Tiles

TILES

Tiles are often used to form wall and floor coverings, and can range from simple square tiles to complex or mosaics. Tiles are most often made of ceramic, typically glazed for internal uses, but other materials are also commonly used, such as glass, cork, concrete and other composite materials, and stone. Tiling stone is typically marble, onyx, granite or slate. Thinner tiles can be used on walls rather than on floors, which require more durable surfaces that will resist impacts. Tiles are versatile, high-performing and beautiful eye-catching building material.

PorcelainTiles 

One of the many varieties of ceramic tiles, where the primary ingredient is finely ground sand.  Porcelain tiles are composed of quartz, clay and feldspar, processed at very high pressure and fired at temperatures ranging from 1200-1400 degrees Celsius.  Due to its density and composition, unglazed porcelain tiles have many of the same excellent durability qualities as glazed ceramic tiles. Generally it has fewer impurities than ceramic and is more impervious to water filtration, and therefore suitable for both light and heavy traffic areas for both interior and exterior applications

Non-Porcelain Ceramic Tiles

With a significantly higher water absorption rate of around 4%, non-porcelain ceramic tiles are much more prone to wear and chipping than porcelain tiles. Because of this porosity, the top surface of a ceramic tile is typically sealed with a glaze that also determines the tile’s finished color, design and texture.   Ceramic tiles are only suitable for light traffic areas, interior applications, since it absorbs too much water and are much less resilient than porcelain tiles. This is especially important in areas where the temperature drops below freezing, as the tile will not be able to withstand such extreme fluctuations. Ceramic tiles can be sold individually or mounted onto mesh sheets.