It is a flattering compliment when someone tells you that your skin is like porcelain. Ever wonder why there is a metaphor like this? Porcelain can be considered the queen of tiles because of its amazing beauty and resiliency. It is perfectly smooth and almost translucent. Its use can be traced back to the times of the Han Dynasty in China where it is considered a ‘must have’ in their royal palaces and temples. Today, Italy continues to be one of the producers of the most prized porcelain that is used in floors, walls, counter tops, vases, plates, statues, toilets, figurines, entrance ways, artworks, etc. of fine homes, buildings, and places of worship.

Porcelain is also a kind of ceramic tile that is created from finer and denser clay that is fired at very high temperatures which is hotter than what is used to create the ordinary ceramic. Crushed china stone (a type of feldspar) and kaolinite (clay mineral) infused with chemicals is combined to create the porcelain that is used for tile flooring. This “mud” mixture is pressed, shaped, glazed, and then heated in a kiln at 1200-1350 degrees Celsius. Color may be added to so that the resulting porcelain has a distinct hue. Depending on the manufacturer and your preferences, you can purchase porcelain tile flooring that is either glazed or unglazed. The high temperature process and density of materials used in the production of ceramic tiles results in tougher, scratch and stain resistant, more durable, and excellent tile flooring.

Because porcelain tiles have a very low moisture absorption rate, it is the perfect flooring that you can put in moisture prone areas like the bathroom, kitchen, pool area, and even outdoors. The low absorption rate also helps ensure high air quality as it does not tend to absorb other harmful chemicals and substances. Cleaning and maintenance remain to be simple and stress-free; you can just wipe it off with a damp mop with an all-purpose cleaner and it’s as good as new. The high stain-resistant property of porcelain tile is another characteristic that you’ll love; if you have young kids in the house who tend to splatter stains on almost anything, then you’ll be rest assured that cleaning your floor wouldn’t be such a problem. Just mop your floor with warm water and nonabrasive cloth.

As mentioned earlier, porcelain tile flooring is quite hard and resilient, making it difficult to shape and install. It is therefore recommended that a professional install your porcelain tile flooring. A professional installing your porcelain tile flooring also ensures that grouting is properly done as incorrect grouting on this type of tile can ruin the pristine look of porcelain. Porcelain tiles are expensive and if you are going to invest in such a high-priced commodity, we advise you to only purchase from certified distributors as there are also distributors that will give you uneven porcelain tiles that are difficult to cut and shape, making installing your porcelain tile flooring time consuming and taxing.

Best Attributes of Porcelain Tile Flooring

• Top quality floor, lasting and hard (even stronger than granite)
• Low moisture absorption, stains can’t permeate the surface
• Various colors and hues, with lots of designs to choose from
• Easy cleaning and maintenance
• Very elegant-looking and classy, can upgrade the value of your house or building

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.