How Are Ceramic Floor Tiles Made and the Ease of Their Maintenance?
Ceramic tile floors have been traditional part of rooms, more so for bathrooms and kitchens. Ceramic floors can be quite casual or elegant looking. They are easy to maintain, waterproof and long lasting. Ceramic Tiles are made using clay. Once they are given their shape, the tiles are kept in kilns to be fired. And, after the glaze is added to them, they are fired again in the kiln. Generally Ceramic Floor Tiles are available in square shape, but the sizes can vary from tiny pieces to large sized tiles.
Ceramic Floor Tiles that are unglazed are known as quarry tiles. Mostly they are found in reddish brown or brown color, which is the natural color of clay. Different colors are created by adding dye to the tiles prior to shaping them. Since these tiles are porous, it is necessary to seal them once they are installed.
You would be surprised to know that in Ceramic Tiles the glaze on the surface is a very thin layer of glass coating. You can find tiles with bright or delicate glaze colors. Some of the tiles have special effect glazes that are created using different colors. Since glazed surface is very slippery, the surface is made rough using different methods.
Mosaic floors are developed using tiny Ceramic Floor Tiles. The tiles are placed in special patterns to form the picture or design. Since these floors are quite complicated, they should be laid at the hands of experts only. But, simple designs can also be created using backing material that is used to fix the tiles in their place.
Mortar is generally used to keep Ceramic Tiles in place. And, once the mortar dries of, the empty spaces are filled using grout. Conventionally grout has been used in white color, but you can alter the color as per the requirement. The pattern of the ceramic tile floor can be made quite attractive by choosing the grout color carefully. The application of grout is also sealed in order to stop it from absorbing any moisture and getting stained.
If you are choosing ceramic tile floor for your home, it is a good option because they are quite easy to maintain. The maintenance requires you to regularly sweep the floor. This helps in avoiding the deposition of dirt that can scratch the glazed surface. You can also use the vacuum cleaner to do the job, but with the beater bar removed from the cleaner.