Tile | Styles
The ceramic tile you select will impact your home’s interior beauty, design, comfort, livability and upkeep. It’s a fact; floor coverings can make or break a home.
Due to the number of tile choices, patterns, colors, textures and price points shopping for tile can intimidate even the most experienced shopper.
3 types of ceramic tile
Click on a swatch below for more information
Glazed
- coated with glass-forming minerals and ceramic stains
- typically have a matte, semi-gloss or high-gloss finish
- offer better stain and moisture resistance than unglazed
- high gloss finishes- more slippery and show scratches
- matte or textured finishes- help with traction and scratches, dirt is less visible
Unglazed
- hard and dense
- various surface treatments and textures
- typically installed outside
- good slip resistance
- do require sealing to help prevent staining
Porcelain
- falls in the ceramic tile category
- hardest and densest tiles available
- color goes all the way through
- non-porous
- resist scratching
- can withstand temperature extremes
Size
- manufactured in sizes ranging from 1” to 24” square
- normally boxed and priced by the square foot
- tile size is relative
- referred to by nominal size, not its actual size
- during firing ceramic tile will shrink by about 10% in size
- most popular are larger sized tiles (13” by 13”, 16” by 16” and 18” by 18”)
- determining tile size starts with the size of the room
- small rooms don’t necessarily call for small tile
- incorporating a larger size tile in a smaller room will visually increase the size of the space
- fewer grout lines will help create a cleaner surface appearance
- using a tile size that’s too small creates more grout joints that may make the floor look too busy
Cost-effective alternative
- consumers prefer ceramic tile over stone due to price and maintenance
- tile can also be made to feature heavy textures, chiseled and hammered edges, and resemble tumbled stone
- tile texture is related to its style
- feel of a tumbled stone or slate looking ceramic tile will be irregular and somewhat rough
- tile simulating marble or granite will have a very smooth, polished feel
- textures also vary in degree of shine, ranging from dull to semi-gloss to glass-like
Exterior
- tile is a versatile product
- outdoor tile features non-skid finishes designed for safety
- outdoor tile is resistant to frost
- tile manufactured for outdoor use has very low water absorption, minimizing the cracking, chipping and other effects of expansion when the temperature falls below freezing
Customization
- manufacturers also offer decorative inserts, medallions and mosaics
- tile size 2”x2” and smaller are usually referred to as mosaics
- often used with different colors to create a pattern or decorative inset
- smaller tiles also come in different shapes, such as hexagon
- patterned borders can be made up of different size tiles
- variations in color, shape or size can be patterned within a room, or across adjoining rooms
- “field tile” -the more prominent tile that is throughout the largest areas
- floor and wall tiles may be designed to look similar
- floor tiles are generally thicker and are textured to be safer to walk on
Grout
- impacts the overall look
- type of cement that is used to fill the space and provide support in tile joints
- two types of grout; Portland cement based, and epoxy based
- both may have sand added for additional strength
- Sanded grout is for tile joints 1/8th of an inch and larger
- unsanded grout is an option used in joints that are smaller than 1/8th of an inch
- can be pigmented to many colors, shades and hues
- pigment is added to the cement at the job site when the grout is mixed
- color and thickness will change the appearance of the floor
- white or a light colored grout highlights the color in tile
- dark grout with a light tile, or light grout with a dark tile, will emphasize the geometric pattern of your layout