Understanding the Pros and Cons of Porcelain Tiles
Pros and Cons of Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles have become increasingly popular in recent years. This is largely due to their beauty, durable nature, ease of maintenance, and relatively low cost. However, before you rush out to your local tile shop to buy porcelain tiles, there are a few things that you may want to consider first.
The most obvious reason for using porcelain tiles on your home or office is that they are very durable and scratch resistant. Porcelain is extremely durable and can withstand a lot of punishment and abuse over the years. Porcelain tile is also a very fire resistant flooring material. These two facts combined mean that porcelain tiles are very good at resisting damage from heat, fire and water. That being said, it is important to note that some types of porcelain tiles are more absorbent than others.
As mentioned above, porcelain tiles tend to be much less porous than most other materials such as slate or stone. This makes them slightly harder to clean than other tile types. This hardiness means that if you want to use a high pressure washer on a porcelain tile, you may need to use a slightly stronger washer (more so than a regular dishwasher) to ensure that all of the stains and dirt you pick up are removed. Porcelain tile is also known to be slightly more crack resistant than many other flooring surfaces. However, this should not put you off if you have children or pets that tend to get into things, since they can still easily grind up the tile and make their own mark.
Understanding the Pros and Cons of Porcelain Tiles
As mentioned above, porcelain tiles tend to be much less absorbent than many other materials, including granite and marble. This is one area where they really score against the other stone tile varieties, because unlike stone tiles, clay are more likely to be absorbed into the surface. Therefore, even though a thin layer of liquid stains a porcelain tile, the absorption level is much lower than that of class, meaning that you will have to spend a little bit more time on cleaning your ceramic tiles if you want to maintain their durability.
Finally, another reason why porcelain tiles are considered to be a more durable product is that they are much easier to repair. As mentioned above, they do not absorb a lot of water, making them far more likely to be able to resist staining from liquids. Because of this, the chances of water damage are substantially reduced when using porcelain tiles instead of natural stone or slate. Additionally, it is not unusual for homeowners to find that their porcelain tiles have been accidentally restored to their original look after water damage. In such cases, it is not unusual for the homeowner to be able to bring out the damaged tile and use it as an example when restoring the rest of the room to its original appearance.
As you can see, porcelain tiles have a number of advantages over natural stones or slate, but there are some disadvantages as well. One of the most important pros and cons, however, remains the fact that porcelain tiles are more susceptible to water damage. Another consideration is the fact that porcelain tiles tend to show fingerprints more easily than natural stones, so they may not be the best choice if you plan to use your flooring as an opportunity to promote a clean and healthy lifestyle. As you can see, the pros and cons of porcelain tiles make it a difficult decision for any homeowner to make.
About The Author
