What is glazed porcelain?

Recently, when performing finishing works, the material such as porcelain stoneware is becoming increasingly popular. If before it was more used for finishing public premises, but now it is not often used in homes and apartments. Such popularity is provided by the basic characteristics and appearance of this material.

Main characteristics

Glazed porcelain stoneware is an ordinary granite, which is covered with a special smalt glaze. That is why it is often called smaltirovannym. So if you hear this option, do not get lost. These are just different names for one product.

After applying the coating layer, the material is fired in the furnace at very high temperatures. This makes it possible to increase its strength. And a wide variety of design makes it universal in application.

One of the most important and determining demand for glazed porcelain stoneware is its wear resistance. Unlike other materials, it is less susceptible to mechanical damage. In addition, it retains its appearance several times longer than other representatives of finishing materials.

For more convenience, the building material is usually produced in a square shape. Also popular are rectangular patterns. In the case where porcelain stoneware imitates natural stones, it is produced in a non-standard form. When laying individual segments at different angles, the appearance of such a coating is almost indistinguishable from the natural one. This is another advantage of glazed porcelain tiles.

It should also be noted that the glazed tiles of porcelain tiles are of different thicknesses. Usually this figure is from 7 to 30 mm. Many people think that this has a direct bearing on the durability of the material, but this is not at all the case. Despite the thickness, all characteristics remain unchanged, only the price changes. Therefore, the preferred thickness is 7-10 mm.

Application area

As mentioned earlier, the usual field of application of this material is the decoration of public places, which are visited by a large number of people. Resistant to erasure allows you to preserve the visual effect for a long time, while ordinary samples can not boast of this.

Recently, glazed porcelain stoneware has often been used to decorate hallways, kitchens and baths. A variety of shapes and textures allow it to be used as floor and wall coverings. Particularly advantageous is glazed porcelain stained. He emphasizes the refined and sophisticated style of the room, adds some zest to the interior.

Features of care

Porcelain is known as not whimsical in care material. But, despite all the resistance to mechanical and chemical damage, it is better to exclude those detergents that contain abrasive elements. They can adversely affect the coating itself, contributing to structural breakdown and deterioration in appearance.

Advantages and disadvantages of the material

In order to take into account all the positive and negative sides of the glazed ceramic granite, let's designate them thesis.

Pros are as follows:

• High strength and durability.

• A wide range of design solutions.

• Resistance to fungus and mold.

• It does not require special care.

• Thermal and hydrostability.

• Affordable price.

At first glance, it seems that granite has no cons. This is almost the case, but a few minor flaws, which should be taken into account when choosing this material, it is worthwhile to voice:

• Despite the relative durability, this material is still 100% not protected against mechanical damage.

• Also over time, it has the property of being erased.

• Using porcelain stoneware for finishing living quarters, it should be remembered that it is quite cold.

As you can see, glazed porcelain stoneware can be an excellent design solution. It has its pros and cons, like any other building material. Therefore, when buying carefully consider all these nuances. Then your purchase will not bring unpleasant surprises and will please you in the future.