Ceramic Flooring

Ceramic Flooring

Ceramic flooring is a fantastically versatile architectural resource.

It can be used in a variety of environments and some of the attributes properties and applications of ceramic flooring can be employed.
Without having to worry about the constraints of water, stains and design.

What is ceramic flooring?

They are floors made up of ceramic tiles, these tiles are made from red or white clay.

The ceramic tiles are made of clay that has been fired in a kiln (a furnace for heating and baking pottery). Tiles have numerous applications and can be used in several areas throughout a house. It have the ability to be printed with almost any color, design, pattern, or texture that is imaginable. This gives you a wide variety of design and style options when choosing this material.

Types of ceramic floors

Glazed

Glazed ceramic tiles have a protective layer or coat of enamel or liquid glass that rests over the material. This keep the tile from absorbing stains while improving the durability of each piece. The glaze is also what gives ceramic tiles their colour and patterns.

Unglazed

Unglazed ceramic tiles do not have the thin coat of liquefied glass applied over the top surface. While not as stain resistant as glazed tiles, unglazed tiles are not as slippery. This is one of the reasons why they are a better choice in certain situations.

Pros of ceramic floors

Water resistant

The protective layer that rests over the material, makes them impervious to water and stain penetration.

Versatility

Glazed ceramic tiles are naturally resistant to the ravages of high humidity conditions making them ideal for use in moist environments such as bathrooms or kitchens.

Durability

Ceramic flooring is extremely tough and the tiles are difficult to crack. A quality installation can last for 10 – 20 years and longer if well maintained.

Maintenance

Ceramic tiles are fairly easy to care for, Dirt, stains, and liquids all rest on the surface, allowing you to easily wipe or mop them away.

No allergy concerns

Due to the hard surface of ceramic tiles, it tends to not attract any dirt, dust, animal hair, or pollens. This helps keep the air free of irritating materials to those that suffer from allergies.

Cons of ceramic floors

Uncomfortable

Ceramic flooring is extremely hard!

This material unlike resilient floors cannot be softened using padded under-layers. Which means it might not be a suitable choice for some.
Ceramic can be off set by using throw rugs or area rugs. Some places people tend to stand for a lengthy period of time.

Cold

Ceramic flooring, unfortunately, does not hold on to heat very well. When it gets chillier in the winter, it can be uncomfortable to walk on. The flip side to this is that ceramic can be quite comfortable underfoot on a hot summer day.

Heavy

Ceramic tiles can be very heavy, which means that in some cases, they might not be an appropriate choice for upper story installations.
Incase you choose to install ceramic flooring on the second or third story. Recommended to have a qualified professional check the integrity of the structure.

Installation

Ceramic tiles are hard and heavy and they need to be installed using a variety of mortars, grouts and tools.

For these reasons, many people choose to hire a contractor, which can end up being moderately expensive.

Applications of ceramic tiles

Glazed ceramic tiles are most suitable for indoor use and can be found in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms.

The glazing process allows them to be created in virtually every colour of the rainbow, giving them almost universal appeal.

Glaze tiles in many outdoor settings, because their rough texture makes them highly slip resistant.

Addition of minerals to the unbaked clay a variety of colours and tones are available.

At the moment they are still limited.

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