Ceramic Tile Application Guide

Minimum ratings for the application specified. You can always step up to a higher rating, but expect, then, to pay more for features you may not need. PEI ANSI Wear Minimum Water Resis- CoefficApplica- Environ- Foot Absorption tance ient of tion ment Traffic Rating Rating2 Friction Nonvitreous Group I or II3

Dry Area

Wet Area

SemiVitreous

Group I or II3

Walls

Very Wet Area

Vitreous

Group I or II3

Exterior

Vitreous (if Group I frost rated) or II3 or

For Use In Tile wainscots, fireplace surrounds. Areas that rarely if ever get wet. Kitchen backsplashes. Areas that may get wet on occasion, but are unlikely to see constant or standing water. Shower walls. Areas that may get wet frequently and/or are likely to see constant or standing water. Exterior walls in areas that do not experience a hard freeze (and in areas that do experience a hard freeze if the tile is frost rated). Exterior areas that experience a hard freeze in winter.

Impervious1 Light NonVitreous Group II Bedrooms. Rooms where 0.60 (Dry) there is usually no through traffic. Family rooms. Areas of through 0.60 (Dry) traffic or normal use. Hallways. Areas of constant 0.60 (Dry) through traffic or heavy use. Laundry rooms. Areas where there is usually no through traffic that 0.60 get wet on (Wet) occasion, but are unlikely to see constant or standing water. Kitchens. Areas of through traffic or moderate use that 0.60 get wet on (Wet) occasion, but are unlikely to see constant or standing water. Kitchens with heavy through traffic. Areas of constant through 0.60 traffic or heavy (Wet) use that get wet on occasion, but are unlikely to see constant or standing water. 0.60 Guest baths. (Wet) Rooms where

Dry Area Medium

NonVitreous

Group III

Heavy

NonVitreous

Group IV

Light

SemiVitreous

Group II

Floors

Wet Area

Medium

SemiVitreous

Group III

Heavy

SemiVitreous

Group IV

Very Wet

Light

Vitreous

Group II

Area

Medium Vitreous

Group 0.60 III (Wet)

Heavy Vitreous

Group 0.60 IV (Wet)

Exterior4 Any

Vitreous (if frost rated) Group 0.60 or IV or V (Wet) 1 Impervious

there is usually no through traffic, that may experience constant or standing water. Master or main baths. Areas of through traffic or normal use that may experience constant or standing water. Busy bathrooms and shower floors. Areas of constant through traffic or heavy use that may experience constant or standing water. Exterior decks, patios and walkways that do not experience a hard freeze (and in areas that do experience a hard freeze if the tile is frost rated). Decks, Patios, Walkways. Exterior areas that experience a hard freeze in winter.

1 2

Impervious tile may also be called porcelain, but does not have to be. When in doubt about a rating, select the next higher rating. For example, if you are not sure whether your kitchen qualifies as a moderate traffic or heavy traffic area, go with heavy traffic and choose a Group IV tile over a Group III tile just to be sure. Almost all tile is now glazed, and almost all glazed tile rates at least Group II on the PEI wear test.

You will rarely find Group I tile at a tile store. It is usually sold for hobby and craft applications. 4 Some tile rated "vitreous" in the water absorption test will also work outdoors in a hard freeze climate. Look for the "Frost" rating on the package.

How to Read a Tile Label

Once you have found the color and pattern of a tile that you like, then all the other information you need to assess the usefulness of the tile is printed somewhere on the box, often in the form of icons. These icons tell us all about the tile, and since their use is regulated, the information in the icons is probably not going to be just marketing hype. Let's see just what these icons can tell us. Tile grade is the result of a visual inspection. The range is 1 to 3, the lower the number the better the tile. A grade 1 or Standard Grade tile exhibits no obvious imperfections when visually inspected at a distance of 3 feet. A grade 2 tile shows no visible imperfections at a distance of 10 feet. Almost all tile in a tile store will be grade 1. Sometimes you will find grade 2 tile on a "special purchase" sale often at quite the discount. Grade 2 is just fine for many applications. The durability of a grade 2 tile is usually not suspect, it merely has visible imperfections. We sometimes use it in historical renovations to simulate 19th century tile that often had many visible flaws. Grade 3 tile is rarely seen in retail stores. It usually has major aesthetic problems including wide variations in tone and sizing. Let the tile professionals buy this tile. They know where and how to use it. This is the result of the PEI wear test that we introduced earlier (See chart above). Many manufacturers use this test only on floor tiles. The higher the rating, the more wear-resistant the tile. A tile used as flooring or on a countertop should be rated at least in Group II (light traffic floors). A higher rating is even better for floors with medium or heavy traffic. It should also be at least 1/4" thick. Thicker is generally better. If the tile is glazed, then it is the glaze coating that is tested. If the tile is un-glazed, such as in quarry tile, the tile body itself is tested. The tests are slightly different. If this rating is missing, the tile is probably not intended for floors and will usually say so right on the box.

This is the score the tile received on the ANSI test for resistance to water penetration (See chart above). A tile that is installed outdoors where there is a real Winter should not absorb water. Otherwise, water trapped within the tile may freeze, fracturing and cracking the tile. Almost all tiles rated impervious will work outdoors, but so will some vitreous tiles. Look for the frost rating (see below). For indoor applications, semi-vitreous and vitreous are strong enough for floors, and non-vitreous for walls. All tiles called "porcelain" do not necessarily rate "impervious". Don't rely on the word "porcelain" on the box, look for this specific frost rating, for a W.A. score of "impervious". If there is a PCTA certification of "porcelain", then the tile has been tested for water absorption and found to be impervious, and this certification is a substitute for a W.A. rating of "impervious".
Photo: (UK) Health & Safety Executive,

If present, the "Frost" icon merely tells you that the tile is able to withstand repeated cycles of freezing and thawing. If there is no frost icon, it may mean that the tile is not suitable for use outdoors in any place where it might freeze, or the tile maker did not bother to order the test. Some tiles rated "vitreous" in the water absorption test will pass the frost test, and almost all "impervious" tiles will pass. The tone and shade rating is an indication of how much variation there is in the color and shade of the tile. The range of ratings on this "V" scale is V1 to V4.
V3 indicates a high shade and texture variation within each carton. V4 file contains random variations of shade and texture within each carton.

V1 indicates low visible shade and texture variation within each carton.

V2 tile show distinguishable differences in texture and pattern within each color.

Grades V3 and V4 need to be continually blended during installation to insure optimum appearance. This generally results in higher installation costs. Also, examine more than one tile, and more than one box of tiles to see if you like all the various tones. There may be considerable variation between cartons.