body composition, it is considered more durable and better suited for heavy usage than ceramic tile.
Classic White
White is a classic choice that doesn't go old. While it can be tempting to gravitate to fixtures in trendy colors, keep in mind that these can become dated quite quickly.
Cost of Porcelain vs. Ceramic. While both ceramic and porcelain are less expensive than most renovation materials, their price differences are due to their density differences. Porcelain tiles are therefore more expensive than ceramic tiles.
The collections of dark porcelain tiles include different colors with special shades and patterns: from black to brown, from dark gray to blue.
A gray porcelain tile floor isn't just minimalist and essential, it's also ideal for making furnishings, walls, and fabrics in contrasting colors stand out. In fact, the versatility of gray makes it possible to match it with any other shade without diminishing its allure.
A high-quality porcelain is often thicker – ⅜” to ½” thick in many cases, making it more durable. And whether a porcelain tile is glazed or not, steps are often taken to ensure a superior finish. This is why good quality porcelain can so closely resemble natural stone or even wood.
Porcelain tile has the same color throughout the material. A broken or chipped piece of unglazed porcelain will have a uniform color throughout its thickness. Ceramic tile often has a glazed surface coloring, so chips may reveal a different color underneath. The finish of porcelain is smoother than that of ceramic.
The three main types of porcelain are true, or hard-paste, porcelain; artificial, or soft-paste, porcelain; and bone china. Porcelain was first made in China—in a primitive form during the Tang dynasty (618–907) and in the form best known in the West during the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368).
Pottery is opaque; light does shine through a piece of porcelain. Pottery breaks in a line. Porcelain is thinner, lighter and more stain-resistant. If you hold a pottery plate in one hand and a porcelain plate in the other, you will find the porcelain is colder and the pottery is heavier.
Grey bathroom tiles have been around for a long time and are still as popular as ever. They give bathrooms an air of sophistication and class, while their neutral tone allows you to add your own personal touches. Plus, grey is timeless—it never goes out of style.
We recommend choosing pale tile shades such as white, cream, beige or grey because they can make the room look lighter and brighter.
Cracked Shower Glass and Rusty Metal Fixtures
Like an old medicine cabinet, cracked glasses and rusty metal fixtures all give the impression of neglect—not to mention, date your bathroom years.
Porcelain tile is a type of ceramic, but they make it from a more cultivated clay and bake it at higher temperatures. This makes it a tough scratch-resistant flooring choice. Unglazed porcelain is the best when it comes to scratch resistance.
1. Lower quality materials: The tiles may be made from lower quality materials, which can affect their durability and longevity. 2. Mass production: The tiles may be produced on a large scale, which can lower the cost per unit.
Porcelain tile has a 60+ year life expectancy, so you definitely get your money's worth. It's perfect for walls, floors and indoor/outdoor installations. Rated for high-traffic areas, you won't have to worry about your porcelain floor degrading over time.
Never use a product containing ammonia or bleach (or any type of acid-based cleanser); these can alter the tile color and/or stain the grout. Never use oil-based detergents or wax cleaners. On unglazed porcelain, never use any cleaners that contain dye or coloring.
White vinegar costs less than the common store-bought cleaners, but can still effectively disinfect any surface without leaving a chemical residue. Cleaning floor tiles with vinegar is safe, as long they are porcelain or ceramic.
It can improve your house's appearance, make your floor more resistant to spills, and even make cleaning easier. When done right, it also increases your home's value!