How To Find The Perfect Porcelain Tile Designs For Your Home

Are you building your new home? Or are have you grown tired of your marble flooring, or the chip on your wall paper, or the drab of your wooden panels? It is time to switch or consider porcelain tiles. Porcelain tiles not only brighten up your home, they are durable and almost maintenance free. You can choose from the wide selection of perfect porcelain tile designs for your home.

To get more acquainted with the product, porcelain is defined in the Meriam-Webster Dictionary as a fine grained translucent ceramic ware. There are different kinds of ceramic materials, but porcelain comes from the more common type of material called whiteware. Porcelain was first discovered in China, and it is believed to have been brought to Europe by the great merchant and explorer, Marco Polo. The term porcelain was derived from the translucent shell "porcellana" because of it's similarity to the cowrie shell.

There was a time in the past when porcelain was synonymous with decorative pieces such as vases, chinaware, figurines, and the like. The misconception that porcelain was fragile or delicate was common. However, the many uses of porcelain have grown through time, and it continues to be a valuable material in the dental profession for dental prosthesis and dental veneers. Today, porcelain is a major industrial material used in insulation because porcelain is highly resistant to heat, resistant to abrasion, and is non-porous. That is why porcelain makes excellent floor tiles for both residential and commercial use.

In choosing your porcelain tiles, do not get confused with the terms "non-porcelain" and "ceramic tiles" because although technically, porcelain is a kind of ceramic ware, the term "ceramic tile" is usually referred to as "non-porcelain." Porcelain tiles are hard and non-porous, and absorb very minimal water as compared to "ceramic tiles" which are softer and have high water absorption. Porcelain tiles are highly durable because they can resist abrasions unlike ceramic tiles that are prone to chipping and scratches.

The Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) rating system is also a good reference when buying your porcelain tiles. In the rating system, the tiles are measured according to their application. The range starts from PEI Class 1 up to PEI Class 5.

For your walls or ceiling, the PEI Class 1 porcelain tiles are recommended because they are not subjected to any kind of weight. The PEI Class 2 may be used as bathroom floor tiles where the weight exposure is minimal, while the PEI Classes 3 and 4 are ideal as table top or kitchen top, and as flooring in any part of your home. The PEI Class 5 is highly recommended for residential or commercial use where there is heavy foot traffic. Porcelain tiles are all weather tiles that can withstand heat exposure during the summer and the freezing temperatures during winter.

When looking for the perfect porcelain tile designs for your home, you can choose from a variety of designs that are glazed, unglazed or through-bodied in color composition. Whatever your preference, porcelain tiles are guaranteed to make your home cozy and beautiful.