There's a reason that wood is a popular material for homebuilding - from butcher block worktops to wall cladding; the natural material adds luxurious warmth to homes of every style. Wood is also a popular choice for floors, both inside and outside the home.
While wooden floors do look amazing, the choice of material has some downsides. Decking in particular can become slippery and worn down quite quickly. We wanted to give people the look and feel of wood but in a much more hardwearing format - enter Copse wood effect porcelain.
To make wood effect porcelain tiles, hundreds of planks are photographed to create the most realistic designs. These patterns are digitally printed onto our porcelain planks using the latest technology. The manufacturers also recreate the textured grain of the wood to make our wood effect tiles as realistic as possible.
During the manufacturing process, the porcelain goes through a process called vitrification. This produces a tile with very low porosity, which provides many benefits including stain resistance.
Benefits of wood effect tiles
Wondering why you should choose wood effect porcelain over wooden or laminate floors? Here are just some of the benefits.
- Porcelain is extremely hardwearing and will last in your home for many years.
- The tiles have a slip-resistant surface, with the external tiles featuring an enhanced R11 rating.
- The design and colour of the tiles will not fade or change, even from sun exposure.
- Vitrified porcelain is frostproof and unaffected by changing temperatures.
- Copse tiles are resistant to slippery moss and mould growth.
- Consistent colouring with eight shades to choose from.
- Porcelain is a low-maintenance material, only needing the usual sweep & mop to keep it looking its best.
- Designed to coordinate indoor and outdoor living spaces with specific tiles for different uses.
Where to use indoor-outdoor wood effect tiles
Another great feature of porcelain is its versatility. These tiles can be used almost everywhere in the home - from kitchen floors to swimming pool surrounds. The Valverdi range is designed with harmony in mind - every range includes an indoor flooring tile and a coordinating external slab. We don't say matching because the outdoor tiles are slightly wider than the internal planks, and feature a more textured surface for added slip resistance.
Valverdi Copse tiles shine when used to link your living spaces. Think bifold, French or sliding doors with an almost seamless transition from indoors to outside when it comes to flooring.
How to choose wood effect porcelain tiles
We always recommend seeing the tiles in person before placing an order. If you can visit a showroom you can see and feel a full tile, however, we know this is not ideal for everyone so we offer a free sample service. Simply choose 3 tiles that you are interested in and we will send you a 10x10cm cut sample of each of them.
Once you have received your sample pack follow these steps to help you decide on the right finish and colour:
- Place the sample on the floor so you can see how it will look from a standing height - this is how you will see the tiles most of the time.
- Look at the tile in different lights - colour can be affected by natural and artificial light.
- If you are ordering outdoor tiles, take the sample outside to check the colour and design fit your design aesthetic.
- Feel the texture of the tile samples - the external porcelain tiles have a much more rough surface to provide additional slip resistance.
- Place your tiles next to other decor pieces such as furniture, curtains cupboards to ensure you are happy with how the colours and designs look together.
- When you are ready, place your order online and we will take care of the rest!
If you have any questions about the Copse range or any other Valverdi Indoor-Out ranges, please get in touch with our customer service team.