What to look for when planning your ceramic tile flooring
There’s a little more to it than looking at all the patterns, designs, shapes, and sizes, although that’s exciting in itself! Like anything, you want your ceramic tiles to look great for a long time and, with proper care, they can last 20+ years. The key to that is buying the right ceramic floor tiles for your installation.
Tile ratings
First, there is a general grade rating numbered from one to three, indicating whether it can be used for floors or walls. Only grades one and two are appropriate for flooring while grade three is only appropriate for wall use. Ask your tile flooring retailer if you are unsure of what grade you should use for your installation.
There are also 4-5 categories. PEI is a wear rating, established by the Porcelain and Enamel Institute. It establishes durability for a glazed (not unglazed) tile’s ability to handle abrasion. Glazed tiles with a PEI of 1 or 2 can only be used on walls, 3 means moderate resistance, while 4 is best for heavily foot trafficked floors. PEI 5 is most suitable for commercial installations.
Water absorption is identified with these words: Non-vitreous: soft, porous, and absorbs a lot of liquid. It shouldn't be used in wet areas, like the shower, or outdoors. Semi vitreous means a little less absorbent, while vitreous is less still and fine for outdoor use. Impervious is completely waterproof.
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Installation is best left to the professionals
The coefficient of friction or COF means slip resistance. Lower COF numbers mean less friction and traction and that increases as the numbers do. A COF of .50 is recommended for residential use. A COF of .60 is for commercial use. Frost and tone are straightforward, indicating whether or not a ceramic tile can stand up to freezing and thawing. Tone means intentional shading variations such as in marble or other stones. If you want consistency. don't consider tone.
Ceramic floor tiles can be heavy and laborious, requiring special tools such as tile saw cutters and notched trowels. The layout needs to be precise and there's no going back for any re-do. Protect your investment and have your tile be installed properly by professionals.
Ready to be pleasantly overwhelmed with all the choices of ceramic tile? If you live in or around Morehead City, NC, Havelock, NC, Newport, NC, Beaufort, NC, Emerald Isle, NC, visit the Williams Floorcovering & Interiors showroom in Morehead City, North Carolina. There we will show you everything possible and provide you with a free estimate of tile for your ceramic tile flooring.
