A Lesson in Tiles

Let's chat about all the basics of tiles, starting from what they are made of to tile edges and wear ratings.

Porcelain

- Made from a refined dense natural clay, then moulded into shape and fired at an extremely high temperature

- More durable than ceramic and can be used in high traffic areas

- Can be more expensive and harder to cut

- There are 4 different porcelain tile finishes; unglazed (matt), glazed (colourful, decorative, impervious to water), semi-polished (lapparto) and polished.

Ceramic

- Made from clay, sand and talc

- Low maintenance and best suited for residential and recreational areas

- Generally more cost effective than Porcelain tiles

Tile Edges - Handmade Edges - A handcrafted organic edge - Rectified Edges - A perfectly machined straight edge - Pressed Edge or Cushion Edge - A slightly rounded edge caused by pressing the edge in the factory Slip Rating (Pendulum Test) - P0 - Very high slip risk - P1 - Very high slip risk - P2 - High slip risk - P3 - Moderate slip risk - P4 - Low slip risk - P5 - Very low slip risk