Sottile 4.9 mm

SOTTILE is an innovative line of last generation ceramic materials and includes fully vitrified porcelain stoneware slabs characterised by a reduced thickness of only 4.9 mm. Designed and manufactured according to the existing laws regarding technical performance, the SOTTILE porcelain stoneware ensures from several points of view the same performance as products with traditional thickness with the addition of lightness, versatility and flexibility, if employed in the adequate contexts and in the correct way.
The SOTTILE slabs are obtained through advanced industrial methods and are easy to process in terms of cutting and drilling.

SOTTILE is produced in the Pietre di Sardegna and Pietre Etrusche series of the Pietre Native line and comes in large cm 60x60, 60x120 slabs and fractions thereof, which may be combined with floors of the same series with traditional thickness, of which they maintain the same aesthetic, gauge and modularity features.

The SOTTILE slabs have been designed mainly to be used in restructuring works to simplify and rationalise floor and wall covering operations without removing pre-existing material; they may be used in all interventions requiring lightness and limited thickness.
In residential, commercial and tertiary applications these ceramic components can ensure unprecedented design solutions not only from the viewpoint of functionality or technical performance but also at a compositional level.
In terms of aesthetic and design, the SOTTILE slabs are treated and processed like normal Casalgrande Padana porcelain stoneware slabs and, in addition to being combined with other elements of the same series, they can be used to cover walls, geometrically complex surfaces, architectural volumes, partition walls; similarly, they can be used as finished surfaces for workstations, tables, kitchens and bathrooms.

A further very interesting field of application envisages outdoor applications, where the SOTTILE slabs provide designers with innovative architectural and technological solutions to cover the façades of buildings, both new and to be restored, both by using adhesives on traditional supports and as external insulation. Lightness and adjustability make them suitable for applications in terms of indoor finishes of large cruise ships and prestigious yachts.

From the ecological viewpoint, SOTTILE is an environmentally friendly product thanks to the smaller amount of raw materials and energy resources employed during  its production and disposal processes.

The use of SOTTILE porcelain stoneware slabs guarantees a number of advantages, particularly in restructuring works and buildings requiring a smaller weight on their structure.

The main advantages include:
- The simplification and streamlining of installation operations by preventing the removal of pre-existing materials;
- The reduction of installation time and ensuing quick access to the rooms;
- The reduction of problems typically related to restructuring;
- The elimination of costs caused by the removal and disposal of pre-existing floors and covers;
- The limited amount of interventions to modify and adjust existing structures (removal of fittings, floor levelling, etc.);
- Easy processing, cutting, drilling and handling of ceramic materials;
- The same aesthetic, technical and performance features as porcelain stoneware of traditional thickness and the ensuring opportunity to combine both materials;
- Easy cleaning and maintenance of ceramic surfaces;
- The reduced weight on the supporting frame and floors of the building;
- The smaller environmental impact deriving from a smaller consumption of raw materials and energy resources.

The SOTTILE porcelain stoneware slabs may be used to cover both indoor and outdoor walls, especially if weight limits apply; for light transit floors and contexts not envisaging the transit of any heavy punctual load or hard-wheel trolleys; the restructuring of floors and indoor covers, by installing the slabs directly on pre existing marble, natural stone, ceramic surfaces, thus preventing the costs and problem typically related to such interventions.
Adhesives, mortars to fill the joints, seals for joints must be correctly identified in collaboration with the main manufacturers of adhesives and plasters according to the type of floor system and its destination.

The limited thickness and extreme lightness of the SOTTILE slabs are particularly suitable for the installation on pre-existing floors and indoor wall covers in ceramics, marble or natural stones since it prevents the removal of pre-existing materials and does not add weight to support structures and floors.

Those supports must be solid and tightly anchored to the bottom, mechanically resistant to loads and the expected destination of use, flat and levelled, free from cracks and thoroughly cleaned. Any oil, wax, grease should be removed by washing with water and caustic soda or ad-hoc de-waxing detergents. All traces of paint as well as the lead-seals of marble must be removed. Cracked or loosen slabs must be removed and the gaps filled with suitable levelling products.

If the product is to be installed on radiant screeds, before installing the slabs it is fundamental to carry out the initial system start-up cycle pursuant to standard EN 1264-4.
If the product is to be installed on new floor screeds and environments subject to the transit of heavy punctual loads or hard-wheel trolleys, we suggest the installation of porcelain stoneware with traditional thickness.

SOTTILE may be installed as outdoor wall cover like any other porcelain stoneware slab of traditional thickness, but the advantage is that installation operations are easier thanks to the limited weight of the slabs, especially in case of large formats.
Thanks to their extreme lightness and reduced thickness, the SOTTILE slabs can be glued also as external insulation.

The SOTTILEporcelain stoneware slabs provide the surface finish of the external insulation: they protect the underneath layers and renovate the outer surface of the building thanks to the broad range of colour solutions available.
External insulation is a technique ensuring the heat and sound insulation of the walls of a building. It consists in the application of thermal insulating panels on the outer surface instead of inside the walls, thus creating a homogeneous cover capable of reducing thermal points leading to heat dispersion, condensation and localized mould.

Until recently, the surface finish of insulating panels was made of painted plaster but the increasing success of this insulating technique, combined with the designers’ request for long-lasting and better looking surface finishes led to the study and development of specific products and systems to install SOTTILE porcelain stoneware covers on thermal insulation panels.
In addition to being long lasting, extremely light and stable in terms of their mechanical and aesthetic characteristics, the SOTTILE slabs ensure remarkable aesthetic quality, with a great number of potential applications leading to creativity thanks to the broad range of their colours and formats that allows innovative and customised solutions.

The SOTTILE slabs are light, frost resistant, non-absorbing, easy to clean and maintain and are characterised by high resistance to wear, abrasion, chemical aggressions, weather and pollution.
Thanks to its easy installation, an external insulation by means of a SOTTILE slab cover is possible in both new and restructured buildings in the residential, commercial and tertiary sectors and can lead to a marked improvement of energy performance and aesthetic quality.
SOTTILE may be glued to an external insulation of max 20 m tall buildings with slabs measuring max 60x120 cm. As regards the colour of ceramic slabs, light colours should be preferred having a refraction index exceeding 20%.

Cutting and drilling operations of the SOTTILE slabs are carried out by means of the same tools and equipment used to process porcelain stoneware of traditional thickness.

Dedicated manual workbenches currently available on the market are particularly suitable for linear cutting: slabs are “engraved” very easily by a widia/titanium wheel which operates through manual progress and controlled directions. After been engraved, slabs are “sliced” by means of a light pressure on both sides. The whole procedure is carried out quickly and no dust in generated.

Edge trimming may be carried out by hand by means of diamond sponges or sand paper: light processing may lead to a blunting effect, repeated processing may lead to bevelling.
The same results may be achieved by using sandpaper disks on a flex-arm.

Thanks to their reduced thickness, the SOTTILE porcelain stoneware slabs weight approx. 11 kg per square metre, therefore a 60x120 cm whole slab weighs approx. 8 kg.
Thanks to their light weight, the SOTTILE slabs are easy to transport and handle also in large formats and prove more effective during installation.
After having removed them from their packaging, handle the slabs by paying attention to their corners to avoid cracks or chipping. If they temporarily lean on a wall, the SOTTILE slabs should rest on the floor with their longer side at an approx. 30° angle with the wall.