Can water absorption rate directly distinguish the quality of tiles?

Many people think that the quality of the tile can be easily measured by the water absorption rate. The lower the water absorption rate, the higher the quality of the tile, but things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme. A tile with too low water absorption rate will easily cause it to fall off. Is there a standard range for the water absorption rate of tiles?

What is water absorption rate?

The water absorption rate refers to the absorption of water by ceramic tiles under normal circumstances, that is, the percentage of the mass absorbed by the open pores in the ceramic product to the product mass, described as a percentage.

Normally, products with low water absorption rate have high hardness, are not easy to swell, and are tight and hard, so they have higher stability, are not easy to hide dirt, and are easy to clean. The density of tiles with high water absorption is relatively sparse. After absorbing water, the thermal expansion and contraction are more likely to cause the tiles to expand and crack. If it is a wall tile, it will easily fall off, the floor tile will be hollow, and the tile itself will easily absorb stains, influencing the overall beauty.

From the perspective of the constructor, tiles with high water absorption rate should be paved with ordinary cement mortar, while tiles with low water absorption rate need a more viscous adhesive.

How to test water absorption?

Dripping method: Pour some water on the back of the tile and observe the diffusion and absorption of water after standing for 5 minutes. If there is no diffusion at all or the absorption rate is very slow, it means that the water absorption rate is low.

Tapping the tile: Tap the tile with your hand. If the sound is crisp, it means that the water absorption rate is low, otherwise the sound is dull and the water absorption rate is high.

Professional tool measurement: The hardness of the tile is also related to the level of water absorption. If you use a hard object to scratch the surface of the tile without leaving obvious scratches, such tiles often have low water absorption.

The range of water absorption of various types of tiles

The range of water absorption of various types of ceramic tiles is: ceramic tiles> 10% ≥ concrete tiles> 6% ≥ fine concrete> 3% ≥ porcelains> 0.5 ≥ porcelain tiles

Different spaces correspond to different water absorption tiles

Kitchen wall tiles: smooth, oil-resistant, wear-resistant, glazed tiles are recommended
Kitchen floor tiles: wear-resistant, non-slip, polished tiles, body tiles are recommended
Bathroom wall tiles: matte, moisture-proof, glazed tiles are recommended
Bathroom floor tiles: non-slip, wear-resistant, low water absorption, polished tiles and body tiles are recommended
Living room wall tiles: wear-resistant, strong stain resistance, easy to clean, vitrified tiles, polished tiles, full-bodied tiles are recommended
Living room floor tiles: smooth, scrub-resistant, porcelain tiles, full polishing are recommended

The lower the water absorption rate, the better the quality of the tiles?

The lower the water absorption, the better the quality of the tiles. This sentence is actually unscientific. things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme. Tiles are no exception. If the water absorption is too low, it will cause the tile to fall off. why?

Because the tile has a certain water absorption rate, when paving with cement paste, the tile will absorb the moisture in the cement paste and fix it, forming a grip on the wall. If the water absorption rate does not reach a certain level, it cannot absorb sufficient water, which reduces holding force on the wall.

In addition, tile adhesives can be used to assist tile placement. However, if only cement paste is used for paving, it is recommended to purchase tiles with a water absorption rate of around 10%, which will have the best adhesion stress.