How to distinguish
Faience and porcelain belong to the main types of ceramics, but completely different technologies are used in the production of materials.
In order to understand what exactly the dishes are made of, you must use the following recommendations:
- color. Porcelain products have white edges, earthenware - beige;
- sound. Expensive dishes always ring even with small touches;
- light. Porcelain tableware tends to shine through if bright rays hit the surface.
Considering all the above features, we can conclude that characteristic differences still exist. Porcelain products are more expensive, as the quality of such material is always at an excellent level.
Faience options are somewhat simple counterparts. Dishes made of this material can be recognized by their appearance, as various methods of firing and processing are used in the manufacturing process, which gives the products a characteristic color.
Distinguish dishes from these materials is possible even by weight. It is known that porcelain is lighter, and at the same time it has good resistance to various mechanical influences.
What is the difference between ceramics, porcelain and faience
What is the difference?
The most important thing: there must be an understanding that both porcelain and earthenware are all ceramics, these are its types. Ceramics itself is obtained by firing clay with other inorganic substances. So, in the composition of faience there is a little more clay, but less kaolin, quartz and other substances compared to porcelain, this is why their characteristics differ significantly. To date, the bulk of sanitary ware such as sinks, toilets and bidets are made of ceramics.
Porcelain
Porcelain has a special value due to its characteristics. Unlike earthenware, it is not porous and therefore the coating is not of considerable thickness, it has a snow-white color, is resistant to moderate temperature changes, is durable and transparent in the light. For all this, it is actively used in the production of dishes, especially souvenirs, which emit a clear, melodic sound with a slight tapping. Also great for sanitary ware. For example, the brand, Jika, makes its urinals, toilets, bidets and sinks from porcelain. Accordingly, all this plumbing has reliable strength.
Faience
Faience is more porous and to hide this, it is coated with a thick layer. It is believed that it is more fragile, however, in modern production, earthenware products have high strength. Plumbing is made from faience,. These are large world-famous manufacturers who use only high-quality materials.
Porcelain or faience plumbing. What to choose?
Today faience and porcelain are equally popular in the market. Therefore, we recommend not paying attention at all to what material the plumbing is made of: porcelain or faience. The most important thing is that it is ceramics. In our online plumbing store
The usual story. A man came to the store for a sink, looked at the assortment and thought. There are many good products from faience and porcelain. In addition, a faience sink usually costs about the same as its porcelain sister. Which one to choose? After all, if the materials are different, then the properties are not the same?
So, what kind of sink do you need: faience or porcelain? Faience is similar in composition to porcelain, but the ratio of components and firing features differ. As a result, the products are similar, and it is difficult to distinguish them by eye. If you are interested in a faience sink, the price within the same brand will not differ much from the cost of a porcelain product.
Those who are interested in the maximum strength of the product, porcelain is more suitable.A variety of this material used for the manufacture of sanitary ware is highly resistant to impact and other mechanical stress. But if the sink is purchased in an ordinary apartment, where a calm measured life flows, there are no frequent repairs and rearrangements, then the probability of damage is extremely small.
faience sink
Faience has several other advantages:
- resistance to low or high temperatures;
- chemical resistance;
- high electrical insulation.
There are almost no drawbacks to such material. But, if we compare porcelain sinks with faience products, then their minus is a stronger absorption of odors and dirt. In practice, this means more frequent and thorough cleaning, the possible appearance of stains. With timely cleaning and the use of good products, they are easily washed. If you often enough clean up the bathroom and your faucet usually does not flow, then this solution is quite suitable.
If you need a sink that is more resistant to odors and dirt, faience is ideal. For example, when an apartment is planned to be rented out to tenants, or tenants do not have time for frequent cleaning, or in other similar cases. Sometimes the difference between faience sinks is an exclusive painted design. But do not forget that such plumbing is less resistant to mechanical stress.
In most situations, it doesn't make much difference whether you buy a porcelain or faience sink for your bathroom. The second solution is preferable, because no one wants to spend extra time and energy on fighting dirt and odors. But some are afraid that the product will “break” or crack. Fear is usually not justified: in everyday life, situations where you can accidentally break a sink are rare.
Six ways to distinguish porcelain from faience and ceramics
- Porcelain is a dense, white at the break, hard and ringing like glass material. How to distinguish between crystal and glass, see;
- Lightly strike the porcelain with a wooden stick and you will hear a high, long and clear sound. The faience product has a deaf, short and low sound;
- Any product with glaze or painting is faience. Such products have a bright color and a coating that is applied to eliminate porosity, moisture permeability and other material imperfections;
- Porcelain, unlike other ceramic products, looks attractive throughout its service life, does not lose its original external properties and does not crack. Faience and cheap ceramics become covered with microcracks over time;
- Porcelain is a more expensive material with light weight, resistance to mechanical stress and a long service life;
- Faience is a more accessible, cheap and practical material. But it is less hygienic as it absorbs moisture. Faience products do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature.
Faience is not porcelain
Physical properties:
- porcelain is whiter, faience is darker;
- porcelain is louder, faience is duller;
- porcelain is translucent, faience is opaque;
- porcelain is strong, faience is fragile.
Technological parameters:
- porcelain is dense, faience is porous;
- fused into a monolithic mass, sintered grains are observed in the faience structure;
- porcelain is covered with a thin glaze, faience glaze is thicker and not always uniform;
- porcelain tableware has an unglazed rim on the bottom. Earthenware dishes are most often covered with continuous glaze.
Artistic features:
- porcelain figurines are beautiful with detailed details and amaze with the subtlety of plasticity. Faience objects are less intricate in form;
- The color range of faience products is rich in colors due to the painting over the glaze. Artistic porcelain is usually not as flamboyant;
- porcelain does not age. Over the years, faience products are covered with a network of small cracks (craquelure) - which does not in the least affect the value of antique faience.
Price qualities:
- mass-produced porcelain is more expensive than mass-produced faience;
- porcelain antiques are not necessarily more expensive than rare earthenware.
Characteristics of materials
Ceramics is an ancient material that is obtained by sintering clay with mineral additives and organic compounds. It is considered one of the first materials that man created on his own. Ceramics is used for the manufacture of dishes, in construction, machine and instrument making, in medicine and science.
Porcelain and faience are more complex types of ceramics. The first type is a thin material that is obtained by firing a special mixture at high temperature. As a result, it is waterproof, thin and even transparent.
Faience is a dense, finely porous material, often white. It is similar in composition to porcelain, but has a slightly different ratio of clay mixture and additives. There is more clay here. In addition, in the manufacture of faience, a lower firing temperature is used. Let's take a closer look at the manufacturing technology of these ceramic materials. This will help identify differences between objects.
Faience and porcelain in the history of mankind
Pottery, made from light clay and covered with a layer of glaze, became known as faience in honor of the city of Faenza (province of Emilia-Romagna, Italy). Faenza manufactories became famous in the Renaissance - however, materials similar to modern faience were produced for a long time and everywhere, starting from Ancient Egypt and Ancient China, and ending with the most remote regions of the spread of civilization.
The invention of porcelain, associated with the discovery and development of deposits, spurred the growth in the quality of faience. It is safe to say that modern faience was born in an attempt to uncover the secret of porcelain recipes. Here's a causal paradox...
Stone bathroom sink
In ancient times, our ancestors made tools and hunting tools from stones. Nowadays, it is still an actual material for the manufacture of various utensils. Onyx, marble, granite, travertine are great for them because they have high strength, heat resistance and rich texture. In the production of stone sinks for different bathrooms, their surfaces are given either a mirror shine (“brilliant”) or semi-matt (“satin” texture). There are many admirers at the surface with the natural texture of a stone cut. To improve the quality, manufacturers treat the surface with a water-repellent impregnation. This is especially necessary for such rocks as marble or travertine. When purchasing a stone sink for your bathroom, make sure it fits in. This is a rather piece goods that needs the right design. To complete the interior, you will have to additionally purchase a shower tray or stone bath. And if you take into account that the price of one sink can reach up to 150 thousand, then the cost of the entire set will be many times higher. In addition to the price, the heavy weight of the product and the complexity of caring for it scare away. There is a technology that allows you to reduce the weight of the product. This turning of voids inside the material is especially true for granite and onyx. Then the weight will drop to 12-15 kg, and then the lightweight version can be installed on a small hanging console table.
Artificial stone has more possibilities. For example, agglomerate, corian, staron are good not only for sinks, but also for countertops, window sills. Products from them are distinguished by strength, durability, resistance to fading and moisture. There are, of course, troubles with the appearance of scratches on some models. But it's a fixable problem. After polishing, the bowl will be like new. The difference between porcelain and artificial stone is that any chip on porcelain can lead to a complete loss of a presentable appearance, while on artificial stone it is subject to restoration. The most important advantage of artificial stone is that at the beginning of production it is a plastic substance from which you can mold a bowl of any depth and shape.
The material of the toilet bowl is important for its operation. For installation in residential buildings do not use toilet bowls made of stainless steel, plastic
The once-popular cast-iron toilet bowls do not meet the needs of customers now. The only acceptable one in our time is a ceramic toilet bowl. But from what?
What is the best toilet material? Buy a toilet bowl made of faience or porcelain?
Faience differs from porcelain in the content of kaolin (white clay). Porcelain is considered to be a material in which kaolin is more than 47%. In faience - no more than 20%. This difference causes a difference in the physical and sanitary-hygienic properties of materials.
"Texture of porcelain"
Porcelain is hard, translucent, durable. Its pores are so small that it does not absorb moisture.
Faience is opaque and porous. It absorbs moisture. In view of its lower strength, it is necessary to produce products with thicker walls from it, and therefore they are heavier than similar porcelain ones.
It would seem that the answer is unequivocal: porcelain is better as a material for the toilet bowl. It is lighter, stronger and does not retain odor
What is important for plumbing utensils. But faience is cheaper
What to choose for plumbing
Making repairs in the bathroom, you need to pay special attention to the choice of plumbing. The service life of sinks and toilet bowls depends on the quality of materials
That is why it is better to study the issue of the proposed materials in advance.
Lovers of durable and high-quality products should definitely choose porcelain. Its distinguishing feature is resistance to mechanical damage. Such a sink will not be afraid of any blows. Low water absorption and resistance to dirt and odors will also facilitate the operation and maintenance of plumbing. The service life of a porcelain sink with proper care will be at least 50 years. It would seem that this is an ideal option for every person. However, there are also disadvantages. First of all, it is a high price.
There are very frequent cases when people are not ready to buy expensive plumbing. For example, in rented accommodation, a porcelain sink is not the most necessary piece of furniture.
It is in such cases that you should pay attention to a more budget option - faience. According to its performance characteristics, it is inferior to expensive porcelain.
The high porosity makes it vulnerable to dirt and odors. Accordingly, care for such equipment will require more frequent and thorough. However, special glazes that cover faience can cope with this problem. When choosing plumbing, you need to choose just such glazed toilets and sinks.
The strength of faience sinks is also inferior to porcelain. Fragile faience needs to be handled more carefully. Then their service life will be about 30 years. And this is also not bad at a relatively low price.
Sometimes, even with good care, troubles occur, for example, heavy objects falling into the sink. It should be noted that the repair of faience will be difficult. The porous structure can crack when drilling, and when glued, the seam from the glue will be noticeable. The porcelain sink is easy to repair, it is glued with gypsum-based adhesives.
Thus, it is necessary to keep these features in mind when choosing plumbing for the bathroom. In order to save money, you can stop at a more budget option - faience. Moreover, in recent years, high-quality glazes have been achieved, making the shells very durable. Yes, and in appearance it is very difficult to distinguish faience from porcelain. Sometimes unscrupulous manufacturers take advantage of this and pass off cheap earthenware for more expensive porcelain.
Connoisseurs of reliability and practicality, of course, should purchase porcelain plumbing. She will last a long time.
In general, both of these materials are related, differing only in some components in the composition. And in any case, choosing ceramic sanitary ware, a person receives strength, quality, durability, reliability and long service life.
But whatever the choice, it should be remembered that any plumbing needs proper operation and good care.
Features of modern models
Materials used
Modern industry produces a huge number of different plumbing fixtures. The most popular materials used for this are shown in the table.
| Material | Peculiarities |
| Glass | Toilets made of glass are attractive in appearance, but require very careful maintenance. The slightest streaks or traces of dried water splashes will bring dissonance to the sophisticated interior of your dressing room. |
| Stainless steel | This material is highly durable and easy to clean from dirt. Due to these qualities, stainless steel appliances are most often installed in public places. A big drawback of the described models is the high price and too utilitarian appearance. |
| Polymer concrete (artificial stone) | Luxury toilets. Their cost is quite high, but it is fully justified by the exquisite appearance and the most unexpected forms. On sale are very rare and are made, as a rule, by individual orders. |
| A natural stone | Very, very expensive models that are produced in single versions. They look elegant and elite, but the surface of the stone is very sensitive to detergents containing acids. |
| sanitary ware | This category includes porcelain and faience products. A porcelain toilet bowl has a smoother and more beautiful surface, a faience one is cheaper, it perfectly withstands the effects of acids and alkalis, but is destroyed by excessive physical impact. |
The most widely used products are made of sanitary ceramics. Their technical characteristics and consumer properties will be discussed below.
Faience
For the manufacture of such toilets, white clay is used, so they have a dense, finely porous structure. Because of this, the product is characterized by an increased water absorption coefficient, as for a plumbing fixture (this figure is 0.5%). To avoid impregnation of the device with water, its surface is covered with a layer of special glaze.
This layer protects the toilet bowl from water penetration and gives the product an attractive appearance.
The advantages of using glaze for decorating toilet bowls are obvious:
- provides the desired level of moisture resistance;
- gives the object an attractive appearance that lasts for a long time;
- does not change color and gloss from the influence of negative external factors.
Faience appliances are distinguished by thin walls. This is done on purpose so as not to give the toilet a too massive appearance. But special processing methods and a layer of glaze provide reliability, which is enough for everyday use.
The advantage of faience is also its cheapness. As a rule, toilet bowls made of this material cost much less than similar products made of porcelain.
Porcelain
To make such a toilet, you need to add quartz and feldspar to the extracted white clay. Thanks to these two elements, the water absorption coefficient of the finished product is reduced by an order of magnitude and amounts to 0.05%. In addition, the technical characteristics are much improved.
Porcelain toilet bowls have the following advantages:
due to the ultra-smooth dense surface, they absorb dirt and unpleasant odors worse, which is important for the toilet room;
due to the homogeneous structure, porcelain is easier to clean from dirt, much less effort is needed to maintain its appearance;
over time, yellow plaque does not form on the surface of the toilet bowl from constant contact with water and biological waste;
the material in question is stronger than faience.
Both faience and porcelain toilet bowls are covered with a special glaze, which makes it very difficult to distinguish these models from the outside.If you are in doubt about the correct choice, contact the sales consultant for help.
In addition, try to buy models treated with special compounds that prevent the accumulation of dirt on the surface of the plumbing fixture. This will help you increase the life of the product and reduce the time it takes to wash it.
Toilet bowl made of faience or porcelain selection rules
Ceteris paribus, however, you should buy a porcelain toilet. For the simple reason that the domestic market is dominated by products not of well-known and well-deserved firms, but of their Russian, Chinese, etc. branches. In this case, the glazing of the toilet bowl may not be complete. In particular, it is often absent behind the rim.
If such a toilet bowl is made of faience, then unglazed areas will quickly absorb the smell, and the toilet bowl will stink. Porcelain toilet bowl in this regard gives great guarantees of compliance with consumer qualities.
In appearance, the ceramics of toilet bowls are difficult to distinguish from each other. Please read the accompanying documents carefully. Examine the unglazed parts. Porcelain is snow white. Faience - grayish.
Porcelain is made up of kaolin. This material is hard and resonant. In addition, if you break kaolin, then at the break you can see a white shiny surface, which tends to reflect, like a mirror.
Faience, in turn, is less dense and even a little loose. In you can see the characteristic pores. It would seem that they are very obvious, but when a person enters a store, he will not split the products in order to make sure that they are porcelain or faience. Therefore, there are other signs by which these two materials can be distinguished.
Porcelain is much more expensive than faience. For this reason, many seek to determine the material from which this or that product is made, because they are afraid of being deceived. And not in vain. Many sellers deliberately mislead their customers in order to sell a product made of cheap material under the guise of an expensive one.
Instead of a conclusion
Does porcelain really last longer than earthenware? Is it true that porcelain is more expensive than faience? You can get answers to these and other questions by reading this article.
Porcelain and faience are the most popular types of ceramics that are used for the production of:
Kitchen, tea, tableware;
Plumbing (toilets and washbasins);
Artistic and decorative products (souvenirs, figurines, vases);
Electrical and radio parts;
Electrical insulators.
As you can see, the scope of porcelain and faience is the most diverse. But for one product it is more rational to use porcelain, for another faience. This is due to the properties they possess.
Porcelain is more durable, more resistant to chemicals and temperature, has high mechanical and electrical insulating properties. The absence of hygroscopicity and water resistance makes porcelain an excellent material for the production of sanitary ware and utensils. And high aesthetic properties make it possible to make products for interior decoration, special elegance and beauty. Despite all this, porcelain is expensive. That is why, many prefer a worthy alternative to porcelain - faience.
Faience - looks very similar to porcelain. Therefore, it is often confused with him. You can read about how to distinguish faience from porcelain in our article “How to distinguish porcelain from faience? »
Faience is not so durable, they have a porous structure and the water absorption rate is much higher. That is why, at the production stage, it is covered with a special glaze so that products made from this material have high consumer properties. Glazed earthenware does not absorb odors, dyes or moisture. Due to its lower cost, it is actively used for the production of household goods.
When choosing a faience product, it is important to pay attention to the manufacturer, especially when choosing plumbing.Porcelain sanitary ware from well-established manufacturers will serve just as well as porcelain sanitary ware
A distinctive feature of porcelain is the absence of pores. Faience is a porous material and when cracks form, bacteria enter these pores. Therefore, faience dishes with cracks are not recommended.
It cannot be argued that porcelain is definitely better than faience. If you want to save money, choose faience products, but they will require more thorough care. If your budget allows you to purchase products made of porcelain, it will last much longer than earthenware.
Criterias of choice
Before you go to a specialized building supermarket and choose a porcelain or faience toilet bowl there, it would be useful to decide on the main criteria that you should pay attention to when buying a particular model:
-
The base of the toilet bowl should be connected without problems to the one equipped in your apartment or house.
. For example, toilets with a vertical outlet will not be able to dock with the neck of a drain pipe built into the wall. - The geometric dimensions of the plumbing fixture should be selected so that it is convenient to use, and it fits as organically as possible into the interior of your toilet room.
If you buy faience or porcelain toilet bowls complete with a cistern, pay attention to the ease of installing them yourself.
The appearance of the product should correspond to the general style of the room. However, the decorative component should not be put at the forefront.
Take care of the ergonomics of use.
Regardless of which toilet you prefer - porcelain or faience - choose a bowl shape so that water splashes less when draining.
