Clinker tiles - what is it? Clinker tiles for facade

Under the general term "clinker" hides a number of finishing and building materials produced from shale clays using a special method of extrusion. It allows you to achieve maximum strength, durability and frost resistance of the material. An important fact is that the clinker is an environmentally friendly product of ceramics, characterized by a very attractive appearance. Its range of applications is quite wide: facing pools, facades, sidewalks, stairs and other.

Clinker tiles: what is this and where does this name come from?

Clinker got its name in the homeland - in Holland. It happened from a characteristic sound, issued by brick and tile from clay, past the stage of pressing and roasting, when tapping. In this country, residents needed a material that would not differ from the stone in terms of performance characteristics and even surpassed it. This is how they invented the technology of clinker production, consisting of clay. The mass was baked in ovens, where the raw material was exposed to a constant and rather high temperature.

So on light there was a clinker tile, a brick and other similar materials for furnish. All of them were not inferior in their characteristics to natural stone. That is why the technology of clinker tile production has become widespread throughout Western Europe, and it has been widely used for construction, exterior cladding, paving roads, alleys, sidewalks, terraces, and then for styling the interior decoration of the premises. That is why the main production enterprises are still concentrated in the countries of Northern and Western Europe.

Applications

One of the products of the above-described production is clinker tiles. What this, it becomes clear, if we consider it in more detail. It is a finishing material - ceramic tiles of single firing. It is produced from shale clays, which are mixed with fluxes and coloring oxides. Clinker system of facing buildings came to us from Germany. They have long been using this kind of products for protection and decoration of houses.

Clinker tiles for the facade have become popular not only among designers, but also among customers, as it is characterized by rich expressive plastic, as well as the widest range of colors. However, now you can get facades made of bricks without using a whole facial material. For constructive and financial reasons, this makes sense. Most often, imitation is done using a material such as clinker tiles for the facade.

Characteristics

This type of products has the highest strength and quite attractive appearance. The degree of saturation of the material with moisture has a primary effect on its resistance to cycles of freezing and thawing, as well as on the durability. Low water absorption coefficient makes clinker tiles extremely resistant to frost. And this gives an opportunity for its active use in rather aggressive environments, for example in industrial premises and swimming pools, for finishing facades of buildings that need protection from negative atmospheric influences. This gives them durability, and also provides no need for repairs.

Using

Very interesting is how the clinker tile is made. What it is, has already been said above, but the process of obtaining it has not been described in detail. In addition to conventional clays, in the manufacture of clinker tiles special, as well as battles of faience or chamotte are added, which contribute to the increase in the density of the material and reduce the porosity of future products.

Are you interested in clinker tiles? What it is and how it is received is already clear. It can be used as a lining material for concrete, foam concrete and even wooden surfaces. Its load on the foundation is negligible, and it is very uniform, that is, this kind of lining can be used for restoration to prolong the life of dilapidated houses, as well as in multi-storey construction. The thickness of the tiles is usually from 9 to 25 mm. The higher this index, the higher the strength of the material.

High consumer properties of products guarantee that they will serve no less than the building itself.

Production

Finishing clinker tiles are made of elements made by extrusion, because for this it has the most suitable qualities. The molding process of extruded clinker has much in common with the process of manufacturing a plastic profile. Its essence is as follows: the shale clays are pushed through holes having the required shape, and then the tiles of the required format are cut. The next stage is the firing of the resulting product. It is produced in a tunnel kiln, the length of which is 150 meters. The procedure itself takes place at a temperature of 1300 degrees Celsius until the moment when full sintering occurs. With a properly conducted firing, it is possible to produce a high-strength clinker with a homogeneous structure, in which there are no large inclusions, caverns or voids. After firing, the material also acquires such properties as high degree of resistance to abrasion, temperature drops, exposure to aggressive chemicals, frost. So it turns out clinker tiles. What this has and what properties it possesses will be described later.

Basic properties

The main characteristic - a low degree of moisture absorption, which is 3%, so the material is very resistant to frost. There is clinker tile for brick, which absorbs 4-10% of moisture, it is used in swimming pools and industrial premises.

The modern range of products in this category is characterized by great diversity. The available colors are from white to dark brown. Clinker tiles for the facade can have not only a glossy surface, but also differ in certain roughness. In some products, both effects were applied simultaneously, which made it possible to obtain a surface in which the roughness seems grounded.

Applications

How is the clinker tile used? What does this give to the building? At the moment there are a lot of ways. Since the most popular option is the facade cladding, it is worth noting the advantages concerning this point.

Clinker tiles for bricks make the building attractive, giving it protection from frost, and also from a strong summer heat. By itself, it is quite durable, resistant to different environments and is strong. Thanks to this cladding, it is possible to protect the house from any climatic differences. The choice of such a facade system will free you from the occurrence of any problems in the near future. If clinker façade tiles will be used, the price of which starts from 1200 rubles per square meter, then you can forget about the need for cosmetic repairs for a long time. In comparison with facing brick, it is much more profitable to use. In this case, the color and shape can be chosen so that not every professional will determine that this is not a brick.

Arguments in favor of the material

Experts say that the clinker tile for the facade is the best solution, which at the moment can only be imagined. There is an opinion that nothing better is represented in the market of building materials. That is why it is worth pointing out certain competitive advantages.

Thermal panels with clinker tiles are environmentally friendly material that can not bring any harm to a person or the environment. The production of this material is carried out from pure clay with a low content of sand, and there are no other impurities in the composition. Due to the natural process of staining during roasting, the need to use special dyes is eliminated.

Finishing and restoration

The structure characterized by thermopanels with clinker tiles is fairly homogeneous and dense, there are no voids or large inclusions. This feature provides the material with a hardness and strength that is comparable with the stone for performance.

This method of finishing is suitable for old buildings, as well as for new buildings. The walls of the house can be made of different materials, and glue is used to fix the tiles.

As you can see, clinker tile can be called a universal way of finishing the facades of buildings.