White porcelain stoneware: texture features

Porcelain stoneware is an artificial stone, which, despite the name, has nothing to do with natural granite, but is in no way inferior in strength. It was invented on the Apennine Peninsula three decades ago. Recently, white porcelain stoneware is gaining great popularity as a facing material.

Porcelain stoneware is not inferior in strength to natural stone and looks aesthetically attractive. The variety of textures and shades of porcelain stoneware is dictated by the peculiarities of the manufacturing technology and processing of this practical material.

To create porcelain stoneware used:

• White kaolin clays;
• Refined quartz sand;
• Spars;
• Natural pigments.

The prepared thick mass is poured into molds and processed. The technologies for the production of ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware are similar, the only difference is that porcelain stoneware is created using a more powerful pressure - up to 460 kg / cm, firing takes place at a higher temperature - up to 1300 C. As a result, a denser substance is formed, in which much fewer micropores, so porcelain stoneware is stronger than ceramic tiles.

The white color of the tiles is provided by metal oxides - cobalt, zirconium, chromium, which are added to the prepared mixture. Depending on the time of their interaction with clay, shades of different brightness are obtained. So far, no one has been able to get an absolutely pure color, the maximum whiteness of porcelain stoneware is 72%.

Advantages:

• You can create any texture and shade.
• The color of all ceramic tiles is uniform throughout the entire volume.
• Has a high coefficient of water resistance.
• It has good resistance to temperature and humidity changes.
• Does not interact with aggressive chemicals.
• It has a high density, does not lend itself to external mechanical influences.
• Safe from an environmental point of view.

White artificial stone always creates the perfect background for any interior, it can be:

Matt - one of the most durable facing materials, it is used almost everywhere, especially in rooms where there is high humidity and temperature differences. It withstands mechanical loads well, often the floors of rooms with high traffic are tiled with matte artificial stone.

Glossy - the material is being ground. In terms of strength, polished porcelain stoneware is inferior to matte; during operation, its surface must be treated with various compounds that maintain shine;

Satin - has a pleasant matte shade, is highly durable. Before heat treatment, the surface is coated with mineral salt. Poorly tolerates mechanical stress, it is used mainly as a decorative facing material.

Rectified - cut using a special technology, the surface after laying has no seams;

Glazed - before firing, the surface is covered with a special enamel, after heat treatment, such an artificial stone is difficult to distinguish from marble;

Lappated - the name comes from the Italian "lappato", translated as "shabby". After firing, the material undergoes a special treatment: the grinder cuts off the upper layers in some areas, the surface becomes rough or polished in some places.

There is a large selection of white artificial stone on the market from different manufacturers. It is famous for its good quality and high sales level of porcelain stoneware from Germany and Italy. Chinese facing material, due to low prices, is also in great demand.

The most valuable is porcelain stoneware, which reproduces natural stone. Among the expensive white tiles are imitations of rare types of marble, various textures - wood, leather, fabric. The more the original solution and the higher the degree of whiteness, the higher the price will be for it.

There is no 100% white porcelain stoneware, the technology does not allow for the suppression of coloring pigments during firing. Most often, the term "white porcelain stoneware" means all kinds of tones: ivory, baked milk, etc. The possible degree of whiteness ranges from 50 to 70-72%.

They are distinguished by design:

• Monochrome or monocolor - absolutely monochromatic material without streaks and inclusions, has a uniform color throughout the tile, the graininess is almost invisible. The brightest, the whitest, the most expensive. There are models where staining is present only in the top layer; this type of monocolor porcelain stoneware is cheaper.
• Achromatic - for white porcelain stoneware in this case we are talking about light. subtle shades of natural stone: pale green, pink, etc.
• Salt pepper - the surface is in small blotches, which are slightly lighter or darker than the base. Mainly light colors prevail. Often, floors made of this material can be found in business centers, they look restrained and personable. Often, "salt and pepper" are additionally polished, framed and decorated with them in the halls of hotels or concert halls.

Marble will always remain a classic material with an infinite number of variations. The most popular are achromatic and light shades. The lapped and polished artificial stone has the greatest saturation and depth.

The dimensions of the tiles depend on its intended use: for external or internal work. What matters is the type of finish, the operating conditions, the rate of permeability of the room, etc. The thickness of an ordinary product is in the range - from 7 mm to 10, for external cladding - from 12 to 20 mm.

White square tiles are available in a variety of sizes, the most common: 15x15 cm; 30x30 cm; 45x45 cm; 75x75 cm; 95x95 cm.

Some non-standard sizes are in high demand: 15x30; 30x45; 30x60; 120x40; 120x15; 120x30.

The maximum size of porcelain stoneware is most often used for facing the external walls of objects - 1200x600 mm.

It is rather difficult for a layman to distinguish marble from porcelain stoneware, while marble is more expensive. Considering this fact, you can save a lot of money, and the strength and quality of the finish will not be affected.

White porcelain stoneware is faced with: terraces, halls, bathrooms, even bedrooms. White is the basis that collects all other colors in the composition. As an example, we can recall Scandinavian interiors, high-tech, techno style, commercial loft. The white floor visually expands the room.

If the apartment is decorated in a rural style - eco, Provence, then porcelain stoneware, which reproduces bleached wood, is often chosen for the floor. Its embossed surface looks super natural.

The floors look spectacular, in which there are inclusions of various shades.In recent years, the design of tiles has gained great popularity, which is successfully used in its products by Mezon: white porcelain stoneware is combined with bright color splashes: red, yellow, blue and black.

The set of colors can be arbitrary or grouped according to a specific algorithm. Such collections are distinguished by their simplicity and charm.

The texture and color of white porcelain stoneware can be very different. Now super white porcelain stoneware of the VS-70 brand is in fashion, which can be harmoniously present almost everywhere in the interior. Contrasting compositions of super white porcelain stoneware come with black tiles, against its background the material looks very bright and stylish.

The price of porcelain stoneware is directly proportional to what percentage of the mass is painted over with the main color, which does not affect the strength and durability of the material. Manufacturers produce double-pressed porcelain stoneware, such an artificial stone has a good whiteness coefficient, but is cheaper.

You can learn about the features of porcelain stoneware and how to choose it correctly from the following video.