FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The process of making tile is dependent upon which materials are being used. Stone is a natural substance resulting from the processes and physics of nature whereas ceramic and porcelain tiles are man-made products produced from clay and fired in a hot kiln at various temperatures.

TILE LAYING INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Plaster the surface of the floor to be tiled with smooth finish and complete the plastering and curing at least two weeks prior to tiling.
  2. Before fixing tiles, lay them out in the desired pattern and make sure that they give acceptable blend of colour. Please note that certain amount of shade and size variation is inherent in the manufacturing tiles.
  3. For fixing tiles on the floor, using sand and cement, follow the instructions given below:
    a) Use cement and sand mortar in the ratio of 1:4. Add some water to create a consistent paste.
    b) Once the mixing has been completed, do not add any further water and use the same within one hour
    c) Apply a 20-30 mm layer of bedding material over an area of 1 square meter at a time on the surface of the area. Apply fine slurry of pure cement to the back of the tile to ensure
    proper and full bedding. Press gently for even adherence at the back of the tile. DO NOT USE AN IRON HAMMER OR SOMÉ HEAVY MATERIAL TO PRESS THE TILE.
    FOR BEST RESULTS, WE RECOMMEND TO USE TILE-FIXING ADHESIVES.
    PLEASE FOLLOW THE TILE FIXING INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED ALONG WITH ADHESIVES.
  4. Mark and lay out the tiles from the centre of the area to be tiled so that cut tiles, if any will be on the outer edges towards the wall.
  5. It is advisable to maintain a gap of 1 mm to 2 mm between every two tiles to allow for possible expansion as per BIS/EN tolerance norms.
  6. Complete the tile laying process by pressing the tiles firmly into place along the floor.
  7. Allow 3-4 days for bed curing. After this period fill the joints with grout.
  8. Fifteen minutes after finishing the grouting process, wipe off excess grout with a damp sponge and polish the tile with a soft and dry cloth for a clean surface. The tiles can also be cleaned by mild acid (However Hydrofluoric acid and its derivatives should not be used).
  9. Kindly look for the Alphabets/Numbers or arrow logo on the back of the tile and follow the laying pattern as shown as above side panel.
  10. All the tiles are coated with Protective wax and should be removed with lukewarm water after the interiors of the house are completed.
  11. Please note that the Company does not accept any liability in case of problems arising out of non-adherence to the above fixing instructions.
  12. Your beautiful flooring is now ready with the sparkling look.
  13. Size, shade, & weight variations an inherent characteristic of this clay product, therefore variation if any, should be brought to us/our dealer’s notice prior to fixing the tiles, once tiles are fixed, we do not entertained any complain.
    Nothing in these instructions is a substitute for good workmanship and supervision.

Ceramic material should be preferred to other materials in many cases, by virtue of its:

•  resistance to abrasion
•  resistance to chemicals
•  hygienic properties
•  resistances of colours to light
•  fire-resistance

One of the key parameter of ceramic tiles. Abrasion resistance determines the mechanical strength of the tile. Abrasion is given in classes called PEI (from 0 to V). The higher the abrasion class, the more resistant to scratches and increased wear.

This parameter is regulated by the PN-EN ISO 10545-7 standard and determined by counting the number of rotations of the abrasive machine needed to scratch the surface of the plate. Below we present the abrasion classes of ceramic tiles, starting with the most scratch resistant ones.

Class V / PEI 5

PEI 5 tiles are products that withstand more than 12,000 revolutions of the abrasive machine. These are tiles dedicated to the heaviest exploitation – for example in public spaces with high pedestrian density.

Class IV / PEI 4

Class IV defines plates that last from 2100 to 12000 revolutions. PEI 4 tiles can be used anywhere in residential and public buildings. The only limitation are places exposed to the largest exploitation.

Class III / PEI 3

Gres belonging to PEI 3 (turnover from 7,500 to 1,500) is recommended for use in places with a medium degree of use in which shoes are used on a soft sole. Class III is divided into so-called strong and weak three. The strong three, or PEI 3/1500, is dedicated to home rooms that are used to a greater extent – for example, corridors or kitchens. Poor three, or PEI 3/750, are successfully used to lay floors in bedrooms, bathrooms or living rooms.

Class II / PEI 2

PEI 2 tiles withstand 600 turns of the abrasive machine. They are used in rooms that are used to a small extent, in which they walk in soft shoes. Ceramic tiles made of PEI 2 can be used in living rooms, living rooms and bathrooms.

Class I / PEI 1

Class I is defined by PEI 1 tiles used in barefoot or soft sole shoes. They withstand 150 turns of the abrasive machine and are exposed to mechanical damage.

Class 0 / PEI 0

The number of rotations that are sufficient to scratch the surface oscillates around 100. Tiles of this class are used only for laying on the walls.

While ceramic and porcelain are both man-made tiles produced from firing clay and other minerals, the main difference is that porcelain is more resistant to moisture, staining and water due to a blend of fine-grain clays and other minerals fired at a much higher degree temperature than ceramic tile.

Determined according to the PN-EN ISO 10545-9 standard, the resistance of ceramic tiles to sudden temperature changes is given by the manufacturer based on product tests.

Thermal shock-resistant pythons will work in the case of saunas, swimming pools or other places exposed to sudden changes in ambient temperature.

The term tiles can be mystifying. Mostly tiles that are made from clay or a combination of clay and other materials, then kiln-fired, are considered to be a part of the larger classification called “Ceramic Tiles”. Such tiles can be split into two groups, porcelain/vitrified tiles and non-porcelain/vitrified tiles. The non-porcelain/vitrified tiles are frequently referred to as ceramic tiles by themselves, separate from porcelain/vitrified tiles.

Ceramic tile (non -porcelain/vitrified tiles) : Ceramic tiles are generally made from red/white clay fired in a kiln. Ceramic tiles finished with a durable glaze which carries the color and pattern. These tiles are used in both wall tiles and floor tiles applications, softer and easier to cut than porcelain/vitrified tiles and usually carry a PEI 0 to 3 of rating. These types of ceramic tiles are usually suitable for very light to moderate traffic and generally have a relatively high water absorption rates that makes them less frost resistant and they are more prone to wear and chipping than porcelain tiles.

Porcelain/Vitrified tiles : These tiles are generally made by the dust pressed method from clay which results in the tiles that are dense, impervious, fine grained and smooth, with a sharply formed face. Porcelain/Vitrified tiles normally have a much lower water absorption rate (less than 0.5%) than ceramic tiles which makes them frost resistant or frost-proof. Different types of porcelain/vitrified tiles are:

  • Nano polished vitrified tiles : If you apply a layer of liquid silica on vitrified tiles then it fills the micro (nano) pores on the tiles surface and makes it smooth. These tiles are called nano polished vitrified tiles.
  • Double Charge vitrified tiles are fed through a press that prints pattern with a double layer of pigment; they are 3 to 4 mm thicker than compared to other tiles. This process does not permit complex patterns but results in a long-wearing tile surface, suitable for heavy traffic and vast commercial projects.
  • Full body vitrified tiles have pigment in entire body (thickness) of the tiles. This makes chips and scratches less visible and gives an ideal choice for high traffic zones, but the process considerably increases the cost.
  • Matt Porcelain Glazed Tiles / (GVT) are glazed surfaced tiles. They offer a vast variety of design, art work and surface textures like wood grain, bamboo, slate or stone. This tile is now printed through digital printing technology.
  • Polished Porcelain Glazed Tiles / Polished Glazed Vitrified Tiles (PGVT) are similarly the GVT tiles in glossy form.

 

Glazed wall tiles are ceramic tiles that have a high absorption of water with one side that is glazed. They are perfectly suited to interior walls.

 

Glazed floor tiles are coated with a glassy finish which often contains color, texture, or design and is fired at significantly high temperatures. Unglazed floor tiles do not have such surface as the color forms from the body within the tiles. It can be natural color from the clay or other minerals and can be added to the mixture before forming and firing the tiles. Because the color extends through the complete tile, these are great for high traffic areas as they do not show wear as easily.

 

The term digital technology refers to the tiles design that is printed onto the surface. Today, images that are created from photographs using a computer program are then applied to the tile by use of ink jets, much like modern office printers. With such technology usage, the designs are more exciting and attractive than ever.

Rectification is a process that affects the edges of a tile. A mechanical process straightens the tile edges and ensures they are perfectly squared. So all the tiles are exactly the same size and can therefore be laid with a minimum grout joint of 2 mm. Non-rectified tiles, on the other hand, are tiles with natural, uneven edges that require a wider grout joint.

When Tiles leaving the kilns in which they are fired often do not have identical dimensions. Hence the need to sort them into individual dimensions, i.e. calibers. Another way to unify the size of individual tiles is rectification. It consists in mechanical cutting or abrading the edges of tiles. As a result, they gain the same size (dimensional deviations do not exceed 0.2 mm, their sides are even and form a right angle). The planes arranged from such plates are uniform and their edges less visible.

Although rectified tiles have equal edges and are often said to be suitable for non-joint laying, joints are recommended to join them, but slightly narrower (about 1.5 mm). 

Post-installation cleaning is necessary when work is complete, for both glazed and unglazed tiles. Poor post-installation cleaning, or none at all, often results in halos that make it impossible to keep the floor clean despite daily maintenance. To guarantee optimum cleaning we recommend using a single brush floor scrubber with appropriate disks (green for structured/non-slip surfaces, red for all others).

CEMENT STUCCOS MIXED WITH WATER In order to remove traces of cement, grout, lime, cement stucco between tiles, etc., one must carry out a post-installation cleaning after at least 4-5 days from the installation to allow the grout to fully harden, but not after more than 10 days because cleaning can become far more difficult. Cleaning must be done using specific products made with buffered acids.

EPOXY, DUAL COMPONENT, AND REACTIVE GROUTING MATERIALS These grouting materials must be removed immediately and thoroughly because they harden very quickly, in as little as minutes. Follow the cleaning methods indicated by the manufacturer of the grouting material carefully and verify their efficacy (also with a backlight) by doing a preliminary cleaning test before grouting the entire floor/wall.

NON-SLIP SURFACE Due to their characteristics, after laying non-slip, rough, or structured surfaces remove the excess grout quickly, by rinsing frequently using a sponge and water until the floor is completely clean. Afterwards it is necessary to do an acid wash using a single brush floor scrubber with the green disks.

Double Loading Porcelain Floor Tiles, generally known as Double Loading Tiles, is an upgrade to the glazed porcelain tile in terms of the durability, the crazing resistance is higher than glazed porcelain and of course than the ceramic floor tile. Although the full body porcelain tiles and industrial tiles can be considered in the higher durable category than double loading tiles.

Double loading Tiles have higher durability because of the technique used in its manufacturing. The double loading tiles have two layers of clay / coloured raw materials, the base layer is the basic colour and the second upper layer consists of the coloured raw materials, which are provided to the feeder (the machine before the tiles are given shaped in a hydraulic press), this feeder machine provide the random designs of the colours and thus every tile manufactured is unique in itself. Double loading tiles doesn’t provide many designs but however less the design catalogue is , they look really beautiful on flooring and provide higher durability levels.

 

Outdoor tiles are high tolerance ‘vitrified’ tiles also known as Heavy Duty Tiles, used for mostly outdoor applications as the name suggest. They normally are of more thickness than normal vitrified and ceramic body tiles, thus giving the high load capacity.

Difference between normal floor tiles and outdoor tiles?
According to international standards, vitrified and porcelain tiles used for flooring are of 10 mm thickness, while outdoor tiles have more thickness mainly 16 mm and 20 mm, out of which 16 mm are most widely preferred.
The finish of vitrified tiles are of both glossy and matte (rustic), while outdoor tiles are of matte (rustic) finish only. Other than that as mentioned earlier outdoor tiles have more strength than vitrified tiles and porcelain tiles.

L World Tiles is a brand that respects the ecosystem and its porcelain stoneware flooring and cladding tiles are produced in manufacturing facilities that are eco-friendly and certified ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and EMAS. Furthermore, the products are certified ECOLABEL, CE and LEED.

Yes, ceramic and porcelain tiles are environmentally friendly because they are:

Low maintenance products, making them easy to clean with just water instead of harsh chemicals or cleaners that are often needed to treat or clean other flooring options.

Fired in kilns to extremely high temperatures, eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from finished products. VOCs contribute to a wide variety of health problems, making ceramic and porcelain tiles a better option for maintaining/improving indoor air quality.

Inhospitable to dust mites, mold, germs and bacteria when sealed and maintained properly. Tile is often used to replace carpet for people with allergies and asthma.

Sustainable. Ceramic and porcelain tiles are some of the longest lasting flooring products on the market, making them longer lasting than carpet, vinyl, or laminate flooring when they’re properly installed and maintained.

The tiles can be either dry fixed tiles or wet fixed tiles. The dry fixing tiles are fixed by using conventional cement mortar. Wet fixing is done by using special adhesives that can fix tiles directly on the existing flooring.

Ceramic tiles can absolutely be used outdoors; we recommend that the tiles must be frost proof and unglazed to be used on floor. Make sure the absorption rate is 0.5% or less.

 

Yes, it is absolutely feasible to fit new tiles on top of an old tiled floor. However, it is not advisable as there’s a higher cost and you would possibly reduce the headroom (height between the floor and the ceiling). However, if you still want to go ahead for tiling on an old floor tiles, be careful the existing surface provides a good grip. If flooring is of glazed tiles then they have to be roughened to give a good grip to the new floor.

Furthermore, there are some other aspects as well that you have to take into consideration before deciding to fit new tiles on an old tiled floor. You need to allow the thickness of the tiles that you are laying in addition to approximately 6-12 mm for the cement slurry/adhesive, depending on the type of flooring to be laid. After adding thickness top of your existing floor, you can still be able to open doors.

 

Length * Width of the area to be covered will give you square footage.  Most installations add 5-7% for cutting loss and is enough to keep on hand for any repairs. When the installation is on a diagonal or when you use a multi-size pattern, you should add 12-15%.

 

Glazed stoneware tiles – elegant and universal 

The glazed stoneware is subjected to a longer technological process. After firing, the tiles are additionally protected with a layer of enamel, onto which dyes or laser prints can be transferred. The development of laser printing technology significantly expanded the range of designs and the color palette of glazed tiles. Currently, the design of these products depends only on the imagination of the designer.

Glazed tiles are characterized by resistance to water penetration and surface decolorization. Unfortunately, the enamel – enhancing visual qualities – is at the same time the weakest link in the tile. It does not protect against mechanical damage and scratches, and also increases the sensitivity of the tile to impact. Therefore, glazed stoneware is mainly suitable for not very intensively used household rooms.

The glaze prevents gres from penetrating not only water, but also dirt. Glazed tiles are easier to clean and do not require impregnation and regular maintenance. Glazed tiles are perfect for: living room, kitchen, bathroom and living rooms.

Glazed stone tiles – hardness similar to diamond

Unglazed stoneware is also called technical stone. This type of tiles does not have a glaze layer and its coloring depends on several pigments, which stain the pulp at the production stage.

Unglazed tiles are made of a uniform structure throughout the material cross-section. This means that in the event of spatter or scratches, they become invisible because the face color remains the same. In addition, these tiles are extremely resistant to mechanical damage, abrasion, scratches, impacts, frost, chemistry and moisture – soak up to less than 3%.

Such properties of tiles made of unglazed gres make them ideally suited for laying terraces, garages and technical rooms.

Gres tiles made of polished – effective and delicate

Glazed stone tiles are one of the most beautiful, but also the most exposed to both damage and dirt. You can successfully stack them on floors and walls. Polished stoneware is produced by polishing stoneware tiles at the production stage.

There are three types of polished stoneware: pre-levigato (polished before firing), levigato (standard – polished after firing) and lapatto (semi-polished).

The surface of the pre-levigato tiles is smoothed and then the smoothed plates are placed in the oven. The resulting tiles are less shiny and have less pores that can absorb dirt during use.

The lapatto plates are produced by delicately polishing the surface of the burnt plate. The polisher is interrupted at the moment when the most convex elements of the plate acquire brilliance, while the deeper embedded layers of the structure do not come into contact with the polisher. Gres semi-polished is less slippery, visually attractive, and at the same time – due to the simpler and faster processing process – cheaper.

At the stage of floor lining planning, polished or semi-polished tiles should be taken into account the weaker sides of this type of gres. Gres polished when in contact with water becomes very slippery, so it is not recommended to use it in kitchens and bathrooms. The problem may also be the easy penetration of dirt into the structure of the polished stoneware tile.

Polished ceramic tiles are perfect for representative rooms, both for laying on walls and floors.

Corporate office

L WORLD TILES
23, Shakti Plaza, Rajkot-Morbi Highway, Sakat-Sanala, Morbi 363641, Gujarat, India.
Cell:+91-8347048401
Email: Export@Lworldtiles.com

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