TILE
You've made a wise choice to choose ceramic tile, the original never wax, never seal lifetime surface. Adding tile to your home will pay you back in beauty, convenience and resale value. Tile is unparalled for durability and can be used creatively throughout your home.
FOUR BASIC CATEGORIES OF TILE:
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GLAZED CERAMIC
These tiles are hand molded or pressed out by machine. Their glass hard glazes make them extremely durable. They come in a great variety of colors and finishes.
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PORCELAIN
Machine pressed from white clay and fired at a higher temperature than ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles are some of the toughest you can find.
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QUARRY
Quarry tiles are unglazed ceramic. Machine made by extruding clay through a slot and cutting into squares, these tiles are some of the cheapest you can find.
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TERRA COTTA
Terra Cotta tiles are typically hand-molded and are pleasantly rustic looking. C&R no longer stocks these tiles because they are soft and water absorbant, which makes them susceptible to staining, scratching and chipping.
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STONE TILE:
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GRANITE
Granite Tile is formed from slow-cooked magma under tremendous pressure and is one of the hardest stones available. It is the gold standard for counter tops which commands a high price. You can cut the cost drastically by setting granite tiles with a sliver of a grout (Spectra Lock).
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MARBLE
Marble Tile is limestone crystallized by heat and pressure. A striated appearance and an ability to be polished to a glass-like shine gives marble a formal look, and it's durable too. Keep in mind that marble does scratch and will require polishing if you want to maintain a glassy finish.
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SLATE
Slate Tile is formed by underwater clay sediment composed of many layers where large sheets are cut into tiles. Slate may be black, blue, green, maroon, red, orange or any combination of these. Slate may scratch and stain, so treating it with a special slate sealer (511 Impregnator) will hinder staining and chipping.
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LIMESTONE
The result of bone and shell fragments collecting under water and being compressed, this stone is extremely soft and is easily scratched, worn, or stained. Limestone comes in a range of hardnesses all of which have one weakness: the surface dissolves immediately when exposed to acid such as citrus juice, vinegar, and Coke.
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TRAVERTINE
Cut from a deeply pitted form of limestone, Travertine tiles are often filled with resin or marble-dust cement to give them a smooth surface.
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QUARTZITE
One of the hardest stones in the world, quartzite is acid resistant, though it is often absorbent and therefore subject to staining. Treat it with 511 Impregnator which in independent laboratory tests out-performs competitor products.
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