One of the most widely used flooring or floor tiles is ceramic. This type of floor tile is made of clay covered with glazing. There are two types of ceramics, namely glazed ceramic and porcelain tile or homogoneus tile. In the manufacture of glazed ceramics is to mix the clay with kaolin, then burn it to 10 000 C. This combustion is carried out so that the resulting ceramic does not crumble when immersed in water. After that, the coating is carried out with the printing process on the tiles.
Meanwhile, porcelain tile starts from grinding the raw materials in the form of a mixture of feldspar, quartz sand, and clay. The mixture will form a pulp which is then dried, so that it becomes very fine grains, then pressed into a tile shape. After that, it is burned above a temperature of 12500 C, which is the optimal temperature for getting hard but not brittle tiles. Then cut into pieces to size, or do some polishing first. This polishing process is quite expensive, therefore porcelain tiles are more expensive than glazed ceramic.
Ceramic Quality
In general, the quality of ceramics is divided into KW1, KW2, and KW3. KW1 is the number one ceramic grade, which has no significant defects and size deviations. KW2 may have minor defects such as scratches, surface defects, color and size aberrations, and other defects that are still hidden. While KW3, there are defects that are quite clearly visible on the surface and the range of deviations in size and color is quite large.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ceramics
As a ceramic floor tile material, it has several advantages, including:
Stronger and more durable
Low water absorption
Maintenance is relatively the easiest
Available in various sizes, patterns, and various colors
Healthier than floor carpets because dust is reluctant to stick
Easy to get
Ceramics offer a lasting aesthetic appearance and can be matched with traditional or modern accents.
Although it has many advantages, ceramics also have several disadvantages, including:
Ceramic material conducts cold so it is less comfortable on the feet
The joints between the tiles (grout) are sometimes difficult to clean because of dust or dirt that has accumulated.
It is easy to crack and break, so it is necessary to be more careful when carrying it during the installation process.
Ceramics have various motifs, colors and sizes. With these various sizes that make this type of floor popular because various sizes of ceramics can be combined to create beautiful patterns. The large size of the ceramic creates an open appearance that gives the impression of a spacious room. Meanwhile, small ceramic tiles give the impression of a chessboard box. The size of the tiles that are installed must also be adjusted to the size of the furniture in it. Choose a ceramic with a large size to maintain a balanced appearance in a room filled with large and heavy furniture. As for open spaces, it can be applied with light and few furniture, and is very fitting to be combined with small ceramic sizes.
Meanwhile, with a variety of motifs, currently many ceramics with minimalist motifs or natural impressions such as wood and natural stone are chosen.
