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Quality points to consider when selecting Ceramic Tiles [12/10/2004]
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You can use a floor tile on walls, but rarely are wall tiles strong enough for floor use.
The strength or quality of a ceramic tile usually plays a large part in determining the selling price.
"First Quality" means the manufacturer has sorted his product, and you are getting the top selection.
"Seconds" usually mean minor imperfections, but are usually a minimum of 25% cheaper. These imperfections can be warpage, pin holes in the glaze, colour problems, or weakness in the strength of the glaze or bisque.
The "Rating" of the glazed surface is important when choosing floor tiles. All manufacturers should rate their glazed tiles. Most distributors are aware of the ratings.
a.) a "1" rated glaze is for wall applications only.
b.) a "2" rating means the tile can be used on very
light floors only. Should be restricted to
bathroom floors and bathroom countertops.
c.) a "3" rated glaze is the normal residential floor
tile.
d.) a "4" rated glazed tile is stronger and will
wear longer.
"Non-Slip" finishes are available on many floor tiles.
Anti-Slip coatings are recommended for all floor areas where standing water is possible: entrance ways,front steps, or around bath tubs, for example.
"Frostproof" tiles are must for all exterior applications. These tiles will stand the stresses of freezing and thawing. Tiles that are not frostproof can internally de-laminate and be completely destroyed in exterior applications.
"Dye Lots" refer to a batch of colour that was produced at one time. Wherever possible try to get all one dye-lot to prevent shading problems. Most outlets try to prevent dye-lot mismatching. Most manufacturers have a code on the box to identify a production batch.
There are thousands of ceramic tiles to choose from. Be sure you select the correct type of tile that has been designed for the installation you have in mind. The quality of tiles on the market today is generally excellent. If you keep the above points in mind when your selecting the tile, your chances of being happy many years to come have greatly been improved.
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