porcelain-floor-tiles-are-a-great-option

How can porcelain tiles improve the style of your bathroom?

Porcelain was first invented in China during the sixth century and was used to make different forms of cookware and tableware. Nowadays, porcelain has made its way into various aspects of contemporary life. You can see it being used in applications like dentistry, chemistry, and electrical insulation. The most familiar use, a floor tile option!

No doubt, porcelain tiles have become one of the top flooring choices for homeowners from all over the globe. They work well in kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, and other parts of the household. While some porcelain floor tiles may seem expensive at first, they offer many benefits that make them worth the cost.

Are you planning to remodel your bathroom soon? If so, make sure you use porcelain tiles for your walls and floors.

Here are some of the top reasons they are the perfect choice for your bathrooms, regardless of their size and design.

Sturdy and Durable

Porcelain has a significant amount of durability and crack and chip resistance. This make it one of the best flooring options available for floors and walls. Additionally, tiles made of porcelain are resistant to compression forces. This makes them suitable for locations that receive a lot of foot traffic like living rooms, halls, and bathrooms.

Due to the complex baking process, porcelain often fares better in durability and strength than the average ceramic tile. Also, they are denser, and since they are thicker and have a less porous surface area, they are more resistant to water penetration. This quality makes them suitable for bathrooms, where surfaces are constantly wet.

While some tiles may have similar durability as porcelain tiles, they are also often more porous, making them harder to clean. So, if you plan to floor wet areas like bathrooms and showers, porcelain should be your top material choice. It’s durability and resistance characteristics make it a safe and functional tile that will stay sturdy and not crack immediately.

Low Maintenance and Hygienic

Some of the common mistakes homeowners make about their carpets, ceramic tiles, and stone slabs are staining, brittleness, and mold. You might be wondering if you will encounter the same issues with porcelain? While these are still possible in certian situations, the chances are much lower because of porcelain’s natural properties.

Porcelain floor tiles are water-resistant, making them easy to clean. Only the messiest of spills will reduce the glamor of porcelain tiles, but even then, you should be able to recover their beauty. Additionally, since they are more crack-resistant, they are also less prone to bathroom issues like mold, potential allergens, and bacterial growth since they will not have any place to cultivate and spread.

As a plus, porcelain tiles are easy to maintain, so all you need to do is sweep your tiles regularly and wipe them down with a sanitized cloth. This makes them the perfect choice for bathrooms, which homeowners need to clean often because of their heavy use.

Porcelain is easy to clean, relatively simple to maintain, and more hygienic than most flooring materials.

Unparalleled Beauty and Versatility

By now, you likely already know that porcelain is functional and fabulous for the bathroom. Beyond these qualities, porcelain floor tiles are also aesthetic and appealing. Porcelain is known for having that unique sheen and a wide range of extravagant designs that you can explore.

Another distinct trait of porcelain is its capability to copy other types of flooring. For example, it can mimic the looks of granite slabs, marble chunks, and even certain types of wood. Thus, you can avoid hardwood floors’ high costs and maintenance requirements by getting porcelain tiles with wood-like patterns.

The tiles give you the best of both worlds since they offer the greatest functionality without compromising beauty.

To give you a better idea of what to expect when shopping for porcelain floor tiles, here are the two main types:

Full-Bodied or Unglazed Tiles

Full-bodied tiles are also known as through-body or unglazed tiles. They have a more natural look and are pigmented by various mineral deposits present within each batch.

These tiles feature a uniform color and have a more textured feel from end to end. But, they need more maintenance than their glazed counterparts since they need a sealant layer to cut unwanted staining.

Glazed Tiles

As its name suggests, glazed tiles are porcelain tiles glazed with enamel or liquid glass on top of them. The glaze serves as an added layer of protection to the main tile. It creates a more stain-proof surface while resisting liquids that want to seep in, making these tiles particularly useful for bathrooms.

The glaze also acts as a canvas for more design and color options. Glazed porcelain tiles come in woven patterns and exquisite details that can make your bathroom look elegant and sophisticated.

Best Value for Your Money

When porcelain was first introduced in local markets, it was on the more expensive side. With the help of modern machinery, the material has become more accessible for rooms and surfaces. This includes surfaces with curves or off-angles, making it more appealing for mass production.

Due to modernized processes and techniques, the price of entry for a porcelain floor has also never been lower. Porcelain may still cost a bit more than certain types of tiling, but in the long run, you may indeed save yourself from frequent repairs. Investing in porcelain guarantees you reliable and beautiful flooring when maintained.

Why You Should Hire Professionals for Tile Installation

Selecting the right size, design, texture, and color for your bathroom tiles can make all the difference. For example, if you have a small bathroom, it would be best to choose light-colored tiles to make the space look more open and expansive.

Beyond the difficulties involved in choosing the suitable porcelain floor tiles, installation is another challenging aspect. Porcelain tiles are not the easiest to install, especially if you plan to cut out the corners from a premade slab manually. Also, their weight and density can be tricky to deal with and handle, especially if you have no knowledge or experience with this type of work.

Given these potential problems, it would be best to hire professionals to help you with design and installation. This can save you time, money, and resources in the long run.

Porcelain Tile Installation for Your Bathroom

If you need help selecting the right tiles for your bathroom, then look no further! Native Tile Design is a professional tile company with over 25 years of experience and an expert team to help you with all your tiling needs. Call us today at (727) 754-4514 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your plans. From there, we can course you through our tile options until we find the right one for your bathroom!