Bianca Montana Tile Finish & Texture Guide – Part II
In the first, earlier, part of this series, we looked at a textured tile that replicates the Bianca Montana natural stone. They used that particular stone aesthetic as a basis of the design of this ceramic tile.
Today we are going to talk about a handful of elements that are part of kitchen and bathroom design and tile floor installations. Two of the topics we’re going to examine are beveled edged manufactured tiles and full bodied tile construction. The particular type of tile that we’re looking at is not a full-bodied tile, but we will examine the characteristics of this type of tile as a particular counterpoint to a full-bodied tile.
This past week, we talked about the mortar joints and the alignment between the tiles. We talked both about their alignment in relation to one another at their intersections and we also talked about their alignment in terms of elevation, in plane. We looked at a view of the picture below. You can see that this joint is misaligned. Generally spacers will be used to set tile at proper alignment across or along a grout line. Here they may have used spacers but they were not well applied.
In relation to the tile’s specific positioning, there’s also another detail here that we want to talk about. If you look at the edge of the tiles, as shown in the picture below very closely, you can see there is a bevel at the outer edge. This detail is small but is important.
In the case of a solid authentic stone tile, the edge can be exposed because it’s consistent. With a ceramic or porcelain tile though, they are often not full-bodied tiles where there is consistency throughout the outer exposed face down through and to the core of the tile. When those edges are exposed and they’re not solid and natural or full-bodied then they show the base clay material. That material looks different from the artificial aesthetic applied to the surface.
The bevel, in this case, allows for a slight recess in the level of the grout. When the grout is cleaned, right after fresh application, a slight bit is removed from each joint line. If the tile, instead of being cut at a bevel, were cut at a straight flush 90°, it would expose the inner body of the tile.
In case you’re not sure of exactly where the bevel is in these tiles, you can see a markup, of a cropped version of the same picture above, superimposed on top of the picture below. These red lines show the edges and extent of the bevel.
The close-up view of the picture below shows the horizontal surface of one of the tiles. There’s clearly a texture in the surface, made to appear like natural stone. Between the details of the natural looking color, the stone aesthetic of natural texture, and the bevel edge in lieu of a full-bodied composition, the manufacturer has went through some effort to try to make this tile look authentic.
This is one of the trade-offs between using natural and faux products. Ceramic tile is very durable. In some cases its even more durable than natural stone. Natural stone may have nearly undetectable hairline fractures that make it less durable than ceramic tile. Ceramic tile also has better stain protection. Ceramic tile is kiln fired and therein has a hardened glaze on the exterior walking surface. That glaze has extreme stain resistance. Like glass, when high temperature fired, the glaze on the surface of the tile reaches a degree of vitreousness.
A degree of vitreousness is not the same as becoming glass, but it becomes closer to actual glass than a typical natural stone. Generally, most stones have a high degree of porosity. There is some variation and exceptions between different types of stone, but particularly when talking about sedimentary stone or metamorphic stone, there may be a high degree of porosity. A high degree of porosity will let liquid seep into the pores. The problem with having small pores is that once a contrasting color stain seeps into the pores, it’s very hard to clean and remove those colors from the tile.
Dupont Kitchen & Bath Can Help
As dedicated and local DC metropolitan kitchen and bath builders and installers, we pride ourselves on turning your visions into reality. Your kitchen and bathrooms can reflect your unique style and be designed with personalized aesthetics. It can be a process from creative designs to the realization of your dream space. Specializing in kitchen and bath construction, we bring expertise and skills to every project.
If you’re contemplating a renovation, upgrade, or modernization in the local market, we’re happy to be your team. Consult with us, and we can start together on a path to redefine and elevate your DC living experience.
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