Unglazed Ceramic tile and Glazed Ceramic tile designs are the two fundamental finishes for Ceramic tile designs
Ceramic tile designs may be molded by hand from wet clay, or they can be machine pressed with dry clay powder. Glazed Ceramic tile designs are then coated with liquid glass that's baked into the surface of the tile. The glaze is what creates the broad variety of colors and patterns and textures of Glazed ceramic tile designs, and a stain resistant surface.
Unglazed ceramic tiles are made in the same way minus the glaze coating To give them more of a stone like surface. So unglazed ceramic tiles have a more warm, rustic appearance, and since they don't have a glaze applied to their surface, they are very porous, and this makes them susceptible to staining.
The good news is you can seal Unglazed Ceramic tiles. In fact, it's detrimental that you do. Tile sealant will produce a protective coating for your Unglazed ceramic tile that is resistant to both water and staining.
Porcelain Tile is also a ceramic tile design but much tougher; In fact. Porcelain is the strongest of all Ceramic tile designs. Porcelain is even tougher than Granite!
Porcelain tile is composed of finely ground sand. And what makes it so tough, is that Porcelain is fired at much higher temperatures than any other Ceramic tile design.
The result is a very dense tile with a high resistance to water, staining, heat and cold, And Porcelain never needs to be sealed, even in their Unglazed form. And unlike other Ceramic tiles where All the pattern, texture and color is only on the top layer of the tile, Porcelain tiles carry all the color and pattern throughout the entire thickness of the tile. In return, this gives them a much longer life expectancy.
But the thickness of porcelain tile makes them more challenging to cut than other the ceramic tile designs.
* Glazed ceramic is one of the easiest surfaces to clean, and because of its composition, does not absorb odors, and it resists allergens and bacteria.
*Glazed Ceramic tiles create a formal appeal to the bathroom or kitchen. But the surface of the glazed tile can be chipped, So their not a good choice for a Ceramic tile countertops. And due to the glass like finish, their surface is too slippery for a kitchen or bathroom floor tile.
* Glazed Ceramic tile designs are the perfect choice for a kitchen wall tile, bathroom wall tile or a bathroom shower tile.
* Once sealed Unglazed Ceramic tile offers all the benefits of Glazed ceramic tiles.
*Unglazed Ceramic tile creates a more casual, warm and rustic appeal to the Kitchen or bathroom.
*Unglazed Ceramic is the perfect choice for a bathroom shower tile, Kitchen or bathroom wall tile or kitchen or bathroom floor tile. They're even ideal for use as a shower floor tile where there's often standing water.
* Porcelain floor tiles are an excellent choice for just about any tiling job. It doesn't matter if their glazed or unglazed. Their tough enough to use for Ceramic wall tile, Ceramic floor tile or Ceramic tile countertops.
Because of its glossy finish, a Glazed Ceramic tile design in most cases, would not be a good choice for a ceramic floor tile. These tiles would be far too slippery, especially with all the moisture associated with these rooms.
But fortunately, not all glazed ceramic tiles are glossy. Some can be quite coarse. They are purposely given a dusting of sand or stone over the tile surface, resulting in a Glazed Ceramic floor tile that's more slip resistant.
Unglazed Ceramic floor Tile has a surface that's slip resistant, even when wet!
If you desire a high gloss ceramic floor tile, You can solve the problem of them being slippery by using smaller glossy ceramic floor tile designs. You may even want to consider looking at a glossy Ceramic mosaic floor tile.
Using the smaller glossy ceramic floor tile will call for more grout lines. And the grout lines will act as traction, making for a far less slippery floor.
Wall Tiles don't get walked on, cooked on or left outdoors so you can be a little more lenient when choosing your ceramic wall tiles. But durability is always the key when choosing Ceramic wall tile for kitchens and baths.
The walls in these rooms are likely to get wet or dirty enough to require many cleanings. So you'll want to choose a ceramic wall tile that's water and stain resistant.
Glazed Ceramic tile Design
Depending on your desired look and feel, a Glazed Ceramic tile design is an excellent choice for a Ceramic wall tile. Glazed ceramic tiles can give the space a lovely formal appeal. It creates an impenetrable shield that makes it easy for you to wipe away nearly any dirt.
Unglazed Ceramic tiles is also an excellent Ceramic wall tile. Unglazed Ceramic tiles can give the space a beautiful rustic and casual appeal.
A rule of thumb is whatever Ceramic tile designs you can use as a floor tile will indeed make for durable Ceramic tile countertops. But not all Ceramic wall tiles can be used as floor tiles or Ceramic tile countertops. So Choose Ceramic tile designs that work well as floor tiles.
Selecting Unglazed Ceramic tile or Porcelain floor tiles will ensure that ceramic tile countertop surfaces will be tough enough to stand up to the onerous chores expected of a countertop tile.
*If you desire you can be very creative with mixing colors and textures to create your own unique ceramic tile countertops. Just make sure that all of the ceramic tile designs you choose are even in height, so your ceramic tile countertops will be level and smooth.
* If you like the look of beautiful, warm Unglazed Ceramic tile countertops, Perfect! Just remember to keep it sealed.
Ceramic Tile designs just as with any other tiles vary in their ability to hold water. And knowing this can help when choosing your tiles. Especially for areas that are prone to getting wet or stained, like the kitchen or bathroom floor, the bathroom shower or a kitchen or bathroom countertop tile.
But in a lot of cases, these tiles can be sealed to make them more suitable for tiling these surfaces.
The tile manufacturer determines a tiles ability to hold water by weighing it before and after being submerged in water for a certain length of time. They then place it into one of the following categories.
* Non-vitreous tiles absorb 7% or more of its body weight, making them strictly only safe for indoor use. And only on vertical surfaces like walls or backsplashes. But these tiles are not at all good for such surfaces as the bathroom or kitchen floor, A shower, countertop or anywhere else where the surface is prone to getting wet.
* Semi-vitreous tile's absorption rate is 3-7 percent, making it an excellent choice for indoor use on many surfaces, but not a good choice for outdoors.
* Vitreous tile is dense. It absorbs 0.5 to 3 percent of its weight in water. So you can install it in just about any area you choose.
* Impervious tile is almost completely water resistant; These are the densest tiles, such as porcelain. They absorb between 0.001% and 0.5% of their weight in water, Making them suitable for any application.