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CERAMIC TILE BASICS
Ceramic Tile has been used for centuries and offers consumers more options in color and overall beauty than most other floor coverings materials. With new manufacturing, today’s ceramic tile designs are virtually indistinguishable from natural marbles, travertine and other stone products. Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles are great choices for baths, kitchens, foyers, sun rooms and great rooms. For over 30 years, Maui homeowners have counted on us for all their floor coverings. With ceramic tile you can let your imagination go free and express your unique and personal tastes. We feature all the latest tile fashion trends in colors, sizes including decorative insets and borders. To help you select your ceramic tile there are some terms you should know before going shopping. Wall TileCeramic wall tiles are normally less durable than tile designed specifically for flooring. It is glazed with a semi-gloss or matte surface. The glazed surface has a very low slip rating and becomes slippery when wet. Therefore, glazed wall tile is much more suited for wall applications rather than floors. Glazed Ceramic TileGlazed Ceramic Tile is comprised of two basic elements, clay and water. Various clays ground and blended to a fine powder and pressed together form the body of the tile. The clay body is then dried to reduce the moisture content. Next, the surface of the tile is colored glaze (similar to glass). The glaze is then permanently fused to the surface of firing it in kilns at approximately 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, to form the finished product. Porcelain TilePorcelain tile is made from a blend of fine-grain clays and other minerals to produce body, which makes it highly resistant to moisture, staining and wear. Because of these, porcelain tiles will withstand years of heavy foot traffic in both interior and exterior applications maintaining its color and beauty. ColorBodyTM Porcelain TileThis is the densest of all tile types. ColorBodyTM Porcelain Tile has a through-color body defined by its 0.5% water absorption. These tiles can withstand heavy foot traffic and used for both indoor and outdoor applications. To determine the overall performance and durability of the glazed surface of ceramic standardized industry tests and classifications which rate tile’s specific resistance to slip, breaking, abrasion, moisture, etc… Scratch HardnessMost tiles are rated for hardness or scratch resistance using the MOHS Test and ratings. MOHS test rate tile from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest). Ceramic tile with a value of 5 or higher is for most residential floor tile applications. Tile with a value of 7 or higher is normally applied to most commercial applications or heavy traffic areas. Special thanks to MohawkMaui's Natural Stone & Tile Center
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