Stepping into the spring, the colors in the closet began to become more colorful. Have you ever thought of putting pink as the main theme in the room?
The ASA TILES terrazzo series has rich colors, easy to process and can be customized. Terrazzo is suitable for floors and walls, and even custom furniture.
Some people may be more resistant to the sweet and dreamy atmosphere brought by pink terrazzo, but if you use a neutral black with a low chroma pink, you can reduce the impression of soft matte and bring out a low-key texture; or match it with emerald green Large particles, quietly take you into the sky garden belonging to spring with terrazzo.
The warmer weather is the best time to travel, but due to the epidemic, I had to stay at home and savor my travel memories. ASA Tiles has launched a new ceramic tile product ─ Summertime Vibes hand-fired series. There is no size or quantity limit, which is suitable for underground and wall applications. The tiles can be made into unique colors through single color or mixed colors. Whether it is the picture of the sun and the beach, or the sunset glow in the sky, you can freely deploy your summer colors on the surface of the tiles to recall the summer adventure.
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!
As the quality of ceramic tiles continues to rise, the origin of ceramic tiles is no longer the only selection indicator.
Ceramic tile manufacturer and seller: ASA Tiles
Flagship concept store: Room 303, 3rd Floor, Home Center, 369 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai
Business hours: Monday to Friday 9:30am-6:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 12:30pm-7:30pm
As a ceramic tile manufacturer and seller, ASA Tiles has always advocated the direction of production and operation of green buildings. In the recent upgrade and renovation of the flagship concept store in Wan Chai, we did not forget to implement the environmental protection concept and tried our best to inject more environmental protection elements into it. The green policy we implement can be roughly divided into four parts: (1) Material recycling system, (2) Light energy saving system, (3) Paperless system, (4) Daily energy saving system.
(1) Material application system Decoration materials are undoubtedly more difficult to recover and recycle than other items. In the decoration process, we set out with the goal of "making the best use of everything," hoping to reduce the leftover and wastage from our own point of view.
Prioritize leftover materials In the design of the floor of the flagship concept store, we used artistic cutting techniques to cut the tiles according to the design and lay them on the floor to replace part of the carpet. When selecting materials, we use the remaining tiles after cutting according to customer requirements as materials to reduce the waste of existing tiles and avoid the creation of new materials.
Computer cutting method On the other hand, when performing artistic cutting, we use computers and machines to replace the traditional manual methods. All data are precisely calculated to ensure accurate operation and reduce unnecessary tile loss due to cutting errors.
(2) Lighting energy-saving system We understand the importance of adequate and appropriate lighting for flagship concept stores. However, too much lighting can easily cause energy waste. Therefore, we start from different aspects to establish a complete and multi-faceted energy-saving lighting system.
Hire a lighting consultant We have hired professional lighting consultants. During the renovation process, the consultants have been making suggestions according to our energy-saving goals and giving guidance on actual implementation, so as to bring out the greatest practical and energy efficiency.
Inject daylight We retained the original large windows in the store and insisted not to make any changes that would affect the windows, so that natural sunlight can directly enter the store and reduce the number of electric lights that need to be used.
Use time control From a commercial point of view, keeping the store’s transparency is indeed effective in attracting more attention. Therefore, we have added a time control function to the light switch program to ensure that the store’s lights only operate within the effective time after evaluation, and try to avoid causing Any additional energy waste should be balanced between commercial and environmental factors.
Lighting control It is worth mentioning that we have set up a dedicated lighting system in the customer mock-up area, which can change the color temperature and luminosity of the location according to needs. We hope that through this move, we will provide lighting that is closest to the actual living environment of customers, so that they can effectively make the best choice when purchasing tiles, and reduce the waste of tiles due to actual drop after purchase.
(3) Paperless system The display and promotion of ceramic tiles need to contain a lot of information. We change the habit of using traditional printing materials and try to use non-disposable methods and electronic means to display and transmit product information.
Non-disposable There are multiple large light boxes in the store to replace the flyers and brochures used in the past to clearly display the characteristics and information of different product series; the promotion of the brand concept and non-product information are shown on the TV screen in the store in video format .
Electronic route The product catalogue contains comprehensive information on all products. We continue to update and design the old and new catalogues. However, the traditional printed version is banned in electronic version and transmitted to customers in electronic form, reducing the use of paper.
(4) Daily energy saving system In the daily operation details, we have put into practice the environmental protection concept, and put together the general direction of protecting the environment with every small step.
Refuse to use paper cups We do not use paper cups as a substitute for ceramic cups. When entertaining customers, we always use ceramic cups as vessels for serving drinks to reduce the use of disposable items.
Participate in the "City Water Fighting Project" As a member of the "City Water Fighting Project", everyone can enjoy free water pouring service in our flagship concept store. We hope to do more to reduce the amount of bottled water people buy.
ASA Tiles will continue to work hard, consistently, and strive to become a member of the promotion of environmentally sustainable development.
Unbounded by the frame of tiles. Personalise your tiles with Artistic Cutting. The artistic cutting of ceramic tiles has infinite possibilities, and is not restricted by any size, line, or style. Whether you want to use ceramic tiles to create artwork as small as 2mm, as large as 2.4m, or with detailed and complex lines, it can all come true.
3D craftsmanship
Simple and delicate three-dimensional lines, Art like a relief.
3D collage
Using different tile materials, Shapes and angles to create a sense of hierarchy, Show lifelike three-dimensional feeling.
Playful texture
Under the matching between ceramic tiles and copper sheets, Form the contrast between the texture of the material, Playful and modern.
Cut shallow
Only make a shallow cut on a ceramic tile to form an indentation, Preserve the integrity of the tiles.
The cold current hits Hong Kong, and every time the temperature drops sharply, the tiles in the home will have the problem of "bursting bricks". To avoid unnecessary troubles, we must first understand the reasons.
First of all, ceramic tiles are high-density materials and also have a certain degree of toughness, which can cope with cold shrinkage and thermal expansion caused by temperature differences. The bursting and uplifting of ceramic tiles is mainly related to the physical phenomena of thermal expansion and contraction. When decorating, the laying method of tiles also affects the degree of cold shrinkage and thermal expansion.
Several reasons for "Broken Bricks":
1. Hollow brick When ceramic tiles are installed, if there is space on the contact surface between the clay or adhesive and the ceramic tiles, a situation commonly known as "hollow drum" or "hollow brick" will appear, and moisture will easily accumulate in the space. According to American standards, when installing indoor tiles, the plane contact area should be 80% or more. Because cement and ceramic tiles have different degrees of cold shrinkage and thermal expansion, and the air trapped in the brick makes the temperature inside the brick drop more slowly than the temperature outside the brick, when there is a large temperature difference, there is a chance of "brick burst".
2. Adhesive When the indoor temperature difference is too large, the physical phenomenon of thermal expansion and contraction has the opportunity to break the cement mortar that has the effect of bonding, making the tiles easier to fall off. In the ceramic tile installation process, since the cement mortar needs to be prepared manually, the manual will affect the adhesion of the adhesive. If the mortar with high durability and adhesion is selected, it is an extra guarantee. The Asian adhesive bonding agent has been blended with the best ratio of mortar, and the tiles can be easily bonded by following the simple instructions to avoid the impact of manual deployment. Asia's adhesive has high flexibility and aging resistance, can avoid the problem of breaking due to thermal expansion and contraction, and the waterproof function can make the adhesion more durable. In addition, Asia's adhesive has passed international tensile tests to ensure its bonding performance.
For large tiles, the adhesive strength is even more of a challenge. It is recommended to use Asiatic backing glue when laying large tiles, and apply it directly on the back of the tile to improve the bonding strength and density between the tile and the adhesive, which can solve the common problems of hollowing and insufficient adhesion.
3. The seam is too narrow The seams between tiles can help solve size errors and construction errors, and improve construction flexibility during installation. Sometimes, for the sake of beauty or to avoid the accumulation of dirt in the gaps, seamless or close-joined paving methods are adopted. If there is not enough space reserved to cope with the cold shrinkage and thermal expansion of the tiles, "brick bursts" will occur.
Generally, a gap of 1-2 mm is sufficient for ordinary tiles to cope with the temperature difference when laying tiles. If you want to prevent "bricks from exploding" while also taking into account the beauty or ease of cleaning, when buying floor tiles, you can choose tiles with good pressure resistance. The better linear expansion coefficient of PuriTiles Plus series tiles affects the ratio of thermal expansion and contraction, allowing the gap between tiles to be less than 0.5mm, achieving the effect of close seam bonding. As a new generation of healthy tiles, PuriTiles Plus also has anion antibacterial, anti-mildew and formaldehyde removal functions.
In recent years, bathroom accidents have frequently occurred. To prevent the elderly from slipping and getting injured in the bathroom, the non-slip tiles must not be sloppy when decorating.
Ceramic tiles that meet the standard must undergo a slip resistance test by an accredited laboratory. The German standard DIN51130 is the most common on the market in Hong Kong. The ideal non-slip tile should perform its best function in wet and dry conditions.
Anti-slip level The DIN 51130 slip resistance is achieved by putting on safety shoes, the tester stands on the lubricated test material, and then calculates at which inclination angle the tester starts to slide.
R9-R11 are sufficient for general household applications, R12-R13 are mainly used for outdoor and special space applications, applications with different slip resistance:
Anti-slip certification There is no proof of slip resistance for ordinary ceramic tiles on the market, especially polished tiles. If you want to use polished tiles with full sense of light to make the floor of the hall, it is easy to ignore the anti-slip function while pursuing aesthetics. For safety reasons, polished tiles with qualified non-slip certificates should be selected. The Asian floor tiles are certified by the Hong Kong laboratory and have the most basic R9 anti-slip grade.
The non-slip tiles commonly used on wet floors are matte. Although they have a certain anti-slip function, they lose a bit of natural and soft light under the light, and their reflectivity is relatively low. The pursuit of non-slip will sacrifice aesthetics and ease of cleaning, especially if the bathroom is wet, there is a chance that bacteria will grow more easily.
So to strike a balance between the two, you can consider soft-gloss tiles, which not only have R10 anti-slip grade, but also retain the natural light feel of the smooth surface.55 degree soft lightIt is Asia's first technology that combines the advantages of polishing and matte, but also makes up for the shortcomings of both, and meets customers' requirements for non-slip and the pursuit of beauty.
Are you concerned about the decoration? Let us tell you to choose suitable materials to solve problems.
Choosing tiles for the right design and decoration is sometimes challenging. To place the correct tiles in certain locations depending on the design concept would increase the tiles value in terms of the decoration looks.
Now let’s talk about how to choose tiles for "living room", "kitchen" and "bathroom":
The living room is usually the most aesthetic part of the house, and the floor tiles can be slender. ChoosingTimber Tiles, with the warm feeling of imitation wood plus the extension along the grain, add a sense of spaciousness. You can choose a large size ofMarble tiles, to make it look luxurious.
2. The kitchen wall design could have various tiles in it. A stylist kitchen will improve your mood to spend time cooking delicious dishes. Sometimes cleaning the kitchen is hard because smoke or oil stains are involved and dirt there would grow some bacteria. Therefore,Antibacterial Tilesis the best choice for kitchen wall decoration. It is smooth, easy to clean and stylish.
3.Bathroom is a private space and we should pay more attention to the flooring. For bathroom decoration, using tiles with safety and slip resistance is recommended. The bathroom floor is more likely to be exposed to water, so high-slip tiles are applicable and look best with R10-R11 effects. The floor of the shower area should have anti-skid safety to ensure it is safe for everyone that uses it.
In conclusion, applying the high-density ceramic tiles on the floor and walls can prevent mold to a certain extent.Antibacterial Tilescan prevent bacteria and mildew more comprehensively and is more suitable for humid and coastal areas.
Due to the environment and weather, many Hong Kong people find it difficult to keep their homes dry. When choosing tiles and other building materials, products with antibacterial and mildew resistant functions should be considered. Since it is quite durable, it can also serve as the first protection for your family’s health.
Fighting The Unseen Foe
Take the common mold at home as an example. Due to its small size, it is difficult to clean it away completely. Moist bathrooms and toilets often become hard-hit areas where molds are raging. The mold releases allergic substances, which fly away with the air, enter the body from the nasal cavity, and then follow the respiratory tract to the lungs to stay, causing allergies, asthma, and causing minor physical problems.
Antibacterial and mildew-proof wall and floor tiles
Diligent cleaning is important, but if you want to get better results without too much effort we need to change from the source. Traditional solid wood floors are susceptible to dampness, mildew and could cause thermal expansion. It could cause a gap between floors, which dirts easy to hide in and grow bacteria. The ceramic tiles with the new OXYTECH antibacterial technology continuously release negative ions and effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria on the surface of the tile. It is compact and hard as it burned at a hot temperature and slow-burning of 1,250 degrees. Under high-density conditions, the water absorption rate is less than 0.1%. Effectively resist moisture, anti-bacterial, and anti-mildew.
1) 淨化空氣除甲醛 Furniture, wood, paint, viscose, etc. that you encounter every day have the chance to be indoor pollution sources, which will continuously release free formaldehyde and toluene. Especially after the decoration of new houses, the excessive formaldehyde situation is even more serious. The test proves that OXY TECH antibacterial technology can purify formaldehyde and toluene in the air and keep indoor air fresh for a long time.
Photo from shutterstock
2) 抑制細菌、真菌的生長和繁殖 Tile cleaning is often a tricky part of household hygiene. Ordinary cleaning is difficult to remove the dirt in the narrow gaps of the tiles, which only affects the growth of bacteria and health. The seam between most tiles on the market is 2mm. The latest research and innovation of OXY TECH's anti-bacterial technology-"dense seam paving" can reduce the seam between tiles to only 0.5mm, effectively reducing the accumulation of bacteria. space. In addition, as the gaps on the surface of the tiles become smaller, there is nowhere to absorb dirt, which enhances the anti-fouling and easy-to-clean effect. The ceramic tiles of OXY TECH antibacterial technology have proved to have an antibacterial rate of 99%*, and an antibacterial rate of Escherichia coli as high as 90%.
3) 減少霉菌滋生 The damp problem in Hong Kong has always plagued all homes. Especially in summer, the bathroom walls and floor tiles in many people's homes are always wet. They are prone to mold, and sometimes smelly. OXYTECH antibacterial technology ceramic tiles have the advantage of high density, and the water absorption rate can be lower than 0.1%, which can help reduce the growth of mold and reduce troubles caused by dampness.
OXY TECH Tiles Test
The editor conducts a series of tests to understand the effectiveness of OXY TECH technology. The tests will compare the water absorption, stain resistance, hardness, and fire resistance of the tiles.
1. Water absorption The weather in Hong Kong is humid. For example, ceramic tiles with lower water absorption rates are used indoors, which are denser, not easy to expand, and are more effective in blocking moisture and reducing mold. The editor first prepares an ordinary tile and an OXY TECH tile and then places the two tiles in the blue water agent for 24 hours to test their water absorption capacity.
Photo from Medical Inspire
After one day, the water level of ordinary tiles was significantly lower than that of OXY TECH tiles, which shows that ordinary tiles have a higher water absorption rate.
Photo from Medical Inspire
2. Ease of cleaning In addition to mold, stubborn stains such as kitchen oil stains are critical issues in daily cleaning. The editor splashed the old and new soy oil stains on the OXY TECH tiles, then wiped it with a rag, and found that the soy oil stains had been wiped away without leaving any traces, and the stain resistance was extremely high.
Photo from Medical InspirePhoto from Medical InspirePhoto from Medical Inspire
3/ Fireproof OXY TECH tiles are made by slow-burning at a hot temperature of 1,250 degrees. The process requires a gun to burn OXY TECH tiles at close range for about 1 minute, if there is no blackening or cracking of the tiles, it means they have certain fire resistance.
Photo from Medical InspirePhoto from Medical Inspire
As mentioned above, when it comes to choosing ceramic tiles, customers should not only pay attention to the reputation of the tile brand, but also pay attention to the water absorption, stain resistance and fire resistance of the product, and buy suitable tiles. It increases hygiene and house cleanness.
*Tested on Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Escherichia coli under laboratory conditions.
