Why is stone tile so popular?
A stone house has always been a sign of prosperity, well-being of the owners, and in the past centuries, many plastered their wooden dwellings with clay, on which slate tiles were cemented, as in cement mortar. And imagine, in such houses the probability of a fire was sharply reduced.
Today, the situation has not changed much, and not everyone can build a marble mansion. But to perform a marble finish on the strength of all, for this purpose there is a tile under the stone.
It is known that an artificial stone for decoration, and often for construction, was used in the IV century in Europe.
And, actually, what alternative exists for the finish: siding for the facade covering, which is quite expensive material, lining, decorative plaster - all this is much more expensive than the man-made stone. And the usual plaster, though cheaper, does not give such an external effect.
And, most importantly, all listed alternatives are short-lived, while the
What is tile made of natural stone better than imitation?
Those who claim that a fake can not be better than the original is not entirely right. The fact is that tiles made of natural stone have an advantage over the artificial only in respect of durability.
And this is not surprising, because the same granite or marble, unlike concrete, which has a similar structure with an artificial stone, is formed for a long time, it can be said, from the moment of the formation of the planet, while any tile is the resultpressing, even if very high-quality.
But otherwise the artificial stone is not inferior, and sometimes it is ahead of its prototype in some characteristics. For example, do not be afraid that imitation of natural stone will someday fade and lose its color. On the contrary, with time the brightness of the pigment, which is a part of the tile, will show up better, especially under the influence of weather factors.
When choosing between the original and the imitation, one should take into account the fact that the tiles made of natural stone are heavier than its artificial counterpart, which often necessitates further strengthening of the walls for the cladding, which means unnecessary costs.
Stone tile and its imitation - what is the salt?
As is known, natural stone tile has a more porous structure than artificial stone, due to which it absorbs water much more actively. And everything would be fine, but there is absolutely no moisture, there are various salts in it that tend to settle on the rough surface of the stone and concrete.
And this is where the difference between natural and artificial finishing tiles is found. Penetrating deep into the structure of the stone and crystallizing, the salts begin to destroy it, chipping and chipping off individual grains. In the same layer of artificial stone, more dense, the salt can not penetrate and settles on the surface, from where it can be removed by special compounds.
But, of course, the durability of natural stone is incomparable to nothing, the example of a metro station, whose floors shine, as on the first day of laying, although decades have passed. Therefore, if you have such an opportunity, use natural materials.
But if you are thinking about the cost of finishing, do not forget that as a tile imitation of a stone comes to you already ready for facing the walls, but the natural material will require additional processing - sawing, tiling, grinding. It is quite expected that its value will grow many times over. What do you need, cheap stuff, serving up to half a century or expensive for hundreds of years?