Ceramic Tiles

Wall tiles are produced mostly through a low firing process. A couple of reasons for this is that as a wall tile, they don’t have to withstand the stress of heavy weight and foot traffic. The second reason is that wall tiles are mostly used for decoration, with many manufacturers offering fun & colourful patterned tiles. Bright strong colours and raised frit applications are a great way to create a small feature with alot of impact. These decorative onglaze processes work best at lower temperatures around 780 degrees celsius, so really just for wall tiles – not floor.

Floor tiles are composed of an earthen clay base, high fired to give it extra strength and make it less porous than the low fired wall tile varieties. After the initial biscuit kiln firing process, the tile is then sprayed or painted with glaze and re-fired to give the top a durable and coloured surface. Ceramic tiles are generally easier to cut than porcelain but suitable only for light to moderate traffic. They are more prone to wear and chipping than porcelain over time.