Backsplash Glossary

There are a number of terms that you may hear or read when shopping for or learning about a backsplash for you home. Here’s a list of some of the most common words, and their definitions, that should make the entire process easier for you.

Acid-Washed Finish – A shiny finish with small etching marks (pits in the surface). This finish shows fewer scratches and is much more rustic in appearance than a honed finish. Most stones can be acid-washed but the most common are marble and limestone. Acid washing is also a way to soften the shine on granite.

Agglomerate Stone – see Manufactured Stone.

ASTM – American Society for Testing & Materials. The most common system rates ceramic tile abrasion resistance or the overall durability of the tile. Other ratings might include: scratch resistance, moisture absorption, chemical resistance and breaking strength.

Biocuttura Tile (also known as Double Fired) – Tiles that are first fired after the green tile is dried and then fired again after the glaze is applied.

Bisque – The body of the tile, or largest layer, is called the bisque. The top layer is called the glaze.

Brushed Finish – A finish that features a worn-down look achieved by brushing the surface of the stone, simulating natural wear over time.

Bull Nose Edge – The rounded or curved edge of a tile.

Bullnose – A ceramic floor tile trim that has one rounded finished edge on the tile to give a nice finishing touch. Sometimes it is also used as a substitute for cove base.

Calibrated – A stage of the production of stone tile when the stone slab’s surface is worked down to a relatively uniform thickness across the length of the material.

CBU – Cement Backer Unit. The backer board used in the thin set method of installing ceramic or porcelain tile. The CBU provides a supportive and water resistant layer between the porous substrate and the mortar and tile applied on top of it.

Ceramic – Ceramic tiles are created from natural products extracted from the earth that are shaped into tiles and then fired in kilns at extremely high temperatures.

Classes 1-5 – System of measuring strength of ceramic and porcelain tile.

Class 1: no foot traffic. These tiles are suggested for interior wall applications only and not for the floor.

Class 2: light traffic. These tiles are suggested for interior wall applications and for residential bathroom flooring only.

Class 3: light to moderate traffic. These tiles can be used for residential floor and wall applications including bathrooms, kitchens, foyers, dining rooms and family rooms. They’re a good all-around performer.

Class 4: moderate to heavy traffic. These tiles are recommended for residential, medium commercial and light industrial floor and wall applications including shopping malls, offices, restaurant dining rooms, showrooms and hallways.

Class 5: heavy/extra heavy traffic. These tiles can be installed anywhere. They will hold up in floor and wall applications at airports, supermarkets and subways.

COF – Coefficient of Friction. The measure that is the basis for the Slip Resistance measure of ceramic and porcelain tile. The higher the COF the more slip resistant the tile. This is important when selecting a floor tile for areas that get wet, such as your shower or bathroom floor.

Corner Bullnose – A ceramic floor tile trim that has two rounded finished edges on the tile to be used to complete a corner.

Extrusion – Extruded tiles are formed by forcing the clay material through a mold for the desired shape versus pressing the tile.

Fabricator – The company that or facility where the natural stone slabs are customized for specific installations.

Field Tile – The most prominent tile throughout a pattern involving different types of tile.

Firing – The process of hardening tile with heat. Ceramic tiles are fired in the kiln at temperatures around 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Flamed Finish – A finish achieved by heating the surface of the stone to extreme temperatures, followed by rapid cooling. The surface of the stone pops and chips leaving a rough, unrefined texture. This process is usually done with granite. Flamed granite has a highly textured surface, making it ideal for areas where slip resistance might be a concern, like shower areas.

Frit – A glass derivative used in the glazing of ceramic and porcelain tile.

Glazed – Glazed ceramic tiles are coated with glass-forming minerals and ceramic stains. Typically, they have a matte, semi-gloss or high-gloss finish. They can offer better stain and moisture resistance than unglazed tile. Glazed tiles have a hard non-porous, impermeable surface after firing.

Glazing – The process of applying glaze to a tile. Glazing liquid is prepared from a glass derivative called frit and colored dyes. The glaze is applied by either a high-pressure spray or is poured directly onto the tile.

Granite – An igneous stone that is extremely hard, dense and resistant to scratches and acid etching. It is an ideal stone for use in flooring and in food preparation areas. Hundreds of varieties of granite exist.

Green Tiles – Clay that has been pressed or formed into a tile shape, but have not yet been fired.

Grout – A type of cement that is used to fill the space and provide support in tile joints.

Honed Finish – A finish that provides a flat, matte or satin finish, creating a more informal and softer look. This finish is created by stopping short of the last stage of polishing. A honed finish shows fewer scratches, and requires very little maintenance.

Igneous Rock – Rock formed when molten rock (called lava or magma) cools and hardens. Granite is an example of an igneous rock.

Impervious Tiles – Tiles that have less than .5% moisture absorption. These tiles are frost proof and can be used in exterior areas or on the outside of building facades.

Limestone – A sedimentary stone formed from calcite and sediment. Limestone comes in many earthen colors.

Manufactured Stone (also known as Agglomerate Stone) - A synthetic stone made from natural stone chips suspended in a binder such as cement, epoxy resins or polyester. Some of the most popular types of manufactured stone products are those made mostly of quartz. The natural quartz gives the product depth and radiance while at the same time strength and consistency. Manufactured Stone is strong, it has four times the flexural strength of granite, therefore less chipping or cracking. The most well known agglomerated stone is poured-in-place terrazzo, used in building for thousands of years.

Marble – A derivative of limestone. It is a metamorphic stone that can be polished. Marble is characteristically soft and easily scratched or etched by acids. There are countless types of marble from around the world.

Metamorphic Rock – Rock created when other kinds of rocks are changed by great heat and pressure inside the earth. Marble, slate and quartzite are examples of metamorphic rocks.

Moisture Absorption – As the density of the tile increases, the amount of moisture that tile can absorb becomes less. Tile density and moisture absorption have an indirect relationship to each other. What this means is that as the density of the tile increases the moisture absorption rate becomes less. Tile density and moisture absorption is important for you to understand when selecting tile for different applications.

Monocuttura Tile – Glazed tiles that are fired only once. This firing occurs after the glaze.

Mosaics – Tile size 2”x2” and smaller are usually referred to as mosaics and are often used with different colors to create a pattern or decorative inset. Some of these smaller tiles also come in different shapes, such as hexagon.

Nominal Size – The size a tile was before firing. During the firing process, ceramic tile will shrink, on average, by about 10% in size. For example a 12” by 12” floor tile can measure 11-7/8 inches square.

Non-Vitreous Tiles – Tiles that absorb 7% or more moisture. They are suited for indoor use only.

Polished Surface Finish – A polished surface creating a beautiful glossy shine from the natural reflection of the stone’s crystals. The mirror-like shine is accomplished by using progressively finer polishing heads during the polishing process.

Porcelain – Porcelain tile is made up of 50% feldspar and is fired at a much higher temperature than regular ceramic tile, making porcelain tile much harder and more dense than other tile products. Compared to ceramic, porcelain is more resistant to scratches, can withstand temperature extremes, is stain resitant, and has a very low water absorption rating.

Porosity – The amount and size of the pores in a stone. Travertine is very porous and granite is not.

Pressing – The process of pressing or forming clay into a tile shape. These pressed tiles are called green tiles because they have not yet been fired.

Quarry – Massive rock deposits. For millions of years, a combination of heat and pressure created blocks of natural stone. As the earth's crust began to grow and erode, it pushed minerals up from its core, to form quarries.

Sanded Grout – Grout that contains sand. Sanded grout is recommended for tile joints 1/8th of an inch and larger.

Sandstone – A sedimentary stone that is primarily composed of loose grains of quartz sand that are rough in texture. A number of varieties are available.

Sanitary Cove Base – A ceramic floor tile trim that has a rounded finished top like a bullnose to cover up the body of the tile.

Saw-Cut Refined Finish – This stone finish offers a matte finish. After initial cutting, the stone is processed to remove the heaviest saw marks but not enough to achieve a honed finish. You can purchase granite, marble and limestone this way, typically on a special order basis.

Sedimentary Rock – Rock formed from biological deposits that have undergone consolidation and crystallization. Limestone and sandstone fall into this category.

Semi-Vitreous Tiles – Tiles that absorb from 3% to 7% moisture. They are applicable for indoor use only.

Shade Variation – Shade variation is inherent in all fired ceramic products and certain tiles will show greater variation within their dye lots. Shade variation is usually listed on the back label of each sample with a low, moderate, high or random rating.
Low: consistent shade and texture.
Moderate: moderate shade and texture variation.
High: high shade and texture variation.
Random: very high shade and texture variation.

Slab – Block of stone that have been extracted from the earth and cut.

Slate – A metamorphic stone that has a sheet-like structure. It is composed of clay, quartz and shale, and comes in a multitude of colors including reds and greens.

Split-Faced Finish – A stone finish that creates a rough texture, but one not as abrasive as flamed. This finish is typically achieved by hand cutting and chiseling at the quarry, exposing the natural cleft of the stone. This finish is primarily done on slate.

Stone Tile – The typical natural stone floor tile sizes are 12”x12”, 13”x13”, 16”x16” and 18”x18”.

Straight 90-Degree Edge – The square corner edge of a stone tile, creating a more modern and clean look.

Substrate – The surface on which the stone tile is laid.

Thickset – A technique for setting tile that is seldom used today. In this method, a thick layer of mortar was applied to a waterproofed and steel reinforced substrate. The thickset method is effective, but it’s an involved and labor-intensive process.

Thinset – A cement based adhesive that is applied to the surface with a notched or grooved trowel. The tile is then placed into the thinset and pressed firmly into place. Since stone tiles vary in thickness and size, the amount of thinset mortar applied is adjusted where needed.

Through Body – Unglazed tiles that are a solid color all the way through and do not have a top layer of glaze are often referred to as through-body construction. (See Unglazed.)

Tile Density – This measure is tied to water absorption. As the density of the tile increases, the amount of moisture that tile can absorb becomes less. Tile density and moisture absorption is important for you to understand when selecting tile for different applications.

Travertine – A crystallized, partially metamorphosed limestone which, because of its structure, can be filled and honed and is dense enough to be a type of marble.

Tumbled Finish – A stone finish that delivers a smooth or slightly pitted surface, and broken, rounded edges and corners. Marble and limestone are primary candidates for a tumbled finish.

Unglazed – Unglazed tiles are a solid color all the way through and do not have a top layer of glaze. They have no additional surface applications and are typically more dense and durable than glazed tile, making them more suitable for interior and exterior applications. Unglazed tiles do have good slip resistance, but they do require sealing to help prevent staining.

Unsanded Grout – Grout that does not contain sand. In most cases unsanded grout is a dry, Portland cement-based product that is mixed with water onsite. Grout is a type of cement that is used to fill the space and provide support in tile joints. Un-sanded grout is most commonly used in natural stone installations because it is able to fill the small joints more easily and will not scratch soft stones like sanded grout.