The Way to Shop for Porcelain Tiles

If you have browsed catalogs about porcelain tiles, and checked the offerings of hardware stores you will know for certain how good looking these porcelain tiles are. They are nice to look at and nice to have, and those are the main reasons why these tiles are hit for many designers and homemakers.  And these tiles do have some positive impact in you as well, right? Though they may look good for you and may seem that these are the right answers for your home solutions, it doesn't follow that you just immediately order a few dozen for your home.

There are some things that you should know, and some things you should do before you start the shopping.

• One important thing that you need to be aware of is the need to know the basics of tiles and porcelain. It is important that you should have at least an idea as to how these products are made. These things are necessary when shopping for tiles.

• Speaking of shopping, the first thing to do is to first identify the area where the home improvement will happen. The next thing to do is to identify the specific type of tile to be used, which means that you have to consider the color and the shade of these tiles. Plus you also need to consider the texture and size of these products. Other things to consider relevant to the appearance include the layout, the trims and the decorative patterns that are used in these tiles. By doing these steps, you get to ensure that the right looking porcelain tiles are selected for your projects.

• Speaking of trims, there are three well-known trims for tiles. The first trim is the Bull nose and the tiles can easily be identified thanks to the rounded edges. The other trip type for tiles is the corner bull nose where you can find two rounded finished edges. And the third trim that can be chosen is the sanitary cove base.

• When shopping, the color of these tiles should crop up in the discussion too. Majority of the tiles right now are made to appear that they are natural stone. Ask yourself if these are the types of tiles for your needs. There are two general options available for you when it comes to shades and color. The first one is the tile available in solid color, and the other is for tile in a shaded variation. The shade variation of the tiles for sale can be checked on the back of these products, and can be categorized as either high, medium, low or random. The choice will obviously depend on the application.

Other things to consider in shopping include moisture absorption and tile density. For moisture absorption and tile density, what you need to keep in mind is the fact the higher the density of these tiles, the less amount of moisture it will absorb. Now you know how you will search for your porcelain tiles for use in your next home projects. Remember these recommendations and you will be okay.

The Pros and Cons of Having Porcelain Veneers

When everything seems to be dull and gloomy, nothing can brighten up your day other than a sincere and pleasant smile. A smile can definitely bring warmth and joy to everyone. But what if you don't have the confidence to flash that smile because your teeth appear to be chipped, uneven-colored and stained?

Having these minor flaws on your teeth should not be a cause for panic. Cosmetic dentistry has invented the porcelain veneers to hide the minor imperfections of your teeth and bring out that perfect smile once again. These are thin pieces of ceramic bonded to the front of your teeth that enhance your teeth's appearance and repair some minor flaws.

If you're now on the verge of going to your dentist, try to do some research first and weigh on the pros and cons before having those porcelain veneers bonded to your teeth.

PROS

Porcelain has similarities with the teeth's covering, enamel. Both porcelain and enamel react to light in similar ways that is why even if your tooth is already covered with porcelain veneers, it still looks natural even when seen up-close. You don't have to worry anymore on having discolored teeth. Porcelain veneers can give you a whiter and more consistent set of teeth.

Since porcelain is ceramic, it also has the capability to be stain-resistant. Its surface is extremely smooth, which makes substances just slide off from your tooth and not leave any stain. If your natural teeth have been stained already by coffee and cigarettes, you can cover them with porcelain veneers and not fret on giving up either your coffee or cigarette habit.

Also, as compared to crowns, porcelain veneers are easier to shape on the tooth. This is because veneers only cover the front part while crowns hide the entire visible part of the tooth. A poorly fitted crown can lead to gum inflammation and tooth loss.

CONS

Even though porcelain veneers are good in concealing your natural teeth's imperfections, they are still artificial – and this can be a limiting factor for some. It might take some time to get used to having these veneers bonded on your teeth.

Although porcelain veneers are known to be durable, they are still vulnerable to breakage. If a veneer breaks, it cannot be repaired anymore and has to be replaced already. Spending for new veneers can be a disadvantage since they are very costly. Each porcelain veneer can cost anywhere from $500-$1000. It's still reasonable if you'll only veneer a single tooth, but it can really be expensive if there will be a number of teeth involved.

Having porcelain veneers on your tooth can also lead to increased tooth sensitivity. A small amount of your natural tooth enamel is actually scraped off before putting the porcelain veneer on your tooth. A tooth that has been reduced by its enamel causes it to be more sensitive to hot and cold foods and beverages.

Lastly, having a porcelain veneer is a permanent procedure. Once you've had them on your teeth, there's already no turning back. Just imagine removing the veneers and have your natural teeth with a reduced enamel get exposed one more. It's not a pleasing sight, isn't it?

Porcelain veneers are definitely an innovation on the way our teeth can be improved. If you think that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, then you can now say goodbye to bad teeth and say hello to a perfect smile.

Rating Porcelain Tiles for Hardness

Porcelain tiles are known for many things- toughness included. These are the reasons why many designers and architects are shifting their preferences for porcelain for home and commercial use. They find these tiles as more reliable, and they can easily perceive if these tiles are the right kind of tiles that they need for their construction and home improvement projects. But what about the non-professionals amongst us- how can you tell the hardness and the quality of these tiles? Well it is now easier thanks to a rating scale that is being used to refer to the hardness of these products.

In order to know the hardness of the tiles available in the market, then you need to know the rates used by the Porcelain Enamel Institute or PEI. This is the industry-recognized body that tests the hardness of these tiles with the use of an abrasion test. This is the same test that is supported by the American Society for Testing and Materials, so everyone can be sure that the tests are true and correct. So what does the test, and in essence the rating imply? In the simplest words, if the rating is high then the tiles' resistance to foot traffic will be high as well.

Now the rating that is given by the body can be used as the standard when deciding on what tiles to get for a specific application or project. But here is an important point to remember. The rating scale that is used by the body is only indicative of the hardness of the tiles, and does not have an impact on its quality nor the price. Just to give you some idea, the pricier tiles are those that belong to ranks/groups 1 and 2 based on the rating scale issued by the PEI. For a better explanation of the rating scale, listed below are the typical rating groups and what they mean to consumers like you.

• Rating/Group 0. You don't use these for floors. These are recommended only to be used for the walls.

• Rating/Group 1. Got an area where low foot traffic is expected? If this is your area, then the porcelain tiles that should be used should belong to this category. Tiles that belong to this group are best used for bathroom walls and for residential walls as well.

• Rating/Group 2. Tiles under this grouping are best for almost any home improvement jobs. These are the areas where you can expect low to medium foot traffic, so use these tiles for living room improvements. But remember that these tiles are not suited for stairs and for the kitchen since they may wear fast.

• Rating/Group 3. These tiles are best used for commercial establishments-think offices. These are also best for countertops and can be used for bathroom floors.

• Rating/Group 4. These are best for areas where you will expect regular foot traffic.

• Rating/Group 5. These are the best porcelain tiles that you can have, well at least due to its hardness. These are the choices for malls, shopping centers and pools.

Now use the rating scale as your basis in shopping for porcelain tiles. Because there are special kinds of tiles for special areas, what you need to do first is to identify the areas for home improvements before shopping.