Choosing the perfect tile
Have you finally decided to lay tiles in one or more rooms of your house? What‘s left to choose is just among the great variety of tiles designs.
The choice has to be made basing on the intended use of the surface to tile, and you have to pay attention to the Standards related.
In addition to marble and natural stones (like granite, slate etc.) and earthenware, there are four big families:
- Body glazed stoneware: it is a mix of different raw materials, initially smattered then compressed by a hydraulic compression machine. A decorative glaze (the surface of the tile) is then applied. Its proper use is on walls, as the surface is fragile and easy to deteriorate.
- Porcelain stoneware: mix of clay and mineral aggregates (clays, pottery, kaolin, feldspar and sand), smattered, atomized and in the end pressed. The tile is then cooked at high temperature (1200° C) and this process confers a glass structure and a good resistance. This type allows less designs as it is colored altogether, giving it a marble-like pattern The continuity between surface and support ensures the durability of the initial design even after hits and deterioration, making this tiles perfect for floors.
- Body glazed porcelain stoneware: basing on the porcelain stoneware, taking advantage of its resistance and solidness, a glaze is applied to allow a major variety of colors, styles, formats and decorations. Take note that the surface is extremely delicate, similar to the body glazed one.
- Terracotta: its base is fine ceramic on which is applied a decorative coat. It is the cheaper and more fragile tile. You can recognize it for its particular red on the back, the color of our logo. It allows any kind of decoration but its use is limited to walls.
When you’re about to choose your tile, especially in case of floor tiles, it is important to pay attention to the classifications. One of them is UPEC, a functional classification system that certifies whether a flooring product is suitable in a certain room for a sufficient and reasonable time. It bases on four aspects.
- U stands for resistance to trampling wear
- P stands for resistance mechanical stresses
- E stands for the resistance to water
- C stands for resistance to chemical and staining substances.
Higher the value, better the technical features of the material.
To conclude, for body glazed tiles (porcelain stoneware excluded) the PEI index allows the evaluation of resistance to abrasion and wear. Its values are from 0 to 5 where 0 determines less resistant tiles and 5 more resistant ones ( a tile scored 5 in PEI index is ideal for public places like malls, airports, hotel entrances etc.).
Now you have all the tools you need to choose the right tile: we are at your disposal. Contact us!