Ceramic tile floors are a popular choice among home makers. They can be convenient and aesthetic at the same time. Among the various tile flooring options, there is always a concern about the impact on the environment that these tiles will have. There is good news because now you can have Eco-Friendly Ceramic Tiles. Yes, it is a possibility. Let’s go into some details of these tiles.
About Ceramic Tiles:
To make ceramic tiles, all the raw material is shaped and molded and put inside a kiln at high temperatures. The longer the tile stayed in the kiln would determine how durable the tile would be. It would use up a lot of energy and even release a lot of CO2, causing a lot of pollution in the atmosphere. But with modern technology things have changes. Now we have much more efficient machinery, in which the work that was done by the kiln in days can now be done in hours. The energy can be created and diverted in a much more productive manner. Now it has become possible to produce ceramic tiles with low waste and lower pollution.
Even though the demand for ceramic has kept rising since the 1970s, the manufacturers have reduced pollution to almost half of what it used to be. This is all with the help of the technology that has made this entire process more efficient.
The energy that is used in the production also determines its impact on the environment. If wood or coal is used in the manufacturing process then it can turn out to have an adverse affect on the environment. Instead if energy from wind, water, solar or even nuclear power is harnessed, then it can turn out to be an eco-friendly process and product.
Glazing is a process by which the ceramic tile is fired to give a strong and attractive surface. One glaze is usually enough for a tile even though people go for double and triple glazed tiles. If you want the eco-friendly option then you should opt for single glazed tiles. The glaze is usually made up of melted glass which is poured. It is not harmful when it’s on the tile but it may contain some toxic material such as lead. This may contaminate the environment after these tiles are disposed off. But now we have manufacturers who use less toxic materials in their glaze. So, by choosing the right manufacturer you can make an eco-friendly choice.
Apart from that, the transportation of ceramic tiles from one place to another may cost some additional fuel. However, this is an inevitable expense. May be choosing a manufacturer close by would help this. Ceramics are made mostly of natural material. The core itself is made from clay which is biodegradable and a part of the environment. It can even be recycled to create new tiles.
Ceramics last for a very long time and are pretty durable. This reduces your need to keep buying tiles to replace them and hence it saves this planet of some of the waste you may have produced with another floor tile option.
So go green! Go eco-friendly! Go ceramic!