About Tiles
What are porcelain tiles?
Porcelain tile is a ceramic tile with very distinct qualities. It refers to an extreme compact, dry or dust pressed tile that produced with high quality raw materials and specialized production techniques. To ensure the robustic of porcelain tile, it is pressed under high pressure and fired at temperature as high as 1250 Celsius for a period of time. The product is completely vitrified and hence completely impervious and with excellent mechanical properties.
What are porcelain tiles?
Porcelain tile is a ceramic tile with very distinct qualities. It refers to an extreme compact, dry or dust pressed tile that produced with high quality raw materials and specialized production techniques. To ensure the robustic of porcelain tile, it is pressed under high pressure and fired at temperature as high as 1250 Celsius for a period of time. The product is completely vitrified and hence completely impervious and with excellent mechanical properties.
PEI RATINGS
This test is applied for glazed porcelain tiles and more applicable for floor tiles. The rating is measures the abrasive resistance or hardness of the tile's glaze on scale of 0 - 5.
| Class 0 (PEI 0) | No foot traffic: |
| Class 1 (PEI 1) | Very light foot traffic only : |
| Class 2 (PEI 2) | Minimal foot traffic: |
| Class 3 (PEI 3) | It's for light to moderate foot traffic: |
| Class 4 (PEI 4) | For moderate to high foot traffic: |
| Class 5 (PEI 5) | Heavy Traffic: |
Tiles Selection
- Tile Selection
- Durability & Performance
- Choosing the right size
- Rules of Colours
- Tile Finishes
- Grout Selection
Tile Installation
» The surface must be clean, smooth, dry and free of wax and grease.Areas that are damaged or uneven must be patched and levelled.
» Layout marks the centre point of all four walls. First of all, layout the tiles to minimize the number of cut tiles.
» When laying tiles, bear in mind that variation of shade is an inherent characteristic of porcelain tile, mixing well for several cartons and give a total blend and random effect. It is advised to use the same calibre when tiling on the same area.
» Use tile spacers for each tile setting, to leave equal joint between tiles. We recommend a tiling gap of 3mm.
» The settling time will vary from a few hours to few days and depends on the type of material or adhesive used for installation.
» During grouting, remove the tile spacer and spread grout on the tile surface using a rubber grout float or squeegee. It is important for you to refer to the adhesive package for specific instructions or precautions.
» Remove excess grout from surface immediately after grouting. Wait for a couple of minute, depending of the specific instructions and then remove the excess grout from surface with damp sponge, clean grout residue and smooth the grout joints.
Tile Care after installation
» Initial cleaning after floor installation is essential and important in order to remove all mortar, sand and grout residues that may be left.
» Lexomo Worldwide Product, the Swiss-quality tile can be cleaned by scrubbing the installation with clear water and a neutral amount of detergent with thorough rinsing.
» If grout residue still remains, further cleaning of the tile can be accomplished by using a grout remover. Equipment recommended for aggressive cleaning are floor scrubbers or floor buffing machines equipped with a nylon pad or brush. A wet vacuum should be used to pick up suspended grout residue and construction dirty completely.
» Caution should be exercised when using acid or acid-based cleaner as they can adversely affect the grout. Avoid using "hydrofluoric acid" to its compounds, according to UNI-EN 176.
» If acid is used for cleaning the installation, cautioned to use diluted "sulphuric acid" or diluted "hydrochloric acid" mixed in a correct mixture or concentration. It is important that before the acid solution is placed on the floor, the grout joints be thoroughly saturated with water first. Installers should wait until the grout joint has fully cured. Usually it takes up to 7 to 10 days, before using acidic cleaners.