porcelain is one particular type of fired clay, albeit of a more refined quality than those used in ancient times.

kaolin clay (kaolinite) is the main component of porcelain tiles, although other minerals such as feldspar and quartz are present.

in British Standard terms, BS EN 14411 defines a porcelain tile as a ‘ceramic fully vitrified tile with water absorption of 0.5% or less’. in addition, traditional European porcelain tiles are produced with clays containing as little iron oxide as possible to produce a material as white as feasible.

when clay is fired, it is the degree of vitrification (from Latin ‘vitreum’), which determines whether a tile fulfills the requirements of a porcelain tile.

vitrification is the transformation of a material into ‘glass’, which is formed during the high-temperature firing phase of tile production.

the glassy materials produced fuse together forming a vitreous mass with a reduced number of pores, which is extremely hard and dense.

matte-finish tiles are dull and do not reflect light like gloss-finish tiles.

hence, they are more appropriate for larger kitchens.

matte-finish tiles in compact kitchens can make the kitchen look and feel smaller, unless the rest of it is carefully designed to counteract this effect.

glossy tile surfaces are shiny, but they are also resistant to liquids and dirt, allowing you to be able to clean them without issue.

glossy tiles open up smaller spaces in your home, making the room looks bigger than it is.

this is an ideal choice for smaller homes or areas such as living rooms.

mosaic floors are fragile and susceptible to breakage.

dropping heavy objects on mosaic glass tile should be avoided because this may result to either crack or chip tile.

this becomes a risk to whoever walks on the floor barefoot.

as opposed to other types of flooring they cannot withstand a lot of foot traffic.

proper care and maintenance are important to ensure that the tiles don’t get damaged and remain beautiful.

another disadvantage of using mosaic flooring is that it can be slippery when wet.

they can still catch water like any other tile, so they need to be covered with waterproof grout in order to avoid being slippery when wet.

glazed tiles are subjected to a second firing process where they are covered in a protective coating of liquid glass.

this protective coating makes the tiles somewhat slick, but also allows them to be printed with a wide variety of designs and colors using inkjet technology.

rectified tiles, or sharp edge tiles as they can be known, are ceramic or porcelain tiles that have been manufactured to a very precise tolerance.

this means they are cut to near exact measurements with a near perfect straight edge.

due to this precision, rectified tiles are the perfect choice for fitting with a finer grout joint creating a clean, even and seamless finish.

the cleaner edges also make it easier to create intricate laying patterns as you have more flexibility with the grout line width, a prime example being basket weave.

rectified tiles follow the same production process as non-rectified tiles except that the clay mix is moulded slightly bigger than required. this allows the edges to be ground or cut down with a diamond saw after the kilning process, it’s known as the ‘rectifying’ process.

laying tile is easy but laying tile and doing it well is difficult.

from that angle, it may make more sense to hire a professional tiler than to do it yourself.

• backerboard and underlayment.
• grout, caulk and mortar.
• trowels, floats, paddles and more.
• maintenance products.
• metals, transitions and wood molding.
• buckets, spacers, leveling systems.
• cutting and miscellaneous tools.

we have a 7 – 10 working day lead time after both artwork approval and 70% deposit.

yes, by all means. please note that images need to be at least 2MB per m².

we accept TIFF, PDF, JPG, AI and RAW files.

yes, we do! it is costed at R650 per m² ex. VAT for every hour of design time.

measure in millimeters from the far left of the wall/surface to the furthest point on the right. measure the highest height of the wall, excluding skirtings and finishes.

we can definitely arrange for installation. please enquire into installation fees as they vary per region (JHB, CPT, DBN).

yes, we offer various materials/substrates for various surfaces – windows, table tops, walls, dry walls, etc.

unfortunately not, the surface needs to be even and smooth. we suggest walls be smoothed, primed and painted (with a water-based paint) before installation.

no worries! we are happy to do site visits and help you under such circumstances. we can work together to ensure we jot down the correct measurements.

give us a call! we will be happy to do a site visit to ensure that you receive the best advise how to prep your wall for your new wallpaper.