What are the basic types of tile?

Porcelain, Glazed Ceramic, Glass Tile, and Natural Stone tile.

What is the glazing on a ceramic tile?

It’s a liquid glass coating that is sprayed or poured on the tile’s surface and hardened in an oven. Because of this protective coating the tile is less porous then many unglazed tiles.

Are unglazed tiles as stain-resistant as glazed tiles?

No. While some very dense unglazed tiles are highly stain resistant, a glazed tile is practically stain-proof.

What makes up the colour of the glaze?

A mixture of various minerals such as zinc, copper, mercury, cobalt, and many others.

What is a porcelain tile?

It’s a form of ceramic tile of specialized clay and other components fired at very high temperatures. Glazed or unglazed, porcelain is tough enough for indoor or outdoor use and be made to resemble many textures including natural stone.

Are porcelain and ceramic tiles environmentally friendly?

Yes, porcelain and ceramic tiles are environmentally friendly due to the use of natural products such as clay and the manufacturing process. The manufacturing process virtually generates no byproducts, and the waste is recycled back in the manufacturing process for the next batch. These products can last many years even in very high traffic areas.

What is natural stone?

Natural stone is cut from the earth’s rocks. That is why natural stone ranges so much in colour and texture. It will always vary depending on which part of the quarry the manufacturer is cutting from.

Why can’t wall tiles be installed on the floor?

Wall tiles aren’t strong enough to take foot traffic. Their glaze is too soft, their clay body is too porous, and most times they aren’t very thick.

Does the temperature of the oven affect the hardness of the glaze?

Generally the higher the temperature, the harder the glaze, the more durable the tile becomes.