A Homeowner's Guide to Ceramic Tile Floors

There are numerous reasons why ceramic tile is popular for flooring, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens: one of these, durability, ease of cleaning, beauty, and flexibility. Ceramic tile has enormous decorative potential because it comes in just about any colour under sunlight, in various sizes, in finishes from glossy to matte, and virtually unlimited layouts and textures with ceramic tile that you may possess a Mediterranean-style mosaic bursting with vibrant colour, or go minimalist with a broad expanse at a shiny, neutral design.

Tile is also a fantastic alternative for flooring since it requires very little maintenance (provided that it is glazed). What's more, vinyl is sterile; inhospitable to dust mites, bacteria, mould and other irritants; free of poisonous compounds like formaldehyde and PVC; also it contains none of the volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) that contribute to health problems. Last, due to its durability, vinyl is significantly cheaper over time compared to any other flooring material.

To function as floor tile must have the ability to handle a specific load. Should you find a tile known as wall tile onto its description or packaging, do not buy it to put in on flooring --it is more brittle and won't resist being walked without breaking. Floor tiles have to have an ordinary breaking strength of 250 lbs. (That is the total amount of weight that a tile may resist while unsupported until it pops.) You can not fix broken tiles, but you can replace them.

When you enter a tile shop or peruse tile on the internet, you will discover numerous styles, styles, and software which it's easy to feel dizzy, particularly once you begin looking at all of the ratings on the packing. Do not worry; you will quickly know the fundamentals. First, you ought to know that not all of the products broadly known as ceramic tile are ceramic tile.

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile is the most inexpensive kind of tile. It is created from clay fired (hardened) in an oven, possibly using a glazed or unglazed surface. This broad category includes types with distinct physical properties--ceramic, terra cotta, and encaustic, by way of instance, in addition to ceramic. Ceramic tiles are often easier to cut and bond to the substrate so that they are a much better option for a DIY project.

Porcelain Tile

The clay used to make ceramic tiles is purer and more elegant than those employed for conventional ceramic tiles. The clay has been fired under higher pressure in higher temperatures. This result is a tile which is thicker, more durable, and less porous than ceramic tile. To be described as ceramic, a tile has to be impervious, so it's a water absorption of 0.5percent or less. This minimal porosity generally makes ceramic tiles stay resistant, although not necessarily.

Additionally, it leaves them extremely stain resistant. Since ceramic is dense, it can withstand heavy foot traffic. But it is more difficult to cut and also to bond compared to ceramic tile. It needs a moist saw mounted using a ceramic diamond blade. Even though it's more expensive than ceramic tile doesn't confuse ceramic tile using the ceramic used to create fine china.

A recent improvement in this kind of flooring is ceramic tile designed to look like other substances, such as wood or stone. However, the similarity is spot-on by installing this tile that you receive a floor that is far easier to maintain and a lot more resilient than the substance it imitates--notably the wood-look tile a lower price.

Terra Cotta

Terra cotta tile is generally reddish, sometimes brownish. This clay tile is quite porous and brings a rustic appearance to a floor since it seems weathered. Because terra cotta can consume fluids, it is ideal for sealing it occasionally, particularly when it's set up in a kitchen.

Encaustic Tile

Encaustic tiles include a couple of colours of clay inlaid with each other to make a pattern. This manner of tile has been in existence since the Middle Ages. It does not possess precisely the identical glossiness as ceramic tile, and a few encaustic tiles are made from cement, not clay. They could be prone to efflorescence. Therefore they are bad for most places.

Natural Stone

Stone tiles are manufactured from, well, rock: granite, marble, slate, travertine, limestone. They aren't ceramic in any way and need much more upkeep than ceramic tile.

Useful Terms to Know

Border tiles: Accent tiles that edge or encircle a place of more straightforward field tiles can separate two regions.

Cushion-edged tile: Tile with borders that curve, leading to a slightly glowing joint.

Dynamic coefficient of friction: The step of a surface's slipperiness, on a scale of 1 to 10, with ten being the least slick. Water, oil, soap, grease, and grime on the surface can influence this value.

Efflorescence: A white residue on porous tiles brought on by the intrusion of salts into the surface; always resulting from the moisture.

Field tile The tile mostly utilized in a vast region of flooring.

Glaze: A vitreous material fused on the surface of a ceramic tile, forming a tough, waterproof, and cosmetic coating. Glaze may be can be clear or coloured. Even if the weathered layer's colour is different from the clay under, the glaze is generally watertight enough to abrasion it will not show wear under ordinary conditions. The glaze fills in microscopic pockets, which helps glazed tiles resist stains and scratches, rather than fade in the sun. Glazed tiles are usually easier to wash.

Honed: A tile with a lace coating.

Mosaic: Dimensions or pieces of tile bigger than 9 square inches, organized together, forming a design. Generally mounted on mesh strips or sheets. Can be made from glass, ceramic, or stone.

Pavers: Flooring tile.

PEI evaluation: A numerical score which indicates the strength of the tile found on the product specifications/tear sheet. The depth of the tile, its makeup, and the temperature and length of its showing all ascertain its strength. Manufactured by the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI), these evaluations help the consumer decide which tiles would be best for different applications, as follows:

Group 0: Not acceptable for flooring, but just right for walls.

Group I, mild visitors: To be used only on residential bathroom flooring, which encounters bare feet or slippers and different regions that get light usage.

Group II, moderate traffic: Reserved for places where ordinary, soft-soled sneakers are worn although not suggested for kitchens, entryways, or stairwells because these stains experience heavy usage.

Group III, medium-heavy traffic acceptable for any flooring in the house, such as kitchens and entrances.

Group IV, heavy visitors: All these exact tough tiles can withstand tough use in houses, in addition to commercial settings such as restaurants and hospitals.

Group V, extra-heavy traffic: Appropriate anyplace; a fantastic selection for areas that encounter abrasive and moisture dirt.

Porosity: A measure of just how much water a tile could consume.

Pressed flooring tile Tile created by pressing.

Quarry Vinyl: Tile produced by a die-and-cut extrusion process, from organic materials like clay, shale or feldspar.

Lean tile: Tile no thicker compared to 6.5 mm.

Through-body ceramic tile An unglazed ceramic tile has the same colour through its entire thickness, which means it does not show signs of wear.

Tile panel/slab: Tile that's 1-meter square, or bigger.

Unglazed tile A tile without a glaze on it. These generally have more excellent slip resistance than travertine tiles. Check out Orientbell for the vast Collection of Ceramic Tiles.