The basic knowledge of tile (2)
2008-08-08

                                                                                                                                                                Tile knowledge                                                                                                                                             Chapter nine- The basic knowledge of tile (2)

Each object has its own characteristics, tile has no exception.

Characteristics of tile Size: the same size of the product can save construction time and the appearance looks neat. Water absorption: This is a term for describing water absorption of ceramic products. Low water absorption can help to improve the performance of other ceramic products. With the lower water absorption, the strength and density of tile increase in varying degrees. Low water absorption of the tiles will not chap or peel off arising from expanding or contracting cracking due to climate. Formation: This refers to level degree of the tile surface. The surface of the tiles with good formation will not bend, the corners will not turn up, the ground is flat after construction. Strength: that is wear resistance. Wear resistance is described of certain size of the tile powder in certain forces, certain abrasive revolutions. The more ceramic brick powder, the worse the wear-resistance of tile. The tiles with good resistance can resist the pressure and are difficult to wear. They can be maintained in good quality, particularly suitable for use in public places. Chromatic aberration: Put the tiles on the floor into a square meters. In three meters away for watching whether there are aesthetic obstacles because of different color depth or non-convergence. There are many other characteristics of tile, such as crack in body, pinhole, fleck and so on. These characteristics do not need understand fully. General brand tiles relate to the testing standards, we just pay attention to size, water absorption, chromatic aberration and formation.

Methods of selecting tiles There are five principles of the selection of tile, watching, listening, dripping, measuring and observing the hardness. Method one: watching the appearance. The color of tile should be uniform, smoothness and planeness of the surface should be good. The edge of the tile should be inerratic and the pattern should be complete. Choose 4-5 pieces of tiles from the box to see whether defects. Method two: listening the sound. Knock on the tile lightly with a hard object, the more crisp the sound, the better the quality. You can also use your thumb, index finger and middle finger to take the tile and use another hand to hit the lower part of tile. Bright sound is fine, muddy sound is inferior. Method three: dripping test. Drop the water on the back of tile to see the speed of soakage. Generally speaking, the slower the water, the greater density that the tiles; On the contrary, the smaller density. Its intrinsic quality of the former is superior. Method four: measuring the length. The length of the high-precision ceramic tiles has good quality. Choosing high-quality tile is good for construction and saving time and materials. Measuring each tile’s surrounding with tape measure to make sure the periphery is accordant. Method five: observing the hardness. Tile with good hardness, strong toughness and non-friable quality is the outstanding variety.

Cleaning and MaintenanceOne of many great things about tile is that it requires very little maintenance. To keep your tile looking its best, year after year, here are a few important attention you may take. 

1. You should clean your tile with a damp sponge mop, using a small amount of soapless detergent in warm water. You should not use soap on tile. It leaves a film which dulls the surface and promotes mildew. 2. If you use a cleaner, make sure it's neutral - non-acidic and non-alkaline. 3. Where soil is more concentrated, use a cleaner made specifically for ceramic tile. 4. You should not use an acid or ammonia-based cleaner, because it could affect the color of the grout. Acid-based cleaners will cause polished marble tiles to dull. You should not use bleach or vinegar and water - vinegar is an acid. 5. You should not use steel wool pads or any abrasive on tile or stone. These materials can scratch or dull the surface. Any loose particles of steel left on the grout will cause rust stains.