Wood Effect Porcelain
21st October 2019
We recently did some further research on the Wood Effect Porcelain market after being asked to price match at £20m2 including VAT! We were amazed that people could retail at this price so had to investigate.
It turns out the ‘comparable’ product was, in fact, ceramic, not porcelain. Not many people are aware of the differences between ceramic and porcelain, and to be honest, might think they don’t care but I hope the below will emphasise the importance of making the right choice.
The difference is in the makeup of the tile, ceramic is often made using red or brown clay whereas porcelain is made using white clay with the addition of finely ground sand and feldspar, it’s then fired at a higher temperature than ceramic, resulting in a harder, denser, less porous tile.
Essentially, the quality of a ceramic tile is not comparable to porcelain and the photos below demonstrate this. If you chip a glazed ceramic tile made using red clay, you are going to have a very obvious chip in your floor. Our existing range of wood effect porcelain, priced at £45m2, are full-bodied porcelains, which means the colour runs through the tile. If you chip these (which is easier said than done!) it will be much less noticeable.
Yes, porcelain tiles are a bit more of an investment but the proof really is in the quality of the product. Ceramic tiles should not be used in high traffic areas and are best suited to walls, not floors. Ceramics are also much more porous and are prone to cracking in cold weather and are susceptible to staining.
We genuinely believe our wood effect porcelain tiles are the best wood effect tiles available on the market, in both the authenticity of the look and feel as well as the quality. They are sourced from Italy, renowned for quality and are full-bodied, rectified, porcelain tiles, suitable for use with underfloor heating and suitable for external use. We regularly have customers in the showroom that mistake them for real wood, or when comparing cheaper alternatives say ‘I understand why these are more expensive now’ which confirms our beliefs!
We do understand however that our Italian wood effects are not in everyone’s budget, nor necessary for every project, so we’ve listened to our customers and have introduced a new range that we hope fit the bill. They are still porcelain tiles, still rectified and still have a textured surface, all for £24m2! Available in three different colours, we have the Acre range made up of Chestnut, Ash and Cream. These tiles are also a longer length, at 1200mm with some customers favouring a longer plank and really are great value for money.
You can request samples of both of our wood effect porcelain ranges here.
