Standards, Materials, Manufacturing & How to Find Quality Porcelain Tiles

Session Synopsis

The specification of porcelain tiles is a task that should be approached with caution. While the sheer range and variety of products available may give the impression of spoiling the market for choice, a closer look at many of these products reveals their lack of quality. For tiles, poor quality equates to low durability, a short service life, and poor environmental performance, so it is an important consideration.

But how do these low-quality tiles even make it to market? In large part, this can be explained by the disparity between international standards (concerning manufacturing and tolerances) and Australian standards (which deal with installation and fixing).

Because the international standard is so lax and the best tiles far exceed it, assessing quality is not a simple matter. It involves considering the manufacturing process, the raw materials used, and also factors like printing, firing, and polishing methods.

This CPD Live examines these matters and more. It shines a light on how to identify the best products for your projects.

Key Learning Outcomes

At the end of this presentation, you should be able to:

Identify the various standards (both local and International) that relate to the manufacture and installation of porcelain tiles in Australia.
Outline the affects these various standards have on the quality of porcelain tile available in Australia.
Identify the primary ingredients of porcelain tiles and explain their impacts on the tile body and its quality.
Outline the various other factors – including production techniques, printing methods, new technologies, etc. – that affect tile quality.

(PC 18 PROJECT INITIATION AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, PC 28 PROJECT INITIATION AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, PC 43 DETAILED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION, PC 45 DETAILED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION)