FAQ

Here you can find some of the answers to the many Frequently Asked Questions, together with some useful advice about porcelain tile maintenance and cleaning as well as tile installation.
Please use the list of categories shown at your left to browse answers to many frequently asked questions.

What is the difference between GranitiFiandre's tiles and an ordinary ceramic tile?

A very elaborate production and firing process allows GranitiFiandre materials to offer levels of technical performance which are significantly higher than those of ordinary ceramic tiles, such as for example the duration of the materials, the ease of day-to-day maintenance or simply the materials’ resistance.

What advantages does Geologica have over quarried stone?

Quarried stone is very porous, due to the random positioning of the minerals of which it is made: the result is excessive sensitivity to external agents (acidic substances such as lemon or tomato juice, the sun’s rays, graffiti, pollutants in the atmosphere) resulting in gradual fading of the original colour, difficulty in removing stains and greater susceptibility to scratches of all kinds.

What is the difference between Geologica and GeoTecnica?

Geologica, GranitiFiandre’s top end collection, is made by refining the aesthetic aspects of the technology used to produce porcelain stoneware, which is in itself a high performance material in technical terms.
Geologica looks like natural quarried stone and should be treated and used in the same way: it is made from natural raw materials (minerals, sands and clays imported from all over the world) which chemically react when the material is fired, even while maintaining the same basic colour, presenting variations in the veins and widely varying hues.
Geologica is a compromise between the look of natural stone and the technological benefits of industrial production.

Is a material like Geologica or GeoTecnica slippery?

Slip-resistance depends on the finish of the tile. Our matte-finish or honed tiles offer natural skid resistance (greater than 0.6, wet or dry). Polished tiles are slip-resistant when dry, but dramatically more slippery when wet, and do not achieve the 0.6 standard. We also offer several special skid-resistant finishes with relief patterns to increase foot-floor friction in areas where standing water, oils or grease are used.

What sizes are available in the Geologica line?

Geologica materials are available in the formats: 30x30 cm (12"x12"), 60x30 cm (12"x24"), 40x40 cm (16"x16"), 60x40 cm (16"x24"), 60x60 cm (24"x24") and 120x60 cm (24"x48"). The latest new formats to be added are 45x45 and 45x90: the new Extreme line is available in sizes of up to 150x75.
Check the list of available formats for each type of stone. Decorative elements, inlays, strips, insets, lip mouldings and steps.
Water jet technology makes it possible to obtain all the sub multiples of the formats listed.

What characteristics of porcelain tile offer an advantage to the client?

GranitiFiandre porcelain tile is not glazed, but full-body: this means that not only the colour but the veins present in the individual piece cross right through the material. As it is not glazed, it does not suffer the effects of wear or the action of aggressive atmospheric agents (the sun’s rays, exhaust gases, snow, acid rain): GranitiFiandre offers an ideal 100 year guarantee.
Other benefits worth mentioning include the material’s low porosity (the chemical reaction that takes place when firing certain minerals at high temperatures gives our porcelain tile a high density that makes it definitely non-absorbent, making it very easy to remove stains of all kinds) and its hardness (we can produce a material 20 times harder than natural granite).

Is a GrantiFiandre product easy to break or chip? And what about scratching & abrasion?

Our products offer superior breaking strength well in excess of any applicable American or European standards. In fact, GranitiFiandre products have the highest breaking strength of any modular surface, due mostly to the extremely compact, low-porosity nature of the product. As for scratch resistance, our products are rated 8/9 on the Mohs scale of hardness. The Mohs scale measures a material's resistance to scratching and assigns a rating of 1 (talc) through 10 (diamond). The 8/9 rating for Geologica and GeoTecnica compares favorably to the 6/7 for natural granite and the 4/5 for marble. And the differences are even greater than they seem: In the Mohs scale, each rating is 10 times harder than the preceding one, so, for example, GranitiFiandre tiles are 20 times harder than granite.

GeoTecnica "High Tech Ceramic": what does it means?

The words "High Tech Ceramic" identify GranitiFiandre’s ultra high performance technical tiles: these New Technical Ceramic Materials offer even greater resistance than conventional ceramic materials. Initially used in the floors of industrial buildings, the New Technical Ceramic Tiles are supported by advanced technology that has improved their technical and aesthetic performance, making them ideal for covering floors and walls of all kinds.
Today’s production technologies permit creation of any kind of texture on the surface of material elements.
This means that GranitiFiandre’s New Technical Ceramic Tiles provide the best response to standards for slipperiness and durability imposed by the new international regulations applicable to public places and workplaces.

What is the difference between Tarsie with joint and Tarsie with no joint?

TARSIA WITH JOINT
A decorative element created in a traditional way, combining various water-jet cut materials on a plastic fiber net. The separation between the adjoining parts of the Tarsia is provided by a gap, which will need to be filled with grout.

TARSIA WITH NO JOINT
a decorative element created combining various water-jet cut materials into a single solid piece, which is subsequently polished. The result is a high-quality product showing no gaps and a total uniformity feeling to the touch. Moreover, the Tarsie without grout joints highlight GranitiFiandre technology and high-quality products thanks to their great aesthetic value.

How could I receive GranitiFiandre' s catalogs?

GranitiFiandre's catalogues are available in the Download section for free. To receive GranitiFiandre's pocket catalogue free of charge please complete the Request a free catalogue form with all the details requested.

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