Frequently asked questions

What do you mean by shade and pattern variation?

Some tiles will appear almost identical from piece to piece. While others may vary and have colour, pattern and shade variation to give the overall look more character and depth.
We will always ensure our clients aware of this, especially during our tile selection appointments. If you select a tile with no pattern what we have on display and what you may receive may appear a shade lighter or darker, this is due to batch differences during manufacturing. This may not be an issue as it is not usually a noticeable difference.
Although, bare in mind if extra tiles are required in a particular shade, we cannot guarantee that the same batch you have from your previous order is available as shades vary from batch to batch.
Another type of variation is pattern which occurs in any tile with marble, concrete and other natural looking stone. They are made to mimic natural stone, meaning not every texture will be the same, a few will come with more pattern and some will come with less. Once again we make our clients aware of this.



What is a rectified tile?

Rectified tiles can be ceramic or porcelain that have been manufactured to near-perfect straight edges. This provides a more clean, seamless symmetrical look. This allows finer grout lines between 1.5 - 3mm between tiles. Non-Rectified or cushion edge tiles are more common in ceramic tiles, the edge is slightly rounded than a rectified edge, and require wider grout lines.



What is the difference between a porcelain and ceramic tile?

When it comes to choosing a porcelain or ceramic tile, people often ask whats the difference between the two?
Both ceramic and porcelain are both made from clay, althought the clay they use to create a porcelain is more refined and purified. Porcelain is generally a stronger tile and suit higher traffic areas, and it also has a lower water absorption rate due to the pressure that was applied in the manufracturing process. Through-body Porcelain or Vetrified is when the colour on the top of the tile goes all the way throughout the tile's body. Benefits includes scratch resistance, stronger and if any chipping occurs it may not noticeble due to same colour underneath. Vetrified tiles can With a ceramic tile, it can be a mix of red or white bisque and once it has been dried and put through a kiln, a glaze is applied to the tile.
Ceramic tiles are a lot more cheaper than a porcelain and installation is easier to do, therefoe cost effective. At the end of the day it usually comes down to budget and style preference.



What is screed and it's advantages?

Screed is a thin layer of concrete which is poured over a floor surface such as concrete to create a smooth, level surface prior to installing final floor covering such as tiles. Screeding is a much preffered method to use if laying rectified tiles as it evens out the imperfections in any current concrete slab and prevents lipping, meaning that one tile is higher than another giving the finished surface an uneven appearance. Advantages also include flush finish between rooms such as avoiding a step down going into carpet from tiles and step up into a laundry or bathroom.



What are the different types of porcelain?

Glazed Porcelain - A glass wear layer or hard coloured finish that is applied to the surface of the tile. This glaze makes the tile non-porous, chemical resistant, strong and dense but is prone to scratch in high traffic areas. If chipping occurs the base colour will be visible as the colour does not go all the way through such as full-body porcelain. Full Body Porcelain - This type of porcelain tile consists of the colour throughout the tile, meaning if it was to chip the tile the base will be the same colour. Therefore it is easier to hide any imperfections, and they are perfect to withstand high traffic areas. Full Body porcelain can also be porous therefore sealing is recommended.
Double Loaded Porcelain (Half body) - Has the same top coat throughout half the tile followed by the white bisque colour to the remainding tile.



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