Glossary

This is a vitreous inorganic coating which may be matt, white or coloured; it may also consist only of unfired porcelain and vitro-porcelain raw materials. It is fired together with the tile body in the single-firing process, at from 1250 °C to 1400 °C. Otherwise, it may comprise a mixture of suspending agent raw materials and frits, for firing at lower temperatures generally around 900 °C.
A ceramic glaze consists of three basic ingredients: the vitrifying substance, the flux and the stabiliser. The glaze forms the actual surface of the tile and establishes its tactile character. There are different types of glaze, including honing glazes, outdoor glazes which contain grits or carborundum and matt glazes.

Glossy is the term used to describe a particularly shiny glazed ceramic or porcelain stoneware tile surface, able to provide a mirror-like reflection. Interior design trends change over time, but glossiness has always been the key characteristic of particularly elegant, prestige surfaces, although not necessarily in the form of a large-size tile or slab. The glossy brick tile is never out of fashion and is used both in design schemes with an artisanal flavour and in commercial or office buildings.

After tiles’ installation, to complete the surface the joints must be filled with a cement-based material, the grout. This protects floor and wall coverings against infiltrations of dirt and liquids of various kinds. Nowadays there is a wide choice of grouts and also of colours for anyone wishing to use the joint to reinforce the aesthetic impact of the ceramic surface.