Shopping for the right tiles for your floor, your countertop, or even your wall can be very frustrating, considering the fact that there are so many different types of tile floor installation available today. Other than that, they come in many different colors and many different designs. It is best to have professionals do this work for you, but it would be very helpful to know what options you have. Here are some facts about the different tiles available today.
ceramic tiles
Ceramic tiles are some of the most popular types of tiles used for homes. And they are mainly made of clay. There are different categories of ceramic tile, which is usually determined by the types of manufacturing processes it went through during production.
There are actually nine categories: Decorative Thin Wall Tile, Glazed Paver Tile, Glazed Quarry Tile, Glazed Wall Tile, Unglazed Quarry Paver Tile, Glazed Ceramic Mosaic, Unglazed Ceramic Mosaic, Quarry Tile glazed and tile for special purposes. When it says glazed, it means that these tiles have a special coating on them. Enamels can have an abrasive slip resistant shine, perfect for installing bathroom floors and wet areas, a high gloss and matte finish.
porcelain tiles
Porcelain tiles, on the other hand, are manufactured with the use of extremely high pressures and temperatures. They are made of finely ground sand. Due to the high pressure, the sand begins to form like ceramic tiles. They come in a glazed and unglazed finish, as well as a polished and matte finish. Some people refer to this type of tile as through the body, which means that the composition of the porcelain is relatively consistent.
natural stone tile
Natural stones are mainly made up of granite, slate or marble. Most end products are polished to look shiny and polished. Polishing makes them less slippery. Natural stone is not recommended for areas where water or grease can collect because colors can change over time with constant exposure. Natural stones are very durable, they can last a lifetime, so this is one of the most favorable tiles used for modern houses.
There are other more different types of ceramic flooring installation such as agglomerate and terrazzo. Terrazzo tiles are made of granite or marble and then combined with an epoxy matrix or Portland cement. Agglomerate, on the other hand, is almost the same, but instead of being combined with Portland cement or epoxy, they are combined with polyester resin. These tiles can be polished, but the result will still be non-reflective.
How are tiles classified?
First of all, the chips have a ratio of one to five. 1 is for energy efficient tiles for areas that receive little traffic, such as bathroom flooring in a residential area. 2 are for areas inside the house except for entrances and kitchens. 3 are for tiles that can be placed almost anywhere in the house. 4 are for the home that receives light to medium traffic and 5 are for areas that receive heavy traffic and may be exposed to all weather conditions.
