Top Ten Advantages Of Porcelain Tiles & Slabs By Minoli

Today we’re looking at the top ten advantages that make porcelain tiles and slabs the surface solution of choice for interior designers, architects, property developers, corporate clients and homeowners alike.

Whether for private residences, hospitality and leisure venues, or retail and commercial premises, advancements in the design and production process make tiles from Minoli’s Italian porcelain product portfolio more versatile and desirable for contemporary, traditional and highly technical installations.

1. Diversity of Design

No matter the end vision and desired style, Minoli’s porcelain tile collections include an array of designs from minimalist concrete, organic stone, marble, gemstones, natural wood and metal effects, through to artwork-like visuals and block-print patterns. Available in such a broad range of sizes, colours and textures, for walls and floors, inside and outdoors, with extra-large format slabs, mosaics and décor pieces, the endless choices provide a unique solution to any interior or exterior design project.

2. Easy to Clean & Maintain

Porcelain tiles are easy to keep clean and looking new with minimal effort. Resistant to dirt, oils and chemicals, they require only low maintenance using household products, a vacuum and mop, or occasional treatment with a tile cleaning solution. When used outdoors, an intermittent scrub with a stiff brush will easily remove any residual windswept dust and leaves. Larger sized tiles and slabs also require fewer grout lines, making them even easier to maintain.

3. Strong & Durable

The manufacturing process for porcelain tiles uses a mix of the highest quality, refined, purified clay, and sand, quartz or feldspar, which is shaped and pressed with extreme force, and then vitrified at incredibly high temperatures. This highly technical process removes almost 100% of moisture and air pockets, producing a remarkably hard and dense material. Extra-thick, 20 mm products are also available for outdoor use, as robust and attractive alternatives to traditional stone and concrete paving.

4. Precision Production

With crisp rectified edges and exact calibrated sizes, porcelain products are more uniform in dimension than natural alternatives and can be fitted with greater precision allowing for highly technical designs to be realised within both private residences and commercial properties.

5. Multiple Applications

On walls and floors, inside and outdoors, the inherent qualities of porcelain tiles and slabs make them a versatile and hardwearing alternative to so many commonly used materials including quarried stone, natural wood, vinyl or carpets, wallpaper, paint and fabric. In kitchens, bathrooms, utility and cloakrooms, their impervious, anti-slip surfaces are ideal for use in wet areas and where hygiene is paramount. In living areas, dining rooms and hallways, both classic and contemporary design directions can be achieved with highly consistent and continuous coverage. In exterior settings, for patios, paths, driveways, outdoor kitchens and swimming pool surrounds, outdoor specification porcelain pavers have become favoured by garden designers and professional landscapers.

6. Temperature Proof

Because porcelain tiles are vitrified in kilns during production and have near zero porosity, they are highly resilient to extremely hot and cold temperatures and are frost proof. What’s more, porcelain tiles will not shrink, split or splinter, warp or show wear and they are better suited for use in humid and wet areas as they will not rot or attract algae. Being extremely dense, the are also excellent conductors of underfloor heating.

7. Slip-Resistant Surfaces

A wider availability of different finishes including polished, matt, brushed, textured, structured and hammered, provides suitable surface solutions for any area of a home or commercial premises. With slip-resistance ratings from R9 for use in the majority of living areas, through to R11 and above for wet rooms and exterior applications, there are multiple levels of grip that are all designed for maximum comfort underfoot.

8. Sustainability

An increasingly important consideration in modern building specifications is the sustainability of both the materials used in construction and the performance of the final built environment. Porcelain tiles are manufactured according to energy and water-efficiency criteria and are an environmentally friendly choice due to their long-lasting and recyclable characteristics. Production is ‘zero waste’, based on the use of natural and always reusable materials, plus they do not contain any volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde, PVC, plastics or petroleum derivatives. New ranges contain up to 60% recycled material, reclaimed from the processing procedure and firing cycle, so helping reduce environmental impact.

9. Connecting Spaces

Creating seamless transitions throughout built environments and from inside to outdoors is a design concept that we call ‘Connected Living’. As many in Minoli’s extensive ranges have coordinating interior tiles and exterior pavers to match, very consistent indoor to outside transitions can be achieved through bifold doors and picture windows. For use on walls and floors, new large format tiles and expansive slabs create more continuous surfaces and offer options for uninterrupted floor to ceiling coverage indoors, as well as inventive alternatives to exterior cladding.

10. Integrated Design System

More so than ever, we see specialist trades working in tandem to fulfil the most forward-thinking design briefs and integrated architectural schemes. With such a diverse and extensive product portfolio, the Minoli offering now comprises a holistic system of surface solutions for interior and garden designers, professional architects and landscapers, housebuilders, property developers, corporate clients and residential homeowners.

If you would like to discuss requirements for forthcoming projects, request samples of any of our porcelain tile and slabs ranges, or arrange to see these products in person, please don’t hesitate to contact our teams:

• Minoli Oxford – 01865 778225 / showroom@minoli.co.uk
• Minoli London – 020 7474 2934 / thesurfacewithin@minoli.co.uk
• Outdoor Specific Product Enquiries – 01865 778225 / outdoor@minoli.co.uk
• Corporate Clients – Please contact your account manager directly / developers@minoli.co.uk