Picking the Tile Material

by Kim Kinrade

Tile flooring has been around longer than almost any other type for flooring with the exception of furs and packed dirt. And when you think of it ceramic floor tile is really just "baked mud" but it is ingredients of the mud and the way it is cooked that determines the type of tile for a certain area.

Ingredients and Temperature

Clay is the ingredient of the the majority of floor tile out there today. However the clay in your back yard is different from the variety at your brother's place barely a hundred miles away. This has everything to do with the minerals present in the area. Your yard may be high in iron content whereas your brother has more copper. This would affect not only the coloring but the hardness and strength as well.

The temperature of the ovens and length of time that the clay is baked also affects the hardness of the tile. This is very important in areas of high traffic where a "softer" tile may get scuffed and worn. The longer that the tile is subjected to a high temperature in a kiln the higher the hardness level. This process, of course, affects price and therefore selection so you may have fewer options when going to a very hard tile. In addition, these hard tiles can only be cut with a diamond wet saw because the normal scoring-snapping method would shatter them.

Porcelain Tiles

Porcelain tiles are ceramic tiles which have the same material through the entire thickness. Their water absorption rate is much less than the regular non-porcelain variety making them a favorite for all-weather use. Therefore as the tile wears the material and look will be the same. There can also be glazed porcelain tiles which look similar to the non-porcelain variety.

Non-Porcelain Tile

This tile is a clay base with a hard ceramic topping and is the most popular of the tiles because of its wide range of colors and styles. However, the design is in the glaze and it takes up only the veneer of the tile.

PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute) Grading Standard

There is a standardized method of judging the potential wear of a tile called the PEI scale. It works like this:

PEI I: Light Duty Wear – bathrooms, bedrooms

PEI II: Light Duty Wear – normal foot wear

PEI III: Medium Duty – dining rooms, living rooms, entrances, passageways

PEI IV: Heavy Duty - rooms and public buildings

PEI V: Heavy Duty – commercial use

So, when purchasing tile take the PEI into consideration and check with the salesperson as to the rating on the tile.

Considerations Before Buying Tile

Measurements: When putting down a standard-grid floor of 12" tiles the measurements should be easy. Adding 10% to the total makes allowances for breakage and cutting errors and gives you a few extra as spares for a later date. When putting on a floor or wall border measure the distance to be tiled and divide that by the length of the border and this will tell you the net number of tiles you need. The add a few tiles for wastage.

PEI: In a few years a table leg can wear away the surface of a ceramic tile so it's best to get the right tile for the room. In other words choosing a PEI of 3 for a dining room would be a safe choice whereas a 1 or 2 may give you problems in a few years. The 3 may be around a $100 more but it comes with a better warranty and a $100 more for such an investment is a cheap insurance policy.

Maintenance: Natural stone tiles need regular sealing and cleaning or else they will stain. If you are looking for a maintenance-free floor then a good ceramic or porcelain are good choices as they will not stain and require only periodic cleaning.

Grout

Grout is the bond that holds the tile in place. It comes in many colors and grades:

1) Sanded Portland Cement-Based – This is your basic floor grout of cement, fine sand and water used mainly for large areas. The colors are usually white or gray.

2) Un-sanded Portland Cement-Based - Instead of sand they use fine filler and a water-retentive additives. There is usually a good amount of colors available. This for use for fine grout lines from 1/32" to 1/8".

3) Latex-Modified Sanded Portland Cement-Based – The latex is added for increased water resistance.

4) Epoxy-Resin – This consists of epoxy resin, silica fillers, pigments and a hardener. It has a very good resistance to moisture, staining, chemicals.

5) Modified Epoxy – This is the same as regular epoxy buy Portland cement is added for hardness and better stain resistance.

Your tile installation company will be able to help you through this choosing process. For more information