If you are going to buy ceramic tiles for facing ceramic tiles, floor tiles, wall tiles or even ceramic tiles to decorate, you need to know which tiles are best for your application. Not all tiles are created equal, and the differences can determine whether your ceramic tiles will linger before you lay them.
For example, tiles or tiles with low fire resistance, which were made only through biscuit firing, are usually less expensive, but not as durable as tiles with high firing. Even if the tile is glazed, it can still go through only one shot and, possibly, only with low sacking, so the fact that it is glossy and colorful does not indicate that the tile has the strength of a highly enriched tile. Green dishes - ceramics, which are dried but not burned, can be glazed with low fire-resistant glaze and burned to a relatively low temperature.
Such ceramic tile is not suitable for certain applications. For example, if you intend to use tile for backsplash, countertops or tabletops, you will need very durable tiles that will support frequent cleaning, and in the case of countertops or tabletops it is also difficult to use. Ceramic clays are most suitable for this use. Stone products are usually burned to about cone 6 (about 2200 degrees Fahrenheit) and very strong.
But in your request, do not dwell on the clay from which the tiles are made. Glazes vary widely, and even so-called “safe products” glazes can leach chemicals, dye and lose their color. Many manufactured tiles are poorly manufactured and will not meet the needs they sell. Of course, there are many excellent tiles made, so you need to ask. However, this information may or may not be easily accessible.
The type of ceramic tile ornament is also important. For ceramic countertops or countertops tiles must be flat. For backsplash tiles may have a low level of relief, but a high level of relief will be difficult to clean and usually not recommended.
Fireplaces, frescoes, mosaics and facades can be either flat or low reliefs or high reliefs, and low-fire glazes are fine. Be careful, though, with areas that will benefit a lot, for example, around the fireplace where logs or fireplace tools will be placed. Low fireplaces and glazes can crack or break off much easier than porcelain and high-temperature glazes. In addition, if this is an area that will require frequent cleaning, a lot of relief can be troublesome.
For ceramic walls in dry rooms that are not subject to great physical contact, any type of tile and glaze is most suitable. For wet areas, flat tiles, low-relief tiles, or even high-relief tiles can be used if they are not in a dangerous place where the body may accidentally touch them. A big frog jumping out of your shower wall at a height is probably not a good idea.
Obviously, porous tiles are not suitable for wet areas. While the vitreous tile was laid off until maturity, so the crystal structure is unified — the tile or glaze is in order, but the joints between the plates need to be sealed. Again, the best choice here is a highly enriched ceramic tile with reliable glaze.
Floor coverings present other challenges and opportunities. Obviously, floor tiles must be durable, so the best refractory stone is the best choice. Any relief is not recommended, as uneven surfaces can be difficult to walk, especially for the elderly. An additional consideration with floor tiles is smoothness. Glossy glaze on the floor is not recommended. Best textured glaze or matte glaze.
Outdoor use in cold climates requires highly enriched plates and reliable glazes, especially on horizontal surfaces. Low fire and even porous tiles can be used outdoors in cold climates if on or on a vertical surface. But you are still better off with cold-resistant tiles in cold climates.
Finally, there is the problem of ceramic tiles, which is safe for food. Many decorative ceramic tiles are used as serving trays for various hot and cold products, and it is important that they do not leach chemicals. Even icing, called safe for food, is often not. John Hesselbert and Ron Roy in their book Mastering the Cone of 6 Glazes demonstrate this by putting a lemon wedge on a “food safe” glazed piece of ceramics. After a few hours, the glaze becomes discolored by leaching chemicals.
Unfortunately, food-safe glazed or hand-painted ceramic tiles are difficult to determine if you cannot talk with the manufacturer due to the fact that many glazes that are said to be safe for food are not. This is one of the greatest advantages of handmade tiles - a ceramic artist can tell you whether he is safe. Here at Handmade Ceramics and Fine Art Studios, we make our own glazes based on recipes tested and tested. If you can't find out if your ceramic tile is good with food, you better not use it for this purpose. Use it as a ceramic tile, or if it is strong and mostly flat, for a trigger.
