Easy maintenance

Nittai tiles have a high hydrophilic effect, so soiling is less likely than with other construction materials, and soiling is washed away with rainwater.

Easy maintenance wall products EMW

are particularly stain-resistant wall tiles that were created from technology that Nittai has developed over many years. Products with the EMW mark have cleared the anti-staining standards we have established.

Tiles are primarily building materials that are highly water resistant, fireproof, weather resistant, and durable. Furthermore, when restricted to wall use, it is not really necessary to consider unnatural stains. Tiles are extremely advantageous from the perspective of maintenance compared to other building material because repairs and re-covering due to deterioration, fading, or damage, and repainting and other maintenance are not necessary for an extended period of time. For this reason, it is a maintenance-free material dependent on daily maintenance. However, there are a wide variety of tiles. Unglazed tiles and similar tiles have rough surfaces, which make stains more likely, and the stains tend to be difficult to remove with normal cleaning. However, our exterior tiles are fired at a high temperature, and sufficient sintering conditions are maintained, so the surface roughness is minimal, and as a result, the tiles are extremely stain resistant. Furthermore, “highly hydrophilic” is a reason to consider the tiles to have a general self-cleaning function. Highly hydrophilic tiles absorb water in the air, which forms a thin water layer on the tile surface. This makes the tiles stain resistant, and even when stains adhere to the tiles, they are washed away by rain or other water. We are very particular about the clay used as the raw material for our tiles. We use a raw material that contains a large amount of silica material, which has a highly hydrophilic effect, as the main ingredient to establish the technology to manufacture tiles that are even more hydrophilic.

Exterior material name	Contact angle
Tile	20°〜40°
General exterior siding	80°〜90°
General plaster wall material	90°〜100°
General oil-based paint	70°〜80°

※ In-house measurement data
Compared to general exterior material that is not stain resistant.

■ Hydrophilic performance

■ EMW stain resistance test

Subject tiles that have been half masked are coated with pseudo-soiling material with a main constituent of carbon. Next, the tiles are sprinkled with water, and then the staining condition is compared with the masking section.

Tests confirmed that highly hydrophilic tiles exhibit an anti-staining effect in comparison with general ceramic siding. Furthermore, an effect to maintain the beautiful appearance can be expected.

■ General ceramic siding

■ EMW labeled tile

Also consider our Hydrotect tiles, which have added self-cleaning and environmental conservation effects, in addition to the anti-staining ability of our unique tiles.

*It is necessary to take sufficient care regarding stains on tiles and construction material caused by the surrounding environment.

EMF Easy maintenance floor products

indicates a tile that underwent our unique stain resistance test as a prerequisite for use for flooring, and, as a result, has the EMF label to indicate it is floor tile that is particularly stain resistant and easy to maintain.

“Ease of staining” is an important element of the required performance of floor tiles, and sufficiently high-fired unglazed tiles are stain resistant and easy to clean compared to other materials (such as wood, natural stone, and concrete products). However, depending on the usage location, particularly stain resistant and easy to clean products are in high demand. To meet this demand, we carried out the following unique anti-staining testing, and then labeled floor tiles that are particularly stain resistant and easy to maintain as “EMF” (easy maintenance floor) for your reference when choosing products.

■ EMF stain resistance test

The target tile surfaces were touched with four types of pseudo-soiling material for 24 hours, and then cleaned with a cloth and running water. Afterwards, the staining conditions of the exterior were observed.

Stain resistance of floor tiles differs depending on the surface characteristics and material, so four representative pseudo-soiling materials were used for evaluation.
However, if a large amount of dirt is provided, soiling may occur even with EMW and EMF tiles. Soiling may occur in locations in which dirty water concentrates and flows because the dirt is concentrated each time it rains.

■ EMF (Easy maintenance floor) products

Stain adhension

After cleaning and drying

■ Standard products

Stain adhension

After cleaning and drying