Hello everyone, Lao Zhang is here again. Today I will explain to you the purchasing skills and paving skills of tiles. As we all know, decorating is a very laborious task, but it is worth the hard work for your own cozy little home. Let’s talk about ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles are usually laid about a week after the water and electricity comes into the site. Therefore, the selection of tiles must be determined as soon as the water and electricity enter the site, because the processing and transportation of tiles take time.

PART1: It is said to be prepared, so what preparations should be done before purchasing tiles?

As an ordinary consumer, everyone often feels at a loss when purchasing ceramic tiles, and often does not know which choice to make. What kind of issues should you pay attention to before placing an order?

First, the easily overlooked link in the budget

Nowadays, everyone is more sensitive to the price of ceramic tiles, and will pay special attention when purchasing, but in the end, they found out when ordering It will still greatly overspend. What is the reason? In fact, this is because some aspects are ignored when making a budget. Specifically speaking, there are the following aspects:

Wall tiles: Since the tiles and waist lines matching the wall tiles are calculated separately, not only the price of the bricks, but also the price of the tile waist lines must be considered. When consulting and purchasing prices in the market, you should not only remember the price of the bricks, but also the price of the matching tile waistline.

Floor tiles: In addition to the price of the tiles themselves, another aspect that should be noted is the price of the corner lines. When laying floor tiles, you must consider whether to make floor parquet and whether there are any special processing areas.

Second, determine what kind of bricks are good bricks

Nowadays, everyone generally thinks that the products of well-known brands are the best. In fact, I personally think this view is questionable. Whether it is a well-known product or a non-well-known product, the key is that the brick that suits you is the best. For example, an 800 pavilion looks great, but it is not suitable if the living room of your home is only about 20 square meters. Imported bricks are good, but due to limited rice, it is also very unrealistic if the pot at home has problems every day after buying it. of. Therefore, the best ceramic tile products are suitable for you.

Third, consult more friends to understand the cost-effectiveness of the product

You can learn more about ceramic tiles and purchasing skills through various channels.

Fourth, don’t ignore the inspection of merchant strength and after-sales service

In addition to considering factors such as product brand and price when purchasing products, don’t ignore Examination of business strength and after-sales capabilities. Do you dare to choose from the items in more than ten brands of shops with a small door couplet? How good can you expect his after-sales service to be? Therefore, try to consider ordering products from merchants with strong strength and standardized operations. At the same time, we must take the trouble to ask clearly about after-sales issues, return and replenishment issues, and how to solve quality problems. What I want to say is that no brand will not have quality problems. Only by implementing these Only after you are clear about it can you place an order to take precautions in the bud.

PART2: What categories are ceramic tiles roughly divided into according to their craftsmanship and characteristics?

1. Glazed bricks

It is a brick whose surface has been glazed. It can be divided into two types based on the difference of raw materials: ceramic glazed tiles, which are fired from clay, have high water absorption and relatively low strength. According to the local soil quality, there are red soil and white (yellow) soil. Porcelain glazed tiles, which are fired from porcelain clay, have low water absorption and relatively high strength. Its main feature is that the back color is off-white. According to the difference in gloss, it can also be divided into the following two types: bright glazed tiles and matte glazed tiles.

2. Full-body bricks

The surface of full-body bricks is not glazed, and the material and color of the front and back sides are the same, hence the name. Full-body bricks are wear-resistant bricks. Although there are still varieties such as full-body bricks with seepage patterns, their designs and colors are not as good as glazed bricks. Generally, they are rarely used on walls. Most anti-skid bricks are full-body bricks.

3. Polished bricks

It is a kind of bright brick made by polishing the surface of the whole body brick body. Polished tiles are a derivative of full-body tiles. Compared with the rough surface of full-body tiles, the surface of polished tiles is smooth. It is hard and wear-resistant and suitable for use in most indoor spaces except bathrooms, kitchens and indoor environments. Based on the application of infiltration technology, polished tiles can produce various imitation stone and imitation wood effects.

4. Vitrified tiles

It is a kind of reinforced polished tile. In addition to porcelain clay, it also contains a high proportion of quartz sand (the main raw material for making glass). Made by firing at high temperature. The texture is harder and more wear-resistant than polished tiles. The finish is better.

5. Mosaic

It is a special kind of brick, which is generally composed of dozens of small bricks to form a relatively large brick. Divided into ceramic mosaics, marble mosaics, and glass mosaics.

PART3: What are the characteristics that determine the quality of tiles?

First, size

The size of the product is the same, which saves construction time and is neat and beautiful.

Second, water absorption rate

is a term used to describe the degree of water absorption of ceramic products. Just like dry clothes will absorb water when soaked in water, ceramic products also have a certain water absorption rate. The lower the water absorption rate, the more helpful it is to improve other properties of ceramic products, such as strength, density, etc., which increase to varying degrees as the water absorption rate decreases. Ceramic tiles with low water absorption will not crack or peel due to thermal expansion and contraction due to climate change.

Third, flatness

refers to the levelness of the ceramic tile surface. The flatter the surface, the better the paving effect. When the flatness of the ceramic tile surface reaches a certain standard, there will be no arching or concavity when paving it correctly. Ceramic tiles with good flatness will not have curved or warped surfaces, making them easy to construct and the ground will be flat after construction.

Fourth, strength

It is wear resistance. Wear resistance is determined by grinding ceramic brick powder under a certain force, a certain abrasive, and a certain number of revolutions. Described in terms of volume, the more ceramic tile powder is ground down, the worse the wear resistance. Ceramic tiles with good wear resistance can withstand heavy pressure, are not easy to wear, and last a long time. They are especially suitable for use in public places.

Fifth, color difference

Put the tiles flat on the floor, arrange them into one square meter, and check whether there are different shades of colors or inability to connect, causing aesthetic problems. obstacle.

Sixth. Radioactivity

When certain special elements split their protons during the electronic transition, they will produce some rays that are harmful to the human body. We refer to this property of the elements as It's called radioactivity.

Seventh, antifouling properties

The easier it is to wash off the dirt on the ceramic surface, the better the antifouling performance. The antifouling performance is measured by applying standard trace-producing pollutants to the surface of the brick, and after a certain period of time, use different types of cleaning agents to clean it, such as bleaching powder, washing powder, acetone, hydrochloric acid solution, and potassium hydroxide solution. etc. are commonly used cleaning agents.

PART4: What are the main tips for purchasing tiles?

Introduce everyone

First, check

Check that the product packaging box should have the factory name, factory address, product name, after-sales service phone number, specifications, quantity, Trademark, production date and implemented standards. For porcelain tiles, you need to check the CCC certification mark. For ceramic tiles for indoor decoration, you should choose products whose radionuclides meet Class A requirements.

Second, look

The glaze of good quality ceramic tiles should be smooth and delicate, the gloss glaze should be crystal clear and bright, and the matte glaze should be soft and comfortable. Under sufficient natural light or fluorescent lighting, if the brick is placed 1 meter away and observed vertically, no obvious glaze defects should be visible. Patterned brick patterns should be delicate and realistic, without obvious defects such as lack of color, broken lines, and misalignment. The shading and trademarks on the back of high-quality ceramic products are clear and complete, with few glaze marks or defects.

Third, spelling

The size deviation of good products is small. Take out four to five pieces from a box and check the flatness. You can put the edges of the two bricks close to each other. Together, see if there are any gaps. A good product will have little deformation, and the brick surface will be smooth and beautiful after paving. To see the color difference of the product, put a few bricks together and look carefully under sufficient light. Products with different shades of tones will look better after paving. The effect is not good; finally check whether there are any defects such as color difference, deformation, missing edges and corners.

Fourth, listen

Gently tap the ceramic tiles and listen carefully to the sound. Products with better quality will sound crisp and sweet. Products of poor quality will make an "empty" sound when knocked due to improper raw material formula, short firing cycle, and low firing temperature.

Fifth, weigh

Weigh the weight of the product. For ceramic tiles of the same specifications, those with larger weights have lower water absorption and better intrinsic quality.

Sixth, dripping

Drip test.

You can drop water on the back of the ceramic tile to see how fast the water soaks after it spreads. Generally speaking, the slower the water absorption is, the greater the density of the ceramic tile is; conversely, the faster the water absorption is, the sparse density is, and its intrinsic quality is superior to the former.

PART5: What are the misunderstandings when buying ceramic tiles?

First, are the thicker the ceramic tiles, the better?

This is a common misunderstanding. There is no direct relationship between the quality of ceramic tiles and their thickness. What ultimately determines the quality of ceramic tiles is their density, dimensional error, warpage and other indicators. Density The higher it is, the better its quality. Generally, civil tiles only need to reach the basic thickness for use. There is no need to make them very thick, unless there are special requirements, such as factory industrial tiles and plaza tiles. Some manufacturers in Shandong may have relatively cheap raw materials and bricks. The bricks are thicker, but it does not prove that the bricks are good bricks. Similarly, in order to save energy consumption, the ceramic bricks produced in Japan are made relatively thin, but the accuracy and quality of the bricks are above average.

Second, what is the difference between vitrified tiles and polished tiles?

1. Ceramics with a water absorption rate lower than 0.5% are called vitrified tiles, also known as all-ceramic tiles. Polished tiles with a water absorption rate as low as 0.5% are also vitrified tiles. The characteristic is that it is formed by high-tonnage press and high-temperature sintering at over 1250 degrees during compression molding.

2. Polished tiles are obtained by mirror polishing of vitrified tiles. The water absorption rate of early polished tiles did not meet specific requirements. This may be due to carelessness in the industry, or it may be intentional in the industry. Due to the relatively low water absorption rate, High, there is a fatal flaw: it is easy to get dirty. This is caused by the uneven pores left when the polished tiles are polished. These pores will hide dirt and evil practices, causing the polished tiles to become stained and discolored, and even some tea may be poured on the polished tiles. Nothing can be done about it. Therefore, there will be a misleading statement in the market that "polished tiles are poor, but vitrified tiles are good". However, with the improvement of ceramic tile manufacturing technology and surface treatment technology, the anti-fouling ability has been further improved. Compared with the rough surface of full-body tiles, polished tiles are much smoother. Polished tiles are hard and wear-resistant and are suitable for use in most indoor spaces except bathrooms, kitchens and indoor environments. Polished tiles can be used to create various stone-like and wood-like effects. Perhaps everyone is aware of this, and later some high-quality polished tiles were added with an antifouling layer when they left the factory. The common specifications of polished tiles are 400x400mm, 500x500mm, 600x600mm, 800x800mm, 900x900mm, and 1000x1000mm.

3. If the vitrified tiles, vitrified polished tiles and polished tiles on the market have the same water absorption, they are actually similar products. The lower the water absorption rate, the better the degree of vitrification, and the better the physical and chemical properties of the product. Vitrified tiles refer to the physical and chemical properties of the bricks, while polished tiles refer to the polishing process after sintering the finished product.

Third, what are antique bricks, and are there any differences?

Antique bricks, including retro bricks, are not standard terms for my country’s building ceramics industry, just like there is no such thing as modern bricks. Antique tiles evolved from glazed tiles. The so-called antique tiles refer to the effect of bricks. They should be called antique effect tiles. Antique tiles are not difficult to clean. Antique bricks imitate past styles and attract people's attention with their unique classical charm. In order to reflect the vicissitudes of time and the weight of history, antique bricks create a nostalgic atmosphere through styles, colors, and patterns.

Fourth, can wall tiles and floor tiles be mixed?

1. Indoor tiles can be divided into: wall tiles and floor tiles according to where they are laid. Experts say that strictly speaking, wall tiles should be classified as ceramic products, while floor tiles are usually porcelain products. Their physical properties are different. There are big differences between the two from the selection of clay ingredients to the firing process. The water absorption rate of wall tiles is about 10%. The water absorption rate is several times higher than that of floor tiles with a water absorption rate of only 1%.

2. The floors of bathrooms and kitchens should be laid with floor tiles with low water absorption, because the floors will be washed frequently with large amounts of water, so that the tiles will not be affected by water vapor and will not absorb stains. Wall tiles are made of glazed pottery, which has a relatively high moisture content. Its back is generally rough, which is also conducive to the adhesive attaching the wall tiles to the wall. Floor tiles are not easy to stick firmly on the wall. Wall tiles will absorb too much water and become difficult to clean when used on the ground. It can be seen that wall and floor tiles cannot be mixed.

3. The front wall and floor should be leveled before laying tiles. The base layer should be cleaned before laying tiles. If there are decorations such as lime plaster, latex paint, wallpaper, etc. on the wall, or there is dirt on the ground, they must be cleaned up. , otherwise the bond between the cement mortar and the base layer will not be strong; in addition, if the wall itself has cracks, they should be properly handled before laying the bricks, so as to avoid the cracks in the basic structure becoming larger in the future and causing the wall bricks to crack or fall off; also, for smooth Floors and walls with large differences in degree or verticality must be leveled with cement mortar.

4. Pay attention to the order of laying. Floor tiles should be laid from the inside out. If the ground has a slope or there is a floor drain, attention should be paid to finding the slope in the direction of drainage; wall tiles should be laid from bottom to top for the best appearance. For safety reasons, the bottom bricks should be pasted later. After laying the wall tiles, press the floor tiles. If there are half bricks, try to put them underneath. In addition, one wall cannot be attached to the top at one time to prevent the ceramic tiles from collapsing due to their heavy weight.

5. Wall tiles must be fully soaked in water. Because wall tiles have a high moisture content, this characteristic must be taken into consideration when pasting. The base layer should be fully watered and moistened before tiling, and the tiles should be soaked in water for at least 20 minutes and then fully dried before use. Otherwise, the moisture in the mortar will be quickly absorbed by the dry base layer and ceramic tiles and condense quickly, which will affect its bonding fastness. Otherwise, the wall tiles will absorb moisture from the cement, making the cement unable to act as an adhesive. In addition, the water absorption rate of each brand of wall tiles is also different, which depends on the experience of the construction team.

Fifth, why do ceramic tiles need to be soaked in water?

1. Soak the tiles in water before laying them

This is to allow the pores in them to fully absorb water. If it is too dry, the service life will be greatly reduced. After absorbing sufficient water , apply cement mortar so that the moisture in the cement mortar will not be absorbed, so that the paving quality can reach a certain standard, and hollowing and falling off will not occur easily. Cracks may even appear.

2. The time for soaking ceramic tiles in water

In principle, it should be until the ceramic tiles are saturated with water, as long as the ceramic tiles do not bubble in the water. Generally, the soaking time can be controlled at two hours. 3. How to soak ceramic tiles in water?

It’s very simple, just find a big basin and immerse the bricks completely. Be careful when moving bricks, otherwise it is easy to break the corners and porcelain surface.

Today, I have talked a lot about this. I hope everyone can refer to it when purchasing ceramic tiles.