PORCELAIN WALL TILES.
This fairly new material has caused a great deal of distrust, confusion, and disappointment. The main reason for this is that it is sold alongside ceramic tiles, but is a very different product.
Here are some of those differences…
Porcelain is extremely hard to cut and drill period, and in particular, very difficult to cut neatly. Invariably you are left with a ragged gouged looking edge regardless of the cutting equipment you use. This may be passable for floor tiling but not at eye level
They invariably have a very square edge to them and are becoming quite common and are refered to as being ‘rectified’ which means all cut down to the same size on special diamond cutting machines.
They are considerably more difficult to fix (especially the very large formats) than ceramics due to the unforgiving sharp edges which require the tiling to be ‘perfectly flat’ and we mean perfect. The slightest bump or hollow will stand out like a sore thumb.
They require the use of specific and expensive adhesives that will cure quickly with a minimum water content, low shrinkage, and flexibility, that can be used at abnormal thicknesses of possibly 15mm.
Because of the adhesive requirement and the usual weight of these tiles we don’t think you should ever fix them onto plasterboard clad studwork or dot and dab drywall systems. The boards can struggle to handle the moisture content of thick bedding and the fixing screws or clout nails can simply tear out of the board. This is an unacceptable risk to have to take even on a new build, let alone a refurbishment.We have fixed this material occasionally but what we have usually had to do, is strip off all the plasterboard walls, get the studwork spot on and then clad them in 18 mm marine ply or one of the cementatious board systems and this is expensive stuff.
There are countless examples whereby the customer has gone tile shopping, chosen this product in good faith, (and why not). Only to find that although it looks nice enough, it has very little in common with proper tiles and when the tiler turns up, he is confronted with three or four times the work that he originally quoted for.
Then the cost implications are revealed and time scales are disrupted which both the customer, and the tiler must absorb, or, the tiles reselected.
And that is completely wrong.
And for what?
.
No advice, is bad advice in this case.
Porcelain wall tiles can potentially cost many times as much to install as ceramic tiles so whatever you do, make sure we or which ever tiler you are using, checks out their suitability and quotes accordingly, then there are no reasons for falling out.
.
Having said all that, the smaller pressed porcelain wall tiles that have the same cushioned edges as ceramics are fine in kitchens and are almost indistinguishable from the real thing (ceramic).