What is a ceramic tile?
It is a mixture of clay, minerals, and water that are mixed together and heated in a high-temperature furnace. This results in creating a very strong product that is non-porous for water or other types of liquids and doesn’t retain odors, allergens, micro-organisms or bacteria.
When a layer of molten glass is applied on the surface of this end product and heated again, the outer surface of the product acquires a “glazed” look, which is totally scratch and stain resistant. Baked as tiles, this product is durable, easy to install and comes in a variety of designs, colors, sizes, and patterns.
How old is ceramic?
The oldest ceramic artifact unearthed by archaeologists dates back 24,000 years BC. While not much is known about that time, about 9,000 years BC, ceramic pottery was discovered, which was presumably used to store food items and grains. The early users very quick to realize that a product of clay, mineral, and water was inert to chemicals, easy to use and totally harmless to the environment when destroyed.
Since then, ceramic products have been made in different shapes and sizes, finding more uses and eventually a whole industry was born. While early ceramics was more about art and pottery, the last century has seen ceramics becoming an essential component of almost every industry imaginable today.
Why must you consider using ceramic tiles over other tiles?
Whether you are a home buyer, architect or a commercial buyer, one thing you would most likely agree that we now live and work in environments filled with various kinds of toxins and chemicals. Try to imagine the long-term effects on toddlers, youngsters, and adults. Many of the tiles that use heavy chemicals to create the final products emit embedded chemicals throughout their product life. These chemicals enter our bodies and blood streams and eventually show up as various ailments, from time to time.
Let us look at some of the most important reasons for selecting ceramic tiles over other types of tiles for our home and office décor.
Chemicals Free
Ceramic tiles, both glazed and unglazed, are made of all naturally occurring materials as clay and sand and do not use harmful chemicals that are generally used in some other types of tiles. Ceramic tiles do not use Formaldehyde, VOCs or PVC. As per the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), these three chemicals have been declared extremely hazardous for both humans and animals and cause long-lasting damage to the body, under prolonged use.
Formaldehyde - It is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature, which has a pungent, distinct odor, and may cause a burning sensation to the eyes, nose, and lungs at high concentrations. As per WHO prolonged exposure to Formaldehyde may cause allergies, breathing-related discomforts as asthma, nose, throat and eye irritation, headaches and nausea. Long-term effects may vary from person to person but can severely affect the body’s immune system and may cause cancer.
As per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) an ambient level of 0.4 ppm or less has been recommended for manufactured housing products. In the USA, many green and eco-friendly building have already banned the use of products that emit formaldehyde fumes.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – Certain kind of tiles emit VOCs as invisible gases that may have both short and long-term health effects on humans and animals. As per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the concentration of indoor VOCs is up to 10 times higher than outdoor VOCs.
While short term exposures may cause irritation of the eyes and respiratory discomforts, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, nausea, or fatigue the long term effects may show up as memory problems, loss of coordination, damage to the liver, kidneys & central nervous system or even cause cancer. Excessive emission in closed buildings may also cause "Sick Building Syndrome” if the ventilation and air circulation are restricted or of poor quality.
Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) – PVC is commonly found all around us, especially in products made of plastic or having any related coatings. One can be exposed to PVCs by inhalation, ingestion or by touch.
Exposure to PVC often includes exposure to phthalates and chlorine, which are considered to be endocrine disruptors. Prolonged exposure to PVC may impair human productivity or create hormonal imbalances in a body.
Allergy Retardant
People having Asthma or other breathing related ailments would already know the hazards of pollutants and allergens in their homes and at workplaces. People who spend large amount of times indoors are generally advised by doctors to keep the doors and windows closed to keep out dust, pollen or other types of allergens.
Ceramic tiles can help cut down indoor allergens quite a bit these tiles are less porous than some other types of tiles and hence do not retain moisture or liquid. Glazed tiles are extremely easy to clean with simple soap and water, rather than harsh chemicals. Once dry, ceramic tiles do not attract dust, pollen or any type of allergens on the surface.
Mold & Fungus Resistant
Carpets and wooden tiles tend to deteriorate over time and are excellent grounds for fungus, mold, and mildew. Organic growth takes place if the surfaces are not cleaned regularly or not possible to clean at all. In addition, fissures, cracks, and gaps allow these organic growths to stay and expand, thereby creating long-term health issues for humans and animals around.
Since ceramic tiles have hard reflective surfaces that are easy to clean, any kind of organic growth cannot survive. Since ceramic tiles have water-repelling properties, they are generally used in water-intensive areas as fountains, pools, bathrooms, and kitchens.
Safe To Use
Ceramic tiles offer multiple safety benefits. Let us consider them below.
Fire Proof – Ceramic tiles do not burn or produce any toxic fumes. These are also safe in the kitchen where oven heated pans or skillets may be safely placed on them without causing any damage, burns or cracks to the surface of the tiles.
Ceramic tiles are totally fireproof and in fact help in limiting fire if these are fitted in the area where fire has erupted. Most ceramic tiles are non-flammable and do not produce smoke in a fire, meeting the flame spread and smoke development requirements of Section 803 of the International Building Code (IBC) for interior wall and ceiling materials.
Unlike carpet and wooden tiles, these tiles are not damaged by dropped burning cigarette ash or stubs. Simply remove the trash and wipe the tile clean by the moist wiper. No trace of marks will be left behind to tell tales. To optimize the effectiveness of floor heating, ceramic tiled floors offer good thermal conductivity.
Stain Free – Glazed ceramic tiles are totally stain-free due to the glass or nano-particle coating on the surface. Therefore, spillages as red wine, dark sauce or any other abrasive liquid are easy to wipe clean with no damage to the tile.
Anti Slip – Ceramic tiles are available in a very wide variety of anti-slip tiles. These tiles are anti-slip even when wet, unlike other tiles which have anti slip properties only when dry. Houses and installation having senior citizens and medically challenged patients need to install anti-slip ceramic tiles for general safety. Water-intensive areas such as pools, bathrooms, and kitchens generally use anti-slip ceramic tiles. Anti-slip tiles are rated for slip factor and based on the usage, correct type of tile must be installed.
Anti Static – Ceramic tiles are bad conductors of electricity and hence they are best suited in areas where other room items as carpets and upholstery generate enough static electricity through body touch. Areas like hospitals and electronic labs do not want static electricity to disrupt or damage ultra sensitive electronic instruments and hence opt for ceramic tiles. Houses and installation having electronically monitored patients also prefer ceramic tiles to cut down unwanted electrostatic discharges that interfere with the life support systems.
Extremely Durable
Ceramic tiles are fired hardened products and hence extremely tough. These tiles can take a lot of load and footfalls during their life, without cracking or breaking under pressure. A typical ceramic tile can last a couple of decades if cared and maintained as per directions of the manufacturer.
Ceramic tiles are scratch resistant and graded on the hardness of the material. Ceramic tiles are installed in both residential and commercial buildings and in areas of high human traffic as they can withstand large amount of use and abuse due to their anti-scratch and load bearing properties.
Rounding Up
Ceramic tiles are extremely versatile tiles that are eco-friendly in many aspects. As the world moves towards creating new harmony with nature, buyers of tiles should also be inclined in their selection of tiles and buy products that cut down on hazardous chemicals and help save the environment we all live in. Ceramic tiles offer are a good choice as not only they offer a spectrum of design, patterns, textures, and sizes but also are easy to maintain and budget friendly.
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