FLOOR & WALL TILES
the differences & care maintenance of your tiles Tiles explained - what are the differences? Firstly, it is important to understand that technically all tiles are ‘ceramics’ . The general manufacture of a ceramic tile is the mixing, pressing, firing and finishing of clays, however by varying elements of the processes we determine the type of tile and the general category we know them as. On a scale of entry level to premium ceramic tiles, Monocottura or Bicottura tiles are your entry to mid level, where as Porcelain tiles are your mid to premium level tiles. Monocottura, or Bicottura -cooked once or twice respectfullly, are generally your entry level wall and floor ceramic tiles. For all intensive purposes they are a hard wearing and economical covering for residential housing, however in the scale of tiles available to the market they are generally softer in structure and can absorb water and so a protective ‘glaze’ is applied to its surface. Glaze gives the tile’s surface its strong wearing properties and is what stops the tile absoprbing stains and dirt. Glaze comes in unlimited options so you will find tiles in thousands of textures, colours, and gloss levels. Monocottura and Bicottura wall and floor tiles have been around for thousands of years and have stood the test of time, but as technologies improve so to does the end product. ‘Porcelains’ tiles are effectively ceramic tiles of a denser, stronger nature. Using a combination of varying clays, silicas and additives, extruded under extreme pressure and then cooked at high temperatures, we get a ceramic tile that is much superior to a Monocottura or Bicottura product. It also has minimal or no waterabsorption properties and therefore can not only have glaze added to its surface, but its surface can be mechanically treated to give us a honed, matt, semi polished or high polished finish.
Is one better than the other? In essence, yes, Porcelain tiles are better than Monocottura or Bicottura product in terms of its strength, quality in finishes and options available, however, they ‘all’ still have a place in any construction process. Choosing a tile is a matter of the specifications needed, the look you want to achieve, and ultimately budget. Overall, ‘Tiles’ are the most durable, environmentally sustainable and healthy flooring option for your home. Whether you choose Monocottura, Bicottura or Porcelain, you will be investing smartly in the long term value of your home.
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4 Simple steps to care and maintain your tiles. 1. Before mopping always sweep or vacuum tiles to remove dust and dirt. 2. Always use a clean mop and add warm/hot water to the bucket. Most importantly change the dirty water for clean water every 20m2-30m2 of mopping. 3. Never add supermarket detergents to the water. These can leave a soapy residue on your tiles and can be the main cause for dirt sticking to the surface or things like water stains or foot print marks appearing. Use a light Phosphoric Acid cleaner (not hydrocholoric acid) which is available from your local tiles store. 4. Twice a year use a heavier concentrate of Phosphoric Acid cleaner (not hydrocholoric acid) and scrub the tiles and grout with a medium/hard bristle brush. This process will strip back grime and bring your tiles to their clean, original surface. Mop off the residue with warm water. Here’s a tip - a builder’s clean is not a thorough clean so you will have to clean your tiles thoroughly before you move in. We suggest you do steps 1 to 4 before you move in to get your tiles looking their best and making long term care and maintenance easy.