The Truth About Porcelain Tile Mimicking Marble

What Is Marble-Patterned Porcelain Tile?

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Marble-patterned porcelain tile is a type of porcelain, just like all others. The difference lies in the pattern and colors printed on its surface. This is because this type of porcelain tile accurately reproduces the characteristic hues and veins of marble, creating an impression of real stone. Today you can find marble-patterned porcelain tile in various color options such as white, black, beige and gray.

Large flat tiles measuring from 90x90 to 120x120 cm add even more value to marble-patterned porcelain tile, as the joints are barely visible or almost invisible. You can choose marble-patterned porcelain tile according to the type of marble you want. Some brands specialize in producing items that exactly replicate well-known and desired marbles, such as Carrara.

What Are the Benefits of Marble-Patterned Porcelain Tile?

You might be wondering why replace marble with porcelain. Here are several solid reasons, follow along:

Doesn't Scratch

One of the main advantages of marble-patterned porcelain tile over natural marble is its resistance to scratches. This is because marble, by nature, is a porous material that easily gets scratched from friction caused by furniture and footwear. Porcelain tile, on the other hand, does not have this issue due to its harder surface.

Durable and Resistant

Believe me, marble-patterned porcelain tile is stronger and more durable than natural marble. This is due to the hardness scale, a standard measure determining the strength of materials.

On this scale, known as the Mohs Scale of Hardness, marble has a hardness rating from 3 to 4, where 10 represents the hardest material and 1 is the softest. For example: a knife or coin can scratch marble. Porcelain tile has a hardness rating of 5 for glossy models and from 7 to 9 for tiles with natural texture.

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Defect-Free

Differently from marble, porcelain is a water-resistant ceramic tile, meaning that water and other liquids don't absorb into it. This means the chance of floor contamination is practically zero.

Easy Maintenance

Marble-patterned porcelain tile is also easier to maintain. Since the material is more resistant to scratches and stains, you don't need to worry about using special cleaning agents. You can use a broom, vacuum cleaner, damp cloth and even wash it.

More Affordable

This is probably the main reason you're interested in marble-patterned porcelain tile. And it's equally important.

The price difference between marble and porcelain is significant. While natural marble can cost from 900 to 1200 reals per square meter, marble-patterned porcelain tile will cost from 200 to 600 reals per meter, depending on brand, pattern and size of tiles.

Facilitates Future Repairs

Another advantage of marble-patterned porcelain tile is the ability to perform future work and renovations without major inconvenience. This is because tiles are mounted individually, unlike marble which is laid out in large continuous blocks. In other words, if you need to replace a single tile, you would have to remove the entire layer. With porcelain tiles, it's just a matter of replacing one tile.

Appearance Closely Resembles the Original

Modern technology makes marble-patterned porcelain tile a faithful and realistic copy of natural marble stone. In some cases, it's almost impossible to tell them apart. But choosing quality brands is important for this.

More Eco-Friendly

The extraction of marble is a very harmful process for the environment, causing damage to local forests, river pollution and soil degradation. Therefore, even though porcelain tile is not the most environmentally friendly floor surface, it's still a cleaner option.

Check out 9 projects that used marble-patterned porcelain tile below and get inspired:

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