What is Floor Tile?
What is Floor Tile?
Floor tile is a floor covering, popular in homes and businesses throughout the world. It is typically applied with a type of epoxy which provides a semi-permanent installation. It comes in differnt types of materials in hundreds of colors and patterns.
Floor tile is often composed of ceramic or stone, although recent technology advancements have resulted in rubber or glass floor tiles as well. Ceramic tiles can be glazed and painted. Small mosaic tiles can be set out in a variety of designs. Floor tiles are normally placed in mortar made of sand, cement, and, in certain cases, a latex component. Typically, the gaps between the tiles are filled with sanded or unsanded floor grout, but mortar was utilized in the past.
Natural stone tiles are lovely, but since they are a natural product, they are less consistent in color and design, and they require more preparation for usage and installation. The width and length of mass-produced stone tiles are consistent. Granite or marble tiles are sawn on both sides before being polished or finished on the top surface to achieve a consistent thickness. Other natural stone tiles, such as slate, are often “riven” (split) on the top surface, resulting in a minor variation in thickness from one location on the tile to another and from one tile to the next. Variations in tile thickness can be accommodated by altering the quantity of mortar under each section of the tile, utilizing broad grout lines that “ramp” between different thicknesses, or knocking off high places with a cold chisel.
When wet, some stone tiles, such as polished granite, marble, and travertine, become extremely slippery. Slip-resistant stone tiles have a riven (split) surface, such as slate, or a sawn and subsequently sandblasted or honed surface. Ceramic tiles for wet areas can be made more slip-resistant by utilizing extremely tiny tiles with grout lines that act as grooves or by imprinting a contour pattern into the face of the tile.
Natural stone tile hardness varies, therefore certain softer stone (e.g., limestone) tiles are not ideal for high-traffic floor areas. Ceramic tiles, on the other hand, often have a glazed upper surface, and when this becomes scratched or pitted, the floor seems worn, but the same amount of wear on natural stone tiles would not show, or will be less obvious.
Natural stone tiles can be discolored by spilled liquids; they must be sealed and resealed with a sealer on a regular basis, as opposed to ceramic tiles, which just require their grout lines sealed. Small quantities of dirt on many natural stone floor tiles, however, do not appear due to the intricate, nonrepeating patterns in natural stone.
The stain resistance of floor tiles is determined not only by the sealant used and the frequency with which it is reapplied, but also by its porosity, or how porous the stone is. Slate is a less porous stone, whereas limestone is a more porous stone. The porosity of various granites and marbles varies, with the less porous ones being more valuable and expensive.
Most stone tile sellers highlight that there will be color and pattern variance from one batch of tiles of the same description to the next, as well as variation within the same batch. Stone floor tiles are heavier than ceramic tiles and are more likely to shatter during transport
