7 Reasons to Love Structured Surface Tiles
When people think of tiles, they might imagine a uniform surface that is smooth and glossy – but that’s only partly true, because tiles come in a variety of different surfaces, including glossy (as described), embossed, lappato, honed, matt (and matt satin), polished (and soft polished), slip stop, and structured!
At Niro Granite, one of our best-selling items is structured surface tiles. Honestly, it’s quite easy to see why people tend to love them! But first, let’s talk about what structured surface tiles are.
What are structured surface tiles?
While most tiles are smooth and flat due to the uniformity of the clay, structured surface tiles have a pattern or texture that is pressed onto the soft clay before it is fired and hardened into construction-ready tiles. This pattern or texture brings structure to the otherwise smooth surface – hence the name!
Be sure to check out our structured surface tiles collection.
1. Structured surface tiles bring nature to life
If you’re a lover of nature, you are going to love how closely structured surface tiles are able to mimic the natural environment. With a combination of digital inking and the process of creating these tiles, they convincingly take on the unique surface characteristics of real stone and even wood – so much so that you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference!
2. Structured surface tiles add visual impact
There’s something calm and commanding in the way structured surfaces present themselves. As they tend to absorb rather than reflect light, structured surface tiles tend to exude a confident and mysterious character that might be preferable, depending on the space you are designing for, as well as your personal preference.
3. Structured surface tiles are safer when wet
One of the most immediately recognisable features of structured surface tiles is their slightly rough surfaces, due to their unique production process that imbues them with a grippy texture. This gives them an added dimension of safety, as it increases friction between your foot and the ground in wet conditions that would otherwise be dangerous!
For added safety, try Slip-Stop.
4. Structured surface tiles prevent reflected glare
While glossy surface tiles are great for indoor settings to convey a spacious and elegant mood, they may not be ideal in the presence of strong light sources, such as sunlight – as the reflected glare may be uncomfortable for some. On structured surface tiles like Naturalz, its patterned surfaces break up the light that reflects off their surface, effectively preventing harsh reflected glare.
5. Structured surface tiles are tough and long-lasting
Ceramic and porcelain tiles are among some of the toughest and flooring materials in the market. Think about how shopping malls and sidewalks are paved with tiles from decades ago and are still holding up day after day, despite the hundreds to thousands of people walking all over them – that’s value for money!
6. Structured surface tiles make luxury affordable
Natural stone is great and desirable – there’s a reason why slate, stone, and granite have endured throughout the ages as choice construction materials. The only weakness with natural stone is the premium price they command, as they tend to be harder to quarry, transport, treat, and install. With structured surface tiles, however, you can get the luxurious look and feel of natural stone, all without breaking the bank or your renovation budget.
7. Structured surface tiles are eco-friendly
Building off the last point, another downside of natural stones is that they are also scarce – part of what drives their high valuation. Unfortunately, the quarrying of these wonderful stones has environmental impacts, which causes the natural environment to become polluted, not to mention the energy required to make the effort possible. On the other hand, structured surface tiles are fired from clay, which is very common and abundant, not to mention much more energy-efficient to quarry.
So, what do you say? Are you inclined to join Team Structured Tiles? Contact us if you want more information, or if you’re interested in using structured surface tiles for your next project!
