textured, realistic looking wood and stone-effect tiles. All of this is available at a fraction of the cost of traditional stone or wood materials, no doubt playing a big part in the appeal of purchasing a porcelain replica for the home.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF
STONE-EFFECT TILES? The benefits of choosing a stone-effect tile over a natural one is the cost and maintenance. Effect tiles are often more budget friendly than their real counterparts and this is a worthwhile selling point for installers to remember. Made using ultra-fine porcelain clays fired at extremely high temperatures, porcelain stone-effect tiles are much harder, denser and less porous than natural stone and therefore less susceptible to damage from the elements. This means they need much less maintenance and are harder wearing, another appealing element for customers. Porcelain tiles are also produced to specific standards, ensuring quality, consistency and uniform sizing, while virtually eliminating defects that would occur with natural stone, making them easier for the installer to lay.
WHEN SHOULD YOU OPT FOR
SPECIAL EFFECTS
With new tile technology evolving and the trend for marble, granite and travertine on the rise, Sian O’Neill, Head of Marketing at Topps Tiles, explains the benefits of stone-effect tiles.
WHY ARE EFFECT TILES SO POPULAR? At Topps Tiles we’ve seen a surge in the demand for stone- effect tiles thanks to advances in printing technology allowing for the creation of much more realistic and sophisticated looking products. This, coupled with increasing consumer appetite for low-maintenance products, means we’ve seen specific interest in our range of stone-effect porcelain tiles, with the trend showing no signs of abating.
There can be no doubt that this popularity is down to consumer lifestyle choices. We all lead busy lives and are constantly on the go and porcelain tiles offer a more durable option and are suitable in high-traffic areas of the home. They are also much easier to look after and clean than its real stone counterparts, which usually require sealing or ongoing specialist treatment.
Over the past decade the development of inkjet technologies has made a significant difference to interiors, with recent innovations allowing manufacturers to produce a vast array of patterns, colours and textures on porcelain and ceramic tiles. This technology offers customers a greater choice of tiles, ranging from authentic looking Victorian encaustic floors, to
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A STONE-EFFECT TILE? The truth is with so many stone- effect tile choices on the market it’s always worth giving customers the option of a stone-effect tile, along with a choice of natural stone tiles too. There are certain scenarios where a stone- effect tile actually holds greater value for the homeowner as it might be more beneficial to their lifestyle as it requires less maintenance and cleaning. A perfect example of this is when tiling a large bathroom floor. Here a natural tile has some impractical implications such as additional sealing and after care treatments. Being porous in nature means natural stone needs extra protection against the moisture it’s exposed to in the bathroom. Also, a larger natural stone tile can add up to an expensive investment, whilst a large format stone-effect tile can give the same look but at a more cost-effective price for the customer.
At Topps Tiles, we’ve seen an increasing number of customers opting for our wide range of stone and wood-effect tiles to lay throughout their hallways, living rooms and kitchen spaces as a more affordable solution for the same, contemporary aesthetic as its authentic counterpart. These textured, effect tiles remain at the forefront of interior trends thanks to the rise in popularity of industrial and minimal styles, as well as the accessibility and affordability of the material.”
www.toppstiles.co.uk/trade MARBLE, STONE & TERRAZZO | 47
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