Ceramic or natural stone. Which should you choose?
Ceramics
Ceramics is a material made from clay or loam. The raw material is fired at a high temperature and is rock-hard. It is a ‘man-made’ material and originated in countries such as Italy and Spain. Today, ceramics are used as an alternative to natural stone. By means of printing technology, ceramics are provided with any desired design. So any type of natural stone can be copied.
However, there is one ‘but’ to this: nature cannot be copied when it comes to variation. Take tiles for paving, for example. With natural stone, every tile is different. With ceramic, one design consists of several prints per tile. Ranging from a minimum of 6 to sometimes as many as 20 prints. But because you can rotate tiles during processing, this still produces a very natural image. The amount of prints varies per ceramic producer.
Why do ceramics usually come from abroad?
This has to do with the basic raw material clay or loam. There is less suitable material available in the Netherlands. We, on the other hand, are big in clay and concrete clinkers. Italy leads the way when it comes to design development. Lifelike copies of natural stone often originate in design studios in Italy.
Natural stone
Natural stone is a collective term for all stone types that come from nature, such as lava rock, granite, slate, marble, quartzite or limestone. Natural stone is beautiful and ‘the real thing’ is actually always the most beautiful. But it also has some drawbacks.
Weathering and signs of use
Natural stone also often gets the name ‘hard stone’. This name is a little misleading because many types are not hard at all. Natural stone is often porous and sensitive to acids, for instance, if it contains a lot of lime. The expressive appearance of natural stone is partly because it is not scratch-resistant and starts to ‘live’. However, this process never stops. Some people find this beautiful, others are annoyed by it.
Ceramic as an alternative
So an alternative to natural stone is ceramics. This matches the looks of natural stone but adds extra functionalities. Ceramic is insensitive to almost all acids/chemicals and scratch-free.
Natural stone is beautiful, versatile and alive.
The advantages of ceramic
- Ceramic is rock-hard and hard-wearing
- Ceramic is stain and acid resistant
- Ceramic is very low-maintenance
- Ceramic is guaranteed colourfast and UV-resistant
- Ceramic is resistant to heat and frost
- Ceramic is available in high skid resistance (and remains skid resistant)
- Ceramic with Stabikorn (GeoCeramica®) is available up to 8cm thick and suitable for heavy loads
Also ideal for use in public spaces!
The disadvantages of natural stone
- Natural stone is vulnerable to acids and chemicals
- Natural stone scratches faster (depending on the type of stone)
- Natural stone requires more maintenance, such as special cleaning agents
- Natural stone becomes increasingly damaged, which affects its appearance (processing)
Did you know that external ceramics are now indistinguishable from natural stone?
Outdoor ceramic tiles
Natural stone is also being displaced in the garden market by ceramic tiles. In terms of price, ceramic tiles and natural stone tiles do not differ that much from each other. The costs are also similar in terms of installation.
MBI has represented the Italian brand Mirage for 2cm ceramic outdoor tiles since 2010. And since 2016, GeoCeramica® has been on the market, a ceramic top layer inextricably linked to a concrete base.
Want to know more about the difference for indoor and outdoor use?
Want to know more about the difference between ceramic tiles for indoor or outdoor use? Read our blog on ceramic tiles.
Read more about GeoCeramica® here
Thickness of ceramic tiles
If you have decided that you are going for the benefits of ceramic then the question remains which thickness to choose. The right choice depends entirely on the substrate and use. If you lay ceramic on drainage mortar, 2cm is sufficient. A thickness of 3cm is then oversized.
GeoCeramica® is a ceramic tile on a concrete base that is actually always suitable, no matter what substrate or application you have.
Ceramics also as a building material
We take a brief side trip with ceramics. Because it is an ideal building material, also for the facade of a building. And, of course, again as a substitute for natural stone. Here, too, ceramic tiles offer all the advantages in use, maintenance and service life.
Contact us
MBI offers a very wide choice for the design of indoor and outdoor spaces. Leave your details and we will contact you a.s.a.p..
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