Flooring 101: Using Porcelain Tiles for Your Next Project

When it comes to tiling your property, you’ll come across different material types to choose from. One of the most common tile materials used in both residential and commercial properties is porcelain. This type of ceramic material is well known for its incredible strength and durability.

If you’re torn which material to choose for your project, then porcelain tiles are your best bet! To cement that point further, here are things to know about porcelain tile and why it could be the right choice for you:

What are Porcelain Tiles?

This material is made from clay that is baked at extremely high temperatures. Typically, it is glazed to keep the clay from soaking up moisture and liquids. Compared to ceramic, porcelain is denser and has a longer service life than your average tile. Because of its durability, it can withstand high foot traffic—making it the perfect material for high volume areas in both commercial and residential settings.

The Different Types of Porcelain Tiles

Wall Tiles - These are ideal for wet rooms, such as showers. You can also use this in the living room as a wall accent.

Floor Tiles - Due to its waterproof and pet-proof qualities, it’s easy to find floors made of porcelain. These are best for kitchens, bathrooms, and some common sitting areas.

Mosaic Wall Tiles - This is where small pieces of porcelain tile are laid out in a pattern on a mesh backing. It’s eye-catching by design and ideal for kitchen backsplashes or accent strips in showers.

Where to Use Porcelain Tiles

A porcelain tile is available in various shapes, sizes, styles, and colors. You can use this material for floor spaces with high-foot traffic, making it perfect additions to bathrooms and gardens.

For example, if you have an outdoor patio—or if you plan to build one for your home—then you can use a porcelain tile for its floors. It’s an excellent material to use because it’s water-resistant, frost-proof, and highly durable.

What to Look for

When buying a porcelain tile, there are some things you need to keep in mind:

Choose the Right Kind - Porcelain tiles are classified by “class,” which indicates its resistance to wear-and-tear.

Choose the Right Grade - The grade indicates the porcelain’s overall quality that is associated with its thickness. Grade 1 is the highest grade, which is 3/4” thick, while Grade 3 is the thinnest, with 1/4” thickness.

Choose the Right Color - Unknown to some, porcelain doesn’t only come in the color white. There is a wide range of colors you can choose from—and you can even find patterned ones!

Get That Smooth Finish

Some of the best qualities of porcelain tiles are its smooth and poreless surface. It’s not only for aesthetics, but its smoothness and “lack of pores” help block out moisture effectively! As such, choosing this material either for your walls or floors is an excellent idea.

The challenge here is to find the right one that will perfectly suit your needs. You need to ensure that you buy from a reputable flooring company, or you can hire a flooring service that can help you with choosing out the best ones for your project. That way, you’ll have an expert’s opinion that could help make your project a success!

Are you looking for a flooring company in California to add that “wow” factor to your remodeling project? Reno Concepts OC is here to help you out! We’re a one-stop-shop, kitchen and bath, design and build studio in Irvine, California. Get in touch with us today and get a free estimate!