To be clear, we’re not talking about ceramic tile. Or even the standard porcelain tile we recommend for your building’s interiors.
We’re talking about technical porcelain. And that isn’t just some fancy marketing label. It means we take your exterior porcelain cladding panels to another level by firing each panel so it absorbs no more than 0.1% of water.** Making it virtually impervious to moisture.
Compare that to tile industry standards for other tiles:
Tile |
Water absorption |
Ceramic |
0.5% – 3.0% |
Standard porcelain |
≤ 0.5% |
Technical porcelain |
≤ 0.1% |
Let’s look at it another way… Glass has a water absortion rate of 0%. Our technical porcelain is at 0.1%
That means, glass is 100% impervious, and our porcelain cladding panels are 99.99% impervious. Not too shabby, right?
**Here’s an interesting fact worth knowing: Did you know it only takes an additional 25 degrees Celsius to go from ceramic to porcelain? It’s true. With that little bit of extra heat, the “vitrification” process occurs. Vitrifying means particles begin fusing to fill more of the remaining pores in the material – leading to the impervious porcelain qualities.
Made from earth-sourced materials
You get a truly weather-proof material that’s beautiful and long-lasting with porcelain cladding panels we engineer from the earth.
We source our raw materials (like kaolin, quartz, and feldspar) from the areas surrounding our advanced manufacturing facilities in Castellon, Spain. Providing a low carbon footprint, and a finished exterior product for your building’s facade that’s engineered to endure.
Non Porous and Graffiti Proof
With 0.1% water absorption, our porcelain panels are impervious.
So, you don’t need any protective coatings. And you don’t need any special solvents to clean graffiti… just use denatured alcohol and the graffiti easily wipes away.
Freeze & Thaw Proof
Our exterior porcelain panels exceed the requirements of ASTM C1026 for freeze-thaw cycling, without cracking.
Even cut, exposed areas such as kerf saw cuts, mitered corner joints, or open corners don’t need sealing or coating. That means one less worry for you and less building maintenance headaches for your client.
An all-weather material
Exterior porcelain cladding panels will stand up to the harshest of conditions.
As part of your rainscreen wall system, porcelain cladding helps keep your building interior warm in cold temperatures. And in the hot summers, porcelain helps keep your building cool.
Factory-Rectified
We rectify your porcelain panels at the factory before they leave the production line.
“Rectified” means we grind the panel’s edges after firing, so the size is more precise. This also means no shrinking or expansion of the panel after it’s installed on your building’s exterior facade.
Does not rot or delaminate
Our porcelain cladding panels are not layered or made from a wet slurry. Our modern manufacturing process ensures your exterior porcelain panels are highly dense, strong, and completely resistant to rot or delamination.
High UV Resistance
The ingredients of our porcelain panels and our patented manufacturing process gives your building’s exterior facade a finish that’s resistant to UV degradation for the lifetime of the panel.
Maintenance-Free
The high density and extremely low absorption rates of porcelain cladding panels doesn’t allow dirt or graffiti to stick to them.
Installed in an open-joint cladding system, there is no efflorescence, no drips, and no stains. So your cladding is maintenance-free.
True Aesthetic Versatility
With porcelain cladding, you can achieve classic, traditional, modern, decorative, or distinctive looks for your exterior facades. And you can even design your own porcelain panel.
Our porcelain panels are tougher than stone with greater design flexibility. You get superb technical performance with any look you create. From rich textured woods to shiny metallics, to natural stone and concrete finishes. Your design freedom is here.
See how Porcelain compares
Not all exterior cladding materials are made the same. Check the chart below to see if Porcelanosa is a good choice for your next exterior façade project.
Attribute | Porcelain | Fibercement | Terracotta | Metal (ACM) | HPL | UHPConcrete |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aesthetic Versatility | check | |||||
Impervious to Water < 0.1% | check | check | ||||
Resilience to Water | check | check | check | check | check | |
Non‐Combustible | check | check | check | |||
Resistance to High Wind Loads | check | check | check | check | ||
High Texture Freedom | check | check |
BROWSE OUR FINISHES CATALOG
Want to learn how porcelain cladding will make your project a success?
Click the link below to schedule a no-obligation call. Get to know us and share your vision for your project. If this project isn’t a great fit, we’ll just let each other know. And part as new BFFs looking forward to the next chance to work together.