The Green Building Council Italia is the association that promotes the culture of sustainable, energy-efficient, environment-friendly construction and helps to improve people’s quality of life by means of the LEED® certification standard.
The LEED standards set the requirements for the construction of eco-compatible buildings capable of operating in with sustainable and self-sufficient energy levels.
The Marazzi Group has been admitted to membership of the Green Building Council.
Closed cycle manufacturing is a production process which has developed a system for the collection and recycle of scrap, wastewater, raw materials found in the water, and heat that is generated in some of the production phases. Closed cycle manufacturing thus means maintaining environmental standards throughout the industrial cycle so to limit the consumption of natural raw materials and reduce environmental impact.
LEED certified, which is America's leading energy-environmental certification promoted by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The LEED certification requirements promote the reduction of environmental impacts due to the quarrying and processing of raw materials, encouraging the use of construction materials consisting of at least 40% recycled material.
Some Ragno collectios are environmentally friendly Spider responding to LEED brand.
Marazzi produces mosaics, ceramic tiles and porcelain slabs, and is able to meet all architects’ demands in terms of surfaces and dimensions, starting from dots 2x2 cm in size, glued onto sheets of mesh measuring 30x30 cm for easier installation, and working up to the large size of 60x120 cm.
All materials marked in the catalogue with the words high performance can be installed outdoors. For outdoor paving and wall coverings, it is best to choose through-body coloured porcelain products, although in some cases (roofed terraces, verandas, etc.) not directly exposed to the weather it is possible to lay glazed products with top-class technical characteristics, such as resistance to abrasion, acids and alkalis, and with resistance to frost, especially in areas with a cold climate or where temperatures vary considerably.
Ragno fine porcelain is a ceramic covering whose mass is very compact and uniform and covers the entire thickness of the ceramic slab. The porcelain production process starts with the mixing of carefully selected choice raw materials to create a body mix which is then pressed, dried and finally fired in kilns. The firing cycle takes place at high temperatures to achieve an outstanding degree of vitrification, making the product harder and more resistant to wear.
Ragno porcelain can also be glazed. In this case, it is coated with a layer of a vitreous material with potential for an infinite number of colours and surface decorations, making the porcelain easy to clean and very suitable for indoor surfaces, and for outdoor areas such as terraces and balconies.
For everyday cleaning, a wipe with a cloth wet with hot water is sufficient, or specific commercial tile cleaners can be used, taking care to avoid very strong or aggressive acid cleaners. Especially on tiles with glossy surfaces, strongly abrasive cleaners should not be used since they may leave scratches on the surface, or reduce its shine. Specific cleaners should be used on specific and/or particularly stubborn stains.
After ceramic coverings have been laid, the floors or walls have to be cleaned to remove mortar, adhesive and grout residues from the surface. This is normally done with an acid solution which is left to act on the tiled surface for a short time. After cleaning, floors covered with unglazed products have to be treated to make the surface even more resistant to liquids which may leave stains or dirt. These procedures have to be carried out quite soon after laying, to ensure that floor and wall coverings look and perform to their best.
We mean that the product is available in the same colour and size, or in perfectly modular sizes, in the versions best suited to both indoor and outdoor use, allowing architects to design surfaces that run from indoors to out without a break. The same Ragno collection will include, in the same colours, both polished and natural porcelain for indoor use, and porcelain with structured surfaces for laying outdoors, where higher technical performance features such as greater strength and resistance to frost are required. Continuous laying creates an attractive, uninterrupted appearance, on both floors and walls.
Tiles are said to be laid with closed joints when they are laid with not even the slightest gap between them. Tile laying standards and good installation practice favour the use of joints of at least 2 mm. Material used with this type of joint must be rectified, i.e. with square “sharp” edges. To give surfaces an even more seamless look, grouts in matching shades are recommended.