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medium plate and tile are a pair of "rivals" who compete fiercely in the field of wall decoration. After just a few years of competition, the balance of success has tilted towards the middle plate.
According to incomplete statistics on ceramic information, there are currently more than 180 medium plate production lines in the country, while porcelain tile production lines have shrunk to less than 250 , and most of them are still idle without production. Therefore, it is certain that the current production and sales volume of medium-sized boards have exceeded that of porcelain tiles, and medium-sized boards have replaced porcelain tiles and become the new "king of wall tiles".
medium plate and porcelain tiles, what is the difference between them? Why can medium plates replace porcelain tiles?
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Porcelain tiles : Confusion between "pottery" and "porcelain"
Consumers may not pay much attention to the specific material when buying bricks, but traditional porcelain tiles and later emerging medium boards The material is very different.
Porcelain shards were first classified as pottery. The broken pottery fragments collected in folk antiques are porcelain shards.
In modern times, tiles for interior wall decoration are also called porcelain tiles. With the improvement of production technology, there are more and more specifications and styles of porcelain tiles, and they have gradually become the mainstream choice for interior wall decoration.
The biggest difference between traditional tile tiles and medium tiles is that the tiles are ceramic bricks, that is, ceramic tiles. Their physical properties are relatively weak, and their anti-fouling performance is relatively poor. Over time, they may lead to leakage and accumulation of dirt and may affect the environment. To the glaze effect, this is why most porcelain tiles can only be used for interior wall decoration.
Moreover, due to insufficient hardness and easy leakage, the porcelain tiles cannot be paved or processed. The insufficient hardness makes the porcelain tiles very easy to break, so the use of space is limited, cracks will appear over time, and the service life is relatively short. . Some insiders say that the surface of the porcelain tiles will have an effect like orange peel after being illuminated by light.
porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles, so the water absorption rate is high, and the water absorption rate is greater than 10%. Water seepage will occur when the back body of most tiles is splashed with water. For this reason, the tiles need to be soaked in water before paving. After fully absorbing the water, apply cement slurry to the wall to make it stronger.
Because the production process is simpler than other ceramic tiles, the damage strength, fracture modulus and other indicators of the ceramic tiles are relatively low, and the price is also very cheap. Especially after the output increased significantly, the market price was once "fighting" fiercely. Therefore, in the vast area Rural or low-end markets occupy an extremely advantageous position.
porcelain tiles are generally used in humid areas such as kitchens, bathrooms or shady balconies. Their specifications have been developed and iterated over a long period of time, from 108×108mm and 158×158mm to 250×330mm and 300×450mm. The current porcelain tiles The mainstream film specifications are 300×600mm, 400×800mm, etc.
medium plate: porcelain or even full-body, with richer colors and designs.
medium plate is a category that has only become popular in recent years. In the early days, there was no conceptual name for the medium plate. One of the main differences between mid-plate and porcelain tiles is the water absorption rate. The water absorption rate of porcelain tiles is greater than 10%, while the water absorption rate of mid-plate is mostly controlled below 0.5%, which is much lower than that of porcelain tiles.
What does this mean? In the national standard, those with water absorption ≤0.5% are called porcelain tiles , those with 0.5% <> stoneware tiles , those with 3% <>10% are called ceramic bricks. In the market, sellers generally simplify it into three concepts: full porcelain, semi-porcelain, and ceramic. Those with a water absorption rate of ≤0.5% are called full porcelain, those with a water absorption rate of 0.5% <>10% are called semi-porcelain. His name is Tao.
Back to the mid-board, its mainstream definition refers to being between thin boards and conventional products, with a thickness of about 7-8mm, specifications of 300×600mm or 400×800mm (half of conventional square products), and low water absorption. Porcelain tiles can also be understood as glazed tiles that are thinner and have higher water absorption.
Nowadays, many brands of mid-boards are produced using large-size ceramic tile technology. All physical properties are comparable to large-size ceramic tiles. Some brands also make the mid-board body fully ceramic, reducing the water absorption rate to 0.1%. below, and improve the anti-fouling and anti-slip properties to make the functions of the mid-board more comprehensive.
Due to the upgrade of production technology, the biggest advantage of mid-board is that it can be mounted on walls and floors, and the spatial effect is more integrated. Although the price is slightly more expensive than ceramic tiles, due to its better performance and more prominent materials, it is gradually being used in terminals The market has replaced porcelain tiles as a popular choice for wall cladding.
In terms of decoration, the pattern and texture of the medium board can be no different from that of large-sized bricks. The product quality is also constantly improving, and the paving effect is also welcomed by many consumers. The diversification of sizes, It also allows the mid-board to echo well with the large-sized bricks on the ground.
Some manufacturers also launch full-body (some are color blank) mid-boards, which can be cut, grooved, chamfered and other secondary processing, which is an advantage that ordinary wall tiles cannot achieve.
Before the mid-board, all 800×800mm floor tiles were placed on two walls, which was also a common practice in the interior wall decoration market. The texture, hardness, and anti-fouling performance of floor tiles are superior to those of ceramic tiles. Especially in the past two years, with the vigorous promotion of brands and merchants, "golden specifications" such as 750×1500mm have been launched, which has also made floor tiles on walls a craze.
However, there are obvious disadvantages to installing floor tiles on the wall. The functions of tiles required in different spaces should be different. The water absorption, thickness, weight, etc. of the currently popular large-size tiles are significantly different from those of medium-sized tiles. Large-size tiles The required paving technology and materials are much more expensive than mid-board, so the scope of application is not wide. Mid-board has a considerable market share in the wall decoration market.
