Before You Buy Ceramic or Porcelain Tile

Ceramic and porcelain flooring offers you a multitude of styles, textures, patterns and price points. However, all that variety - and therefore all those decisions - can be real challenging for the unknowing shopper.

Here's a little information about ceramic and porcelain that will make these decisions easier.

Customization
More than any other flooring option, ceramic and porcelain tile can be creatively installed to create a completely custom floor. Ceramic and porcelain tile give you great flexibility and a multitude of design options.

You should use the following steps as a guideline for choosing and creating a custom tile job.

1. Select the type of tile.

2. Choose the color and shade.

3. Determine the texture and size.

4. Work with a designer, account executive, or installer to design the custom layout of the room.

5. Finalize the choices of all decorative patterns and trim pieces.

6. Select the color and type of grout.

Trim Types
Bullnose - Trim piece with a rounded finished edge on the tile to give a nice finishing touch. Bullnose is sometimes used as a substitute for cove base.

Corner Bullnose - Trim piece with two rounded finished edges on the tile to be used to complete a corner.

Sanitary Cove Base - Trim with a rounded finished top like a bullnose to cover up the body of the tile.

Variation in Texture, Shading, and Color.
Many of today's popular styles of ceramic tile are designed to look and feel like natural stone, emulating their rugged surface and color variations.

These tiles are intended to show color and texture variations, just like natural stone. Since the composition of the tile's glaze also varies, different tile styles will also exhibit different gloss levels. And to increase the illusion of natural stone, some newer looks mix finishes.

You should also be aware that although solid color tiles provide a consistent look, shade variation is inherent in all fired ceramic products. Certain tiles will show greater variation than others.

Shade variation is usually listed on the back label of each sample. The color shade or shades of a tile varies some degree from piece to piece, from production run to production run. At least several pieces from the same production run should be reviewed whenever possible to determine acceptable shade variations.

Color Shade variation Guide:
V1 = Uniform Appearance: Differences among pieces from the same production run are minimal.

V2 = Slight Variation: Clearly distinguishable differences in texture and/or pattern within similar colors.

V3 = Moderate Variation: While the colors present on a single piece of tile will be indicative of the colors to be expected on the other tiles, the amount of colors on each piece may vary significantly. The color that's an accent on one tile, may be the primary color on the next tile.

V4 = Random Variation: Random color differences from tile to tile, so that one tile may have totally different colors from that on other tiles.

The color of the body of the tile is determined by the color of the clay used by the manufacturer that is available in their geographic region. The color of the body is not a quality indicator.

Color variations will also be present between manufacturers' samples of the same color and throughout installed countertops, wall tile or ceramic floors.

Moisture, Density, and Surface Texture
Different styles of tile have different gloss levels and surface textures. Choosing the right tile for the right application is important.

For example, in a shower or on bathroom floor, the tile should have low moisture absorption and good slip resistance.

Moisture absorption is a measure of how much (or little) water or other moisture the ceramic or porcelain tile can absorb.

Tile density is an indicator or tile strength.

Tile density and moisture absorption have an indirect relationship to each other; as the density of the tile increases, the moisture absorption rate becomes less.

Non-vitreous tiles absorb 7% or more moisture. They are suited for indoor use only.

Semi-vitreous tiles absorb from 3% to 7% moisture. They, too, are suited for indoor use only.

Vitreous tiles absorb less that 3% moisture. They are referred to as frost resistant tiles, but cannot be used in exterior areas where frequent freeze and thaw conditions could cause cracking.

Impervious tiles 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.

Grout
When choosing a grout color, you can select a color that blends in with the overall color of the tile to minimize the appearance of the grout. Or, you can select a grout color that is lighter or darker than the tile to call attention to the color of the tile or to call exaggerate the geometric pattern.

Exact layouts, type of grout and grout joints widths are determined by the tile setter at the time of installation and are governed by the actual size and shape of the tile, and the exact dimensions of the areas to be covered.

Grout is typically mixed on site, but slight color variations can occur within different areas of the same installation with the same grout color, and can vary from the manufacturer's sample you saw in the store. This variation can be attributed to variations in temperature and humidity at the time of grouting and it's just a fact of life.

It is also common to see grout variations when comparing the grout color in a tile floor and the same grout color on the tile countertop or wall.

Once the tile has been laid and grouted, it is your responsibility to maintain all caulked areas to guard against water damage. Grout may also darken over time in areas with heavy water use.

In addition, changes of season can cause surfaces adjoining the tile to expand and contract, causing the grout to crack and separate.

Subfloors.
No subfloors are perfectly level. You may hear hollow sounds where your subfloor's surface dips and ridges. We suggest that an anti-fracture membrane be installed to compensate for irregularities in the subfloor.

The Total Cost.
The square-foot price of your ceramic or porcelain floor is just one component of the entire project cost. Here's a list of potential additional expenses you may incur:

• Installation

• Delivery

• Furniture Removal and Replacement

• Removal and Disposal of Old Floor Covering

• Sub-Floor Preparation (if necessary)

• Additional Materials