Designers are always inventing new ways of tricking our eyes into thinking we have the real thing presented before us… leather, fur, hair extensions! It’s no different in the tile industry. For years tile retailers have been selling, at first ceramics, then digital print porcelains, to look and even feel like real marble. But we get bombarded by the greenies too, telling us to use sustainable products and to be Eco friendly. Over recent years it’s been the turn of the wooden plank. Do we use recycle or a new exotic wood, laminate, bamboo or porcelain?
There are many pros for porcelain wood effect tiles and they can benefit everyone from the eco minded to the busy home owner. A colleague has reminded me lately that apart from the ‘Eco Friendly’ message we should also be pushing more of the ‘Family Health’ benefits that ceramic and porcelain products bring to the table. They are not subjected to potential petro-chemical and carcinogen releasing agents as some of the cheaper linoleum vinyl, carpets, timber sealants are subjected to. Porcelain tile products are mixtures of predominantly clays, silica sand, and other natural occurring minerals that have been mixed with water and fired in a high temperature kiln. The tiles are odorless, stable, non-flammable, and pose no immediate hazard to health. Good for the manufacturers and end users I would say. Then there are those of us who hate just cleaning the floor with hot water and want to use some kind of antibacterial, but still eco friendly, floor wash without stripping the sealer off our nice new wooden floor boards. Well… you can have your cake and eat it too with a porcelain wood effect floor. Trust me….I’ve got four kids and a dog to clean up after and having lived in a house with real wooden floorboards for the last four years it’s not something I would choose to have in my next house. With a porcelain wood effect floor tile I can use hot water, with cleaners and not have to worry about drying off so the varnish doesn’t deteriorate or whether my soap choice will leave the floor looking dull. I want to be able to clean my floor so it’s germ free. I want floorboards that will not absorb anything my little cherubs drop on it every meal time or during their raids on the fridge. No gaps in the grout either…unlike floorboards where you can have allsorts growing and living between the planks! So there are benefits for the eco minded and the busy but what about those who just want the best looking floorboards as well? No problem I say. Thanks to all the home improvement programs on TV now we have a revival in the wooden parquetry and herringbone patterns and the beach, rustic styles that are great for the Australian coastal or hinterland home. There are some tile factories producing wood effect tiles that look so much like the real thing it’s hard to tell if it’s faux or real. In fact, at a recent trade show in Italy people were getting on their hands and knees to inspect a particular tile closer…just to make sure it was porcelain and not wood! There are various degrees of quality and price ranges available on the market and experience has shown us that the more expensive wood effect, the better the quality of finish and authenticity it gives. When choosing just think out all those eco, health and maintenance benefits and you’ll be onto a winner!
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