April 19, 2021

Media Interview | 7 Precautions For Choosing Tiles

Every new owner hopes to create the most comfortable and desirable comfort snail. For decoration novices, there are so many styles of decoration materials. When they are dazzled, they don't know their characteristics and advantages and disadvantages. They may not be able to make a decision after repeated thinking. Take ceramic tiles, one of the most popular decoration materials, as an example. Instead of worrying about the various choices on the market, we invited Dr. Samuel Ng, CEO of ASA Tiles, Hong Kong, to answer seven myths about tiles. Analyze from different aspects, what are the advantages of explaining ceramic tiles in terms of material and function? Help everyone clarify the concept and solve the difficulty of decorating choice!

7 big myths about dismantling tiles

1. What is the difference between ceramic tiles and ceramic tiles?

Samuel: The two are not much different in appearance, but there is a significant difference in water absorption. Generally, ceramic tiles are fired at high temperature and the average water absorption rate is lower than 0.5%. For ceramic tiles, the water absorption rate can be as high as 10% or above due to the low firing temperature. Therefore, the waterproof and moisture-proof effect of ceramic tiles is far superior to that of ceramic tiles, and it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The products of Asia Ceramics are fired at a high temperature of 1250 degrees to ensure that the water absorption rate is lower than 0.1%*, and the effect of waterproof and moisture-proof is remarkable.

*Test under laboratory conditions, and confirm the data according to the experimental test report (No. 18062333).

The products of Asia Ceramics are waterproof, even in the face of humid weather, they are not afraid of mold on the wall.

2. How many ways are there to lay tiles?

Samuel: The method of laying tiles is divided into "soft bottom" and "hard bottom". Soft bottom paving has fewer procedures and short process. The mud and water paving and tile paving are carried out at the same time; the hard bottom paving is more complicated and the cost is higher. You need to complete the mud and water paving before you can pave the tiles. Since the hard bottom paving method will be glued on both sides of the floor and the back of the brick, the gap between the floor and the ceramic tile is reduced, and the degree of adhesion is increased. The durability of the ceramic tile is relatively high. Of course, both methods have merits.

Before deciding on the method of laying tiles, it is best to communicate with the decorator and get a detailed understanding.

3. The weather in Hong Kong is humid. Can the use of ceramic tiles reduce the problems of water dripping on the walls and the growth of mold?

Samuel: Tiles have extremely low water absorption and excellent waterproof and moisture-proof performance. When moisture condenses, the moisture will be discharged on the surface of the tile instead of accumulating in the brick structure. When cleaning, simply wipe off the moisture on the tile surface, leaving no water stains and avoiding odors caused by moisture. Therefore, compared with paint and wallpaper, ceramic tiles can greatly reduce the chances of blackening, mildew, and accumulation of bacteria on the wall. Asia Tile’s flagship product, PuriTiles® healthy antibacterial tile series, is designed to address this type of problem. The products are made with Oxy Tech® antibacterial technology. The tiles are thin, antibacterial, and can release healthy negative ions. Experiments show that the purification rate of formaldehyde is above 75.6%*, and the antibacterial rate is as high as 99.9%**. If you want to further strengthen the protection of home hygiene, you may wish to consider choosing it.

*Test under laboratory conditions, and confirm the data according to the experimental test report (No.: 2019FM11960R01D).
**Tested under laboratory conditions, according to the experimental test report (No. 186839WA190155A) to confirm the data.

Asia Tiles has developed its flagship product PuriTiles® healthy antibacterial tile series to strengthen the protection of indoor hygiene.

4. There is a "hairy boy" at home, what should I pay attention to when choosing ceramic tiles?

Samuel: More and more people keep pets, and home decoration also emphasizes harmony between humans and pets. If you choose smooth tiles, generally "minions" will consider safety issues, worrying that pets will easily slip when walking on the surface. The anti-slip tiles of Asia Ceramics have been tested and proved to have high anti-slip performance, with a minimum of R9 level, and there is no fear of pets running on the tiles. The water absorption rate of non-slip tiles is also lower than 0.1%*, which has superior anti-fouling effect. Even if pets urinate and urinate anywhere, they can be cleaned by gently wiping.
What’s more worth mentioning is that the products of Asia ceramic tiles are fired at high temperature, and its Mohs hardness (mineral hardness standard divided by the relative scratch hardness of minerals) reaches level 6. The surface and the brick body are quite hard and not easy to break. Wear-resistant and scratch-resistant. No matter how pets scratch the tiles, they can also protect their limbs and reduce the risk of injury.

* Test under laboratory conditions and confirm the data according to the experimental test report (No. 18062333).

Compared with other commonly used floor materials, ceramic tiles have slightly better stain resistance, anti-slip and abrasion resistance.

5. Do tiles only have to be square? Can I choose a customized design?

Samuel: Traditional tiles are mostly square, but the brand has developed "artistic cutting" and exquisite craftsmanship, breaking the traditional "square" frame of ceramic tiles and giving them more possibilities. We can precisely process and cut ceramic tiles into unique shapes according to customer design. After the tiles are cut, they can be laid on the wall or on the floor, such as entrances, kitchen cabinets, etc., to help icing on the cake and embellish the home.

The original square tiles can be turned into puzzle-like shapes, or even imitated wooden strips, with many changes.

6. Can ceramic tiles be used as materials for the popular feature walls in recent years?

Samuel: Featured ceramic tiles come in different shapes and colors, such as travertine bricks, flower bricks, terrazzo bricks, elegant marble bricks and industrial-style imitation cultural stone bricks, etc. You can choose suitable characteristic tiles for different designs of characteristic walls. Asia Ceramics has specially designed several different styles of characteristic walls in the flagship concept store for customers' reference, hoping to increase customers' concepts and ideas.

The elegant marble bricks inject a little design feature into the simple decoration style that has been popular in recent years.

7. How to reduce the sense of oppression if you want to use tiles to pave the floor in a snail dwelling with little space?

Samuel: The latest "Sintered Stone Slim Slab Series" launched by Asia Tiles has the thinnest thickness of only 3mm, which occupies less space than ordinary tiles by 70%. It is visually more spacious and actually increases the available space. Due to the slim body of the tiles, the tiles can directly become a heat-conducting medium. This series is more resistant to stains, easy to clean, and can withstand high damage strength and is not easily damaged.

Thin ceramic tiles can be a heat transfer medium, and the cooking function is not hindered by hiding the induction cooker under the kitchen countertop.

There are many styles and designs of ceramic tiles. In addition to exploring the functions and characteristics of various types of ceramic tiles, many people also attach great importance to the origin of ceramic tiles. Samuel added that the tiles currently on the market can be roughly divided into domestic and Italian tiles. The price of domestic ceramic tiles is generally cheaper than that of Italian tiles, and most people may therefore question their quality. In fact, many Italian brands design styles locally to facilitate domestic production; and some domestic brands not only have a design center in Italy, but also introduce European equipment for domestic production. In view of this, even if the origin is different, the two are similar in design and tile quality, but there will also be unevenness, depending on the brand design and production process.

In terms of installation and operation, Italian ceramic tiles need to be equipped with appropriate equipment. Domestic ceramic tiles have relatively low installation requirements, are easy to operate and relatively convenient. Therefore, when buying ceramic tiles, it is more important to choose a quality-guaranteed ceramic tile brand instead of obsessing with the ceramic tile production location!