Your Guide to Porcelain Panels and the Tools You Need
What is a Porcelain Panel?
A porcelain panel is the largest tile size available. Manufacturers use a high-pressure, rolling process to form the panel and then fire it at high temperatures. Each panel is rolled to a uniform thickness, carefully calibrated, to ensure the smoothest, most even surface.
Characteristics of Porcelain Panels
- Water-resistant, scratch and stain-resistant
- Lightweight for the size
- Fragile unless properly shipped and carefully handled
- Common sizes: 60” x 120” , 36” x 108”
- Versatile
Common Applications of Thin Gauged Porcelain Panels
- Shower Walls
- Reception Desks
- Wall Cladding for Commercial Entries
- Countertops
- Backsplash
- Fireplace Walls
- Feature Walls
Thin gauged porcelain panels are becoming increasingly popular with architects and designers because of their versatility, durability and the seamless appearance. Dramatic veining is not limited by the tile size when two bookend tile panels can span the entire shower. Sleek, modern office spaces are not hampered by constant grout lines. With ink jet technology used on large format porcelain panels, there is no limit to the design visuals of the tile project. Add in the durability of porcelain, and stunning large format tile slabs can now be part of exterior tile design.
Why Do Tile Installers Need Special Tools for Thin Gauged Porcelain Panels?
Tile panels are manufactured by a high pressure process. The tile slab is under stress at all times. To work with large format porcelain tile panels you must have proper tile tools for:
- Moving tile panels
- Cutting tile panels
- Drilling tile panels
Without proper tile tools for working with thin gauged porcelain panels, a tile contractor is likely to cause additional stress to the tile panel resulting in a fracture. Because tile panels are under high stress from the manufacturing process, thin gauged slabs can shatter, shear or snap quite easily. The price tag on porcelain panels is steep and replacing a busted panel because of improper handling falls to the tile contractor.
What Tile Tools Do Contractors Need for Installing Thin Gauged Porcelain Tile Panels?
The best tile tools for installing thin gauged porcelain panels depend on the type of work you plan to offer as a GPTP tile contractor.
Must-Have Tools For Thin Gauged Porcelain Panels
Below is a list of must-have items for porcelain panels that will help you no matter if you install porcelain panels weekly or occasionally.
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GRABO PRO Electric Vacuum Lifter
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These electric vacuum lifters by Grabo are portable and battery operated. At Tile ProSource we recommend every tile contractor add these to the tool chest because they are an incredibly useful tile tool for saving your back and perfecting placement. You cannot handle gauged porcelain panels without the stability suction-powered lifters offer.
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These electric vacuum lifters by Grabo are portable and battery operated. At Tile ProSource we recommend every tile contractor add these to the tool chest because they are an incredibly useful tile tool for saving your back and perfecting placement. You cannot handle gauged porcelain panels without the stability suction-powered lifters offer.
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ANGLE GRINDER with BLADE
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The blade type, or attachment for cutting and drilling thin gauged porcelain is negotiable, but the angle grinder, you cannot do without when installing thin gauged porcelain panels. While we know there are excellent tables and rail saws, the method of using an angle grinder to cut porcelain tile panels will get you where you need to be, maybe with a bit more headache. If you decide installing porcelain slabs is a great addition to your tile installation business, this angle grinder will still be a daily used tile tool for any expert.
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The blade type, or attachment for cutting and drilling thin gauged porcelain is negotiable, but the angle grinder, you cannot do without when installing thin gauged porcelain panels. While we know there are excellent tables and rail saws, the method of using an angle grinder to cut porcelain tile panels will get you where you need to be, maybe with a bit more headache. If you decide installing porcelain slabs is a great addition to your tile installation business, this angle grinder will still be a daily used tile tool for any expert.
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DIAMOND POLISHING PADS
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If you have committed to cutting porcelain panels, you are likely going to need perfect edges. Clients who have invested in the cost of a gauged porcelain panel are expecting high quality finishes. A few swipes with a polishing pad can take any rough tile edge to a factory finish visual with minimal effort and investment. The polishing pad is a tile tool we recommend for every tile contractor.
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If you have committed to cutting porcelain panels, you are likely going to need perfect edges. Clients who have invested in the cost of a gauged porcelain panel are expecting high quality finishes. A few swipes with a polishing pad can take any rough tile edge to a factory finish visual with minimal effort and investment. The polishing pad is a tile tool we recommend for every tile contractor.
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EURONOTCH TROWEL
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The proper application of thinset is critical for all tile installations. With the gauged porcelain panel, the euro notch trowel is a tile tool which will allow for maximum coverage between the substrate and the gauged porcelain tile panel/slab, while also minimizing air pockets.
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The proper application of thinset is critical for all tile installations. With the gauged porcelain panel, the euro notch trowel is a tile tool which will allow for maximum coverage between the substrate and the gauged porcelain tile panel/slab, while also minimizing air pockets.
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BIHUI FOLDING PORTABLE WORK TABLE
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Are there better work tables for thin gauged porcelain panels? Yes. However, this folding work table is a tile tool that will work for GPTP and can be used for multiple tile installation projects. The point here is low initial investment tile tools, while still quality tile tools, to install porcelain panels, occasionally.
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Are there better work tables for thin gauged porcelain panels? Yes. However, this folding work table is a tile tool that will work for GPTP and can be used for multiple tile installation projects. The point here is low initial investment tile tools, while still quality tile tools, to install porcelain panels, occasionally.
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TILE LEVELING SYSTEMS
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Tile Leveling Systems are standard tile tools for professional tile contractors. Gauged porcelain panels are quick to show imperfections in the substrate and lippage can be very obvious on small, vertical grout joints. Using a tile leveling system will give you a flat finish regardless of the substrate.
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Tile Leveling Systems are standard tile tools for professional tile contractors. Gauged porcelain panels are quick to show imperfections in the substrate and lippage can be very obvious on small, vertical grout joints. Using a tile leveling system will give you a flat finish regardless of the substrate.
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MONTOLIT TOPPROFILE TILE PROFILING MACHINE
- TOPROFILE is Montolit's tile beveling machine. This profiling system for ceramics and porcelain tiles & slabs, as well as any natural stone, allows easy profiling of edges, making miter cuts, bevels, chamfers, rounded profiles and half bullnose easily and safely. This is also the right tool to create tile skirting boards.
Tile Tools for Installing Thin Gauged Porcelain Panels
As a tile contractor, you have embraced the training, the cost of the GPTP tile tools, the headache of designers, and you are ready to offer thin gauged porcelain panels to your services as a tile contractor. Below are the tile tools for thin gauged porcelain panels we at Tile ProSource recommend you use to make each GPTP installation easier and faster:
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PANEL HANDLER PORCELAIN HANDLER LIFT SYSTEM
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Remember how we talked about handling the porcelain slabs being one of the biggest hurdles to installing GPTP? And we talked you into using the Grabo Vacuum Lifter you can’t install without? Trust us. Panel Handler is a lightweight system which allows you to move gauged porcelain with ease.
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Remember how we talked about handling the porcelain slabs being one of the biggest hurdles to installing GPTP? And we talked you into using the Grabo Vacuum Lifter you can’t install without? Trust us. Panel Handler is a lightweight system which allows you to move gauged porcelain with ease.
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MONTOLIT FLASH LINE EVOLUTION 3
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The Montolit Flash Line is designed to score and snap gauged porcelain panels. With 3 scoring wheel options, the tile contractor can select the best wheel to suit the GPTP needing cut, not limiting a tile contractor to porcelain, but handling glass as well. Good suction, strength in the rails, incredible wheels for scoring and the highest quality pliers make the Flash Line Evolution 3 one of the best performing tile tools for gauged porcelain tile panels at Tile ProSource.
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The Montolit Flash Line is designed to score and snap gauged porcelain panels. With 3 scoring wheel options, the tile contractor can select the best wheel to suit the GPTP needing cut, not limiting a tile contractor to porcelain, but handling glass as well. Good suction, strength in the rails, incredible wheels for scoring and the highest quality pliers make the Flash Line Evolution 3 one of the best performing tile tools for gauged porcelain tile panels at Tile ProSource.
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MONTOLIT MONDRILLO DRY DIAMOND CORE BITS
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For drilling into thin gauged porcelain, you want to use the highest quality diamond core bits for tiling. Remember the gauged porcelain panel is under stress from manufacturing. Using a high quality, variable speed angle grinder and the highest quality diamond core bits will allow you to create plumbing and wiring holes in the large format tiles with the least likely fracture of the gauged porcelain tile panels.
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For drilling into thin gauged porcelain, you want to use the highest quality diamond core bits for tiling. Remember the gauged porcelain panel is under stress from manufacturing. Using a high quality, variable speed angle grinder and the highest quality diamond core bits will allow you to create plumbing and wiring holes in the large format tiles with the least likely fracture of the gauged porcelain tile panels.
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CORNER PROTECTORS
- A small investment with a huge payoff in tile tools comes from using corner protectors on gauged porcelain panels. These are useful in the transport and handling of the GPTP. You never regret sticking them on the corner of your porcelain slab, but always regret losing the corner on a $1500 piece of gauged porcelain panels.
Best Tool Package for Thin Gauged Porcelain Panels
You’ve tried the installation of gauged porcelain panels. You’ve attended training seminars. You’ve broken a thin gauged panel and now you want to have the best tile tools for installing gauged porcelain panels. Below is our best tile tool package for gauged porcelain panels:
This Montolit tools package includes the essentials you will need to begin performing high-quality installations of thin gauge porcelain panels up to 8mm thick. Montolit tools are designed and crafted with care, with the highest quality materials to serve tile professionals for years to come.
Total Package Includes:
- 2 x Table-One Work Table (300-20)
- Superlift Handling System (with transport kit) (300-70SL-MOB)
- 2 x Superlift Extra Suction Cups (300-71SL)
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Flash Line Evolution 3 (FL3)
Explore Our Selection of Porcelain Panel Tools
At Tile ProSource, we want to give you the best tile tools for installing gauged porcelain panels. Our ideas of must-have tile tools for GPTP installations vary by the type of installation you plan to achieve. If you are interested in occasionally offering panel installation and working in dry areas, your tile tools needs for gauged porcelain will be different from the tile tools needed for installing porcelain slabs in tile showers.
The great news is, at Tile ProSource we have tile tools for thin gauged porcelain panels which suit each type of tile contractor. We would love to discuss your ideas and goals to work with you on selecting the best quality tile tools for thin gauged porcelain panels and the ones that will work for you!