Porcelain slab thickness
Recently, porcelain slabs have gained popularity because of their adaptability, toughness, and visual appeal. However, because several thicknesses are available, it might be hard to decide which option is ideal for your project. Porcelain slab thickness is essential for wall installations, floors, or worktops.
In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the Best thickness for porcelain slabs, Thick porcelain slab advantages, and Thin porcelain slab uses.
Understanding Porcelain Slabs
Porcelain slabs are large-format tiles made from natural clay and minerals, kiln-fired at extremely high temperatures to achieve a dense, durable, and low-porosity surface. Specifically, porcelain slabs are unlike standard ceramic tiles because they provide numerous advantages, such as stain resistance, ease of Cleaning, and nearly indestructibility. Therefore, the slabs can be used on a number of areas, such as countertops, walls, and even outdoor surfaces.
Best Thickness for Porcelain Slab
Choosing the best thickness for porcelain slabs depends largely on the intended application and installation location. The best thickness for porcelain slabs generally ranges between 3 mm and 20 mm (0.12 to 0.78 inches), each with unique advantages and best-use scenarios. Understanding such differences can go a long way in determining how well a long-lasting and beautiful installation is done. Let’s explore some of the standard options available:
- 3mm to 9mm: Ultra-thin porcelain slabs
- 10mm to 12mm: Conventional thin-thickness porcelain boards
- 20mm and above Thick porcelain slabs
Thin Porcelain Slab Uses
The most popular panels are thinner than 20mm, and the thickness can range from 3mm to 6mm. Still, they offer more unique features than their thicker counterparts: extraordinary lightweight, malleability, and installation. They are commonly used where a thick slab would not be feasible or desirable in construction.
- Wall Cladding: When it comes to space division and wall cladding, thin porcelain slabs are a perfect solution thanks to their lightweight, simplifying installation and decreasing the load on the walls. Because of this, they share a streamlined appearance that is beautiful to look at and integrates very well with other more modern and clean-looking buildings.
- Backsplashes: Thin porcelain slabs provide a fashionable, long-lasting, and easily cleaned surface for kitchen and bathroom backsplashes. The slim profile reduces weight while preserving durability and heat and stain resistance.
- Flooring Renovations: Thin porcelain slabs are simple to put over pre-existing surfaces while remodeling flooring.
- Furniture and cabinets: Other Thin porcelain slab uses are also in cabinets and furniture because they are modern.
Advantages of Thin Porcelain Slabs
- Cost-effective: A thin commercial tile can be significantly cheaper than a thick one because manufacturers can fit more of it into a box for the same cost when it is shipped.
- Ease of Handling and Installation: Thin porcelain slabs make handling and installation a lot easier because of their lightweight nature.
Best Applications for Thick Porcelain Slabs
- Countertops: This area dissipates heat, receives impacts, and is used daily in the kitchen, making suitable materials indispensable. A thicker porcelain slab has adequate bearing capacity, enhanced sturdiness, and the capacity to resist fractures and cracks from sharp or heavy objects.
- Outside Installations: Thick porcelain slabs make furnitures weather resistant and perfect for use in houses, patios, terrace, and swimming areas. They also provide longevity, low maintenance, UV resistance, water and freeze protection.
- High-Traffic Flooring: While in commercial or residential space that is exposed to high traffic, a thicker porcelain slab is appropriate to address this stress and last longer, but suitable for entrance, hall, and living area among others.
- Tabletops and Workstations: Thick porcelain slabs create a perfect aesthetic and highly functional layer for table tops, desks, and workspace furniture.
Thick Porcelain Slab Advantages
Among these, porcelain slabs with thickness 0.12-0.20 in are more desirable for their practical use due to their high strength and applicability to those projects intended for outdoor use.
- Superior Durability: Thicker slabs are perfect for surfaces that are subjected to a lot of wear and tear because they are more resilient to impact, scratches, and chipping.
- Stable Structure: Thick porcelain slabs are ideal for outdoor flooring and worktops because they are more robust.
Choosing Between Thin and Thick Porcelain Slabs
When it comes to thickness, it is only reasonable to note that the Best thickness for porcelain slab depends on various factors that are native to the undertaking in question. A thin porcelain slab may be desirable in most cases where the material cuts down on the general weight of the product and is relatively simple to fix. However, if the floor has to be stronger and harder, it must have a thicker slab. When making a decision, consider the following factors:
- Application Location: First, you need to know whether the slab will be used indoors or outdoors and what amount of deterioration is expected.
- Budget: Thicker slabs are also costlier, so your budget may determine the thickness of the slabs required on the job.
- Aesthetic Goals: The thicker slabs also make the kitchen worktops look bulkier, which may impress you more.
- Load Capacity and Structural Support: Thick slabs, as they are thicker in dimensions, are denser and may cause additional load when they are to be used on raised platforms such as countertops or wall cladding.
- Usage and Exposure: Thus, for exterior work or places that experience high human traffic, there may be thickness in slabs that normal thin slabs may not offer. Think about such conditions as light exposure (sunlight), moisture, and temperature fluctuations.
- Installation Requirements: It must be noted that laying thick porcelain slabs may take longer, require more effort, and require skills. As with any roofing project, it is best to deal with a proficient installer to minimize problems.
- Maintenance and Lifespan: Thin- and thick-poured porcelain slabs have low porosity; nevertheless, thick slabs are known to be more durable than thin ones and can easily handle abrasive usage.
Why Porcelain Slabs Are an Excellent Choice?
Porcelain slabs offer numerous benefits regardless of thickness:
- Stain Resistance: However, porcelain slabs have high stain durability hence can be used on countertops in the kitchen and in the bathroom.
- Easy Maintenance: Porcelain slabs can easily be maintained by merely wiping on them. The non-porous surface is water resistant; it means it does not provide conditions conducive to the growth of fungus or bacteria.
- Eco-Friendly: Porcelain is a natural material and environmentally friendly, especially compared to synthetic options.
- Variety of Styles: Porcelain slabs have a wide range of colors, textures, and patterns with the ability to match one’s decor style.
Maintenance Tips for Porcelain Slabs of All Thicknesses
Regardless of your thickness, porcelain slabs require minimal maintenance compared to natural stone options. Here are a few maintenance practices to keep them looking pristine:
- Regular Cleaning: clean the surface with a damp cloth and mild cleaner. Do not use rough materials as cleaners because they will scratch the surface over a period of time.
- Prevent Stains: Porcelain does not become stained easily; however, cleaning up spills is recommended to retain the surface’s beauty.
- Use Cutting Boards: Although they are made of a very hard material that is not easily scratched, cutting boards guard countertops against scratches.
SANSAM is a well reputed organization dealing in advanced porcelain slabs in the market. They have a variety of slab thickness to meet any project specifications. Its service delivery features main components which include quality, innovation, and customers who ensure that you get the right product for your use. SANSAM has thin slabs for modern looks of interiors or large slabs for endurance countertops at a reasonable cost.
Conclusion
Choosing the Best thickness for porcelain slab depends on the aesthetic design and practical research outcomes. Thin slabs are favorite for slender and low weight structures like walls and furniture.
In contrast, thick slabs are necessary for thicker and sturdy structures, including floors where a lot of traffic is expected and surface application where the structures are expected to endure a lot of wear and tear.
Knowing the porcelain slab thickness and how thin and thick porcelain slabs are used properly will help create a long-lasting and appealing surface for your work.