The fine porcelain stoneware is a ceramic material obtained by baking at 1250°C of a mixture of clays, feldspars, quartz sand and metal oxides.
Since it is a fairly hard material, ranked 8 on the Mohs scale, it is resistant to wear and foot traffic, but it is also to chemicals, is antifreeze and has low levels of absorption. For these reasons it spread initially for use on public spaces floors, while today it is widely used in the residential sector.
In particular, this type of application may also be subjected to sanding, obtaining a particularly glossy surface.
The cleaning and maintenance of fine porcelain stoneware is simple, as all ceramic products are, but it must be carried out with care since the moment of installation, and distinguishing the polished product from the normal.
After the installation, to remove any remaining residues, it is necessary to perform a thorough cleaning of the base, which must be carried out with an acid product, to be diluted in water before use. After the application, and after allowing it to act, you remove it mechanically with a broom or a mop, then rinse the surface thoroughly.
For daily maintenance of a fine porcelain tile of the normal type is necessary just a normal product to wash ceramic floors. For the polished surface type, however, it is necessary, after installation, first and foremost a preventive protection, with a waterproofing product based solvent, so as to impregnate the micropores of the material and leave a residue to be removed easily.
The product must be uniformly applied with a brush and the excess left should be removed after 24 hours with a single brush.
Even in this case for the daily cleaning you can use a normal mop, but for special stains you must use three basic products: one alkaline, one acid and a solvent. Alternatively, you can use a universal product (detergent-stain remover for porcelain stoneware), which should be applied undiluted directly on the stain and the entire tile in question, then left to work until complete drying, and finally removed with a damp sponge.
Among the companies that produce Italian collections of fine porcelain stoneware floor, the three brands of the Group Fincibec, Monocibec, Century and Naxos are well known for the quality and the wide range of collections.
The collection Proxima by the brand Century, for example, combines high technical performance and aesthetic elegance. The surface, natural, reveals a seductive softness to the touch and to the eye that accompanies a very original material experience.
A harmonious blend of aesthetic awesomeness dictated by different materials, some natural and others that are the result of human labor, is the creative root, unique, of Proxima.
The tiles are available in five colors, Ivory, Beige, Olive, Grey and Anthracite, designed to meet the tastes and trends of contemporary interior designers and featured by a slight shading that gives great depth to the subject.
The architectural vocation of Proxima is enhanced by a number of proposed formats and the ability to insert decorative elements. In fact they are available in different sizes: 60x60, 45x90, 30x60, 45x45 and 80x80 all adjusted, as well as baseboard, step, mosaic on a net, mosaic wall.
The collection Nextra, by the brand Monocibec, capture the density of the concrete, expressing unprecedented softness with all the strength of this material, the symbol par excellence of the building, which has been able to carve out time in a leading role also in the decoration of interior spaces, expressing an aesthetic potential in harmony with the taste of contemporary living.
The five proposals of color (White, Ivory, Grey, and Black Lead) are available with natural finish or polished and are suitable for use in both residential and commercial contexts. The formats in the catalog are four (45x45, 30x60, 60x60 and 80x80) to adequately respond to the needs of each customization environment.
The collection is enriched by four decorative proposals, Trilogy, Arrow, Yin and Yang and Exa, where shapes and thicknesses alternating create three-dimensional visual effects playing on the repetition of geometric patterns.
The two described collections contain in its mixture, a percentage of recycled material of 40%, as certified by Bureau Veritas, and also comply with the dictates laid down by the ANAB-ICEA certification for green building.
Also interesting is the proposal of Granite Flanders, which we can mention the New Ground collection.
This collection is aimed to an audience that in its choice, even of the material to coat the floor, relies on your personal taste, aware that this element is now a piece of furniture.
The collection is characterized, in all its variations, with warm and pleasant colors and a look that gives it a soft feel, all of which help to create a relaxed atmosphere in the room.
The reasons of inspiration are tied to the land, to the soil, as evidenced by the same name, and the various nuances reproduce the characteristics of places and seasons, so that, from time to time we can see:
- The warm, melancholic tones of autumn;
- The soothing warmth of the sand;
- The essence of rock;
- The whiteness of the ground after the first snow;
- The force of mother earth.
The natural finishes makes this particularly sophisticated collection, able to adapt to any environment, from residential to public. If we think, for example, of a wellness centre, where every detail has to inspire peace and harmony, we can assume that this type of product is really suitable.
Even more so, these qualities can be enhanced in a domestic context.
The product is made, as reported by a specification in the technical document, with clays sintered at 1250°C, consisting of one mixture, antifreeze, non-absorbent and resistant to chemical and physical attacks. The material must be free of extraneous additives for protection on the surface.
New Ground is available in Beige Ground, anthracite Ground, Ground Brown, Grey Ground, White and Silver Ground Ground.