Calibers

Each surface possessing its own particular aesthetic and practical qualities. For example, gloss finish emphasizes a color and a pattern the tile, but tiles with this finish have certain restrictions for the laying due to its low slip resistance. Grip or structured finishes emphasize the rustic effect and the beauty of natural stone, and at the same time have high anti-slip properties, that make them ideal for exterior use, entrance zone and stairs, swimming pools, spa and shower.

The main difference between porcelain and ceramic tiles is in their technical characteristics. Porcelain tiles are characterized by extremely low water absorption (<0.5%), high density, hardness and stain resistance. The density of porcelain stoneware is what makes it highly resistant to any kinds of liquid penetration, they are easy to clean and sunlight resistant, and that is the reason why they are so versatile: you can use porcelain stoneware both for floors and walls in interiors and also for exteriors such as facades, walkways, parking, barbecue area, swimming pool. While traditional ceramic tiles have a higher water absorption rate and a limited possibility in their application: they are recommended only for interiors, especially, for walls.

Warpage is curvature in the face of a tile which can be concave or convex in shape. As well as porcelain stoneware tile is made from natural materials (clay, feldspar, sand, etc.), during the firing and cooling process of production, a tile can get a light curvature. For example, the curvature is more noticeable on wood effect porcelain stoneware tiles presented in long and narrow formats like 20x120 and 22.5x90.

In any case, a light warpage is acceptable and it does not interfere with the perfect laying, but it is important to use any tile alignment system. A whole range of the Italon products porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles comply with ISO 10545-2 standards

Abrasion of tiles could be caused by foot traffic, trolleys or vehicles transportation, movement of different objects (heavy furniture, etc.). Italon porcelain stoneware is in line with all necessary indicators in order to be resistant to mechanical damage and abrasion, and that is why it guarantees a high standard of durability.

The slip resistance and the level of safety of porcelain stoneware are determined by the classifications R and A + B + C. The least slippery are structured and grip finishes, and they have a value R> 11. Porcelain stoneware with these types of finishes are recommended for exteriors such as balconies, walkways, parking, barbecue area, swimming pool and landscape design. Matte or natural finishes, as a rule, have a value R9, and can be used for interiors, except the places with an elevated water content. Glossy finishes can be used only for interiors, except the places with an elevated water content, and are not recommended for use in gaming areas as a floor covering.

Lux surface, which is also called full-honed or mirror-honed surface, represents the finest finish with a bright “mirror” surface. It refers to a low slip-resistance finish and therefore it is more slippery than natural or grip ones. It is suitable for residential or small commercial places (except entrance areas), where there is no need of special anti-slip characteristics and there is no elevated water content and water on the floor. It is worth to remember that the lux surface becomes very slippery when wet, so that it is undesirable to use lux porcelain stoneware for the flooring in the kitchen/bathroom.

It is recommended to use a porcelain stoneware with a structured or grip finish for the flooring of professional kitchens (restaurants, cafes, bars, etc.), that guarantees a non-slippery surface and ensures safety. For private kitchens, you can use porcelain stoneware with any kind of surface: natural, glossy or grip. There are no any restrictions for choosing a tile surface for walls or splashbacks.

Nel bagno si raccomanda di usare il gres porcellanato sia per la pavimentazione che per il rivestimento delle pareti, a causa dell’assorbimento di acqua vicino allo zero e della resistenza all’esposizione chimica. Però per la posa sul pavimento è preferibile usare il gres porcellanato con la superficie opaca/naturale oppure strutturata per garantire le proprietà antisdrucciolevoli e la sicurezza in uso. Per il rivestimento delle pareti si può usare il gres porcellanato con qualunque tipo di superficie.

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 of 3 mm.

The thickness of Italon tiles depends on the format and type of surface. The tile thickness for 30x30 format is 8 mm, for 60x60 and 60x120, etc. it is 9 mm. Honed, honed satin and structured surface do not affect the tile thickness. But it is important to know that tiles with polished surface have thickness of 1 mm less.

Durante la realizzazione dei progetti di ambienti esterni è necessario prendere in considerzione la resistenza al freddo del materiale, nonchè la sua resistenza allo scivolamento superficiale. Pertanto per i balconi e gli esterni raccomandiamo di usare esclusivamente il gres porcellanato e con il coefficiente di antiscivolamento non meno di R11. Per i progetti analoghi l’azienda Italon ha creato una gamma particolare del gres porcellanato resistente al freddo usata fuori che si chiama Italon Х2. Ulteriori informazioni di tutte le collezioni della gamma si può visionare sul sito http://www.italonx2.ru/.

The technology of creating Lux surface is the most difficult in the production of porcelain stoneware, and it represents the use of expensive glassy masses during the decorating process, followed by polishing the product. The result gives to the tile a colour depth and a noble pattern, but in the same time a very delicate to abrasion surface. That is why there are some certain restrictions for the use of these tiles: they should not be used for entrance zones, wet areas and swimming pools. Moreover, it is non-recommended to use lux surface for the places with high foot traffic: supermarkets, shopping malls, railway stations, etc.

Is it true that the granite chips are added to porcelain stoneware?

Full-body coloured porcelain stoneware is the most advanced technology of production of porcelain stoneware, thanks to which the tile acquires a uniform colour throughout its thickness, and has an additional decoration on the surface, which highlights the aesthetic features of the product. The porcelain produced according to this technology has virtually no restrictions of use due to the high technical and aesthetic characteristics: it can be used in private areas and commercial areas of any kind.

Glazed Porcelain is the type of porcelain stoneware with high recycled content of on which is applied a thin layer of glaze that allows producing a wide variety of colours and decorative effects. The tile also retains all the characteristics of porcelain stoneware. It is recommended to use this product in residential, commercial areas subjected to low traffic of people (cafes, restaurants, shops), as well as wall tiling for interior and exterior use.

Come su tutte le superfici lucide, sul gres porcellanato con la superficie Lux possono essere visibili graffi o macchie, che non sono cosi visibili sulle superfici naturali. Seppure gres porcellanato è il materiale più resistente rispetto a qualunque materiale naturale sul gres porcellanato con la superficie levigata a specchio Lux possono formarsi piccoli graffi dovuti al carico pedonale, che in ogni caso non ha un impatto negativo sulla qualità dei prodotti ceramici di Italon.

Lapping (lapped) is the mechanical process on porcelain stoneware, which gives to the tiles a slightly glossy effect without losing the typical opacity of the tile. The peculiarity of this process is that it allows to maintain the natural look of the tile surface, thus enhancing the aesthetics of the surface effects such as the effect of wood or the stone effect.

There are 2 main indexes of wear resistance of porcelain stoneware: resistance to abrasion (PEI) and resistance to deep abrasive wear. Therefore, first you need to clarify what kind of porcelain stoneware it is: In the case of glazed tiles you use the wear resistance class characteristic of the glaze (PEI) which has a value from 1 to 5. The least resistant class has PEI 1, the most resistant class has PEI 5. For the measurement of the abrasion resistance of the full-body or colored in mass gres you use the characteristic "Wear resistance of deep abrasive (ISO 10545-6)". It is measured in mm3 of abraded material, and should be less than 175 mm3. The lower the value, the more resistant the abrasive material is.

Tiles are produced according to the nominal dimensions. The caliber is the actual size of the tiles found in the boxes. When you are buying porcelain stoneware you need to consider caliber off all tiles present in a laying scheme: the calibers must be the same. If you want to combine more colors or you want to place decorative elements together with tiles in the same room, tell it our partners in the stores to choose the tiles and the decorations of the same caliber.

Rispetto alle piastrelle fatte da argilla rossa le piastrelle fatte da argilla bianca sono più resistenti, e inoltre questa tecnologia permette di ottenere le dimensioni più precise, e, pertanto in generale è di qualità più alta. È importante notare che tutta la gamma di piastrelle per pareti Italon viene prodotta esclusivamente utilizzando piastrelle da rivestimento in argilla bianca.

In all areas with a high mechanical load (warehouses, technical rooms, maintenance areas) it is recommended to use full-body or technical porcelain stoneware. They do not change the appearance over time due to heavy traffic and extreme loads.

For the production of some porcelain stoneware articles, waste with no thermal process occurred from the production process is used. This allows to reduce, without changing or worsening the technical parameters of the finished products, the use of the new basic components reducing the costs for raw materials and for transporting them to the factory. The use of recycled material during the course is certified by LEED certification, which certifies the low environmental impact of Italon tiles. The company Italon respects the environment and believes that architecture and ecology are inextricably linked; for this reason many items of Italon porcelain stoneware are certified according to the LEED standard.

Porcelain stoneware consists exclusively of natural components: kaolin clays, kaolins, sand, feldspars and pigments. it is not possible to predict how these natural materials will behave in the process of pressing at high pressure and subsequent firing at a temperature of 1250 degrees. It is for that reason that, after finishing the technological cycle, porcelain stoneware is chosen not only according to the caliber, but also according to the shade. Before starting the installation of the porcelain stoneware, check that you have purchased the tiles in the same shade. To do this, look at  the information on the packaging. It is important that all boxes have the same reference - «AB4» or «А48», etc. This is is the specification of the shade. To obtain the perfect aesthetic result, Italon recommends buying porcelain stoneware of the same shade.