Types Of Tile Flooring In Atlanta
TYPES OF TILE
Natural Stone Tile
Tile can be cut from natural stone, such as marble or granite, offering a distinctive and beautiful look. However, natural stone has its disadvantages:
- It’s porous, so it stains easily;
- It can be very fragile and will break more easily than porcelain; and
- It is very expensive.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile is the oldest known flooring material. It has been made the same way for centuries: a mixture of clays and other natural materials that are mined from the earth, shaped, colored and fired at high temperatures.
Various clays are blended to a fine powder and pressed together to form the body of the tile. The pressed clay body is then dried to reduce the moisture content. In the case of glazed tile, one surface is coated with a colored glaze made from a glass derivative called “Frit”. The glaze is permanently fused to the surface of the tile by firing in kilns at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, forming a finished product that is hard, with an impermeable surface.
Porcelain Tile
Porcelain is a form of ceramic tile made from a very fine mix of clay and minerals – far different from regular ceramics – formed under extremely high pressure and fired at higher temperatures than standard ceramic tile. The result is a material that is stronger and more durable than standard ceramic and very resistant to moisture and stains.
Superior porcelain tile is especially resistant to scratching, staining and fading, and it never needs sealing. Through-body porcelain tiles are colored throughout the entire tile, so there is little danger of color loss due to wear.
Porcelain represents the best overall value in tile because it is:
- Available in various styles and faithfully replicates natural stone;
- Non-porous (unlike standard ceramic tile or natural stone);
- More durable and stain resistant than natural stone; and
- Significantly more affordable than natural stone.
