Tile Quality and Floor Care

There are two main categories in tiles one of which is the man-made and the other natural stone tiles which are mined and cut up into tile sizes and then polished or treated after installation.

Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles - Glazed
The glazed man-made tiles are rated by an internationally accepted rating system called the PEI rating which in short is categorised by rating the abrasion resistance of glazed tiles.

• PEI 1: NO FOOT TRAFFIC - Recommended only for use on walls.
• PEI 2: LIGHT TRAFFIC - Recommended for light use areas like bathroom and for wall tiles
• PEI 3: LIGHT TO MODERATE TRAFFIC - Recommended for normal foot traffic in residential areas and can also be used on counter tops and walls
• PEI 4: MODERATE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC - Recommended for all residential use and light to medium commercial use like medium size offices and boutiques
• PEI 5: HEAVY TO EXTRA HEAVY TRAFFIC - Recommended for all residential use and heavy commercial use, like department stores, banks and malls.

Tile Grades
There is no standardised grading system for tiles, rather the manufacturer, supplier or even retailer sort tiles and grade them accordingly, this grading system can be used on manufactured as well as natural tiles. The grading system can be Grade 1 to 3, A,B,C or commercial grade which indicates grade 2. Classes are used as displayed below. More important than the grade is the trust that you have in your supplier or retailer to back up their product.

The grade indicates the flatness of the tile surface, the squareness of the tile, colour variation, uniform thickness and size of the tiles and in stone can also indicate small chips on the side of the tiles. Make sure to ask your retailer what the criteria of each grading system is as this differs from retailer to retailer.

• Grade 1: This is usually a near perfect tile in all areas and will give you a outstanding end result, these tiles will also be more expensive. Keep in mind that natural stone tiles has imperfections, this adds to their character.
• Grade 2: This tile is very common and usually the cheaper lines in the shops, you can expect some tiles to be a bit out of square, the surface not always 100% flat and they might have colour variation, specially in natural stone tiles. With stone tiles in this grade it is fairly natural to get different thickness and the fitter should be able to fit these tiles at the same hight without much trouble. Grade 2 are usually acceptable to most people as you save a few rand per square metre and the end result although not perfect is still acceptable.
• Grade 3: Be careful here and make sure you ask the retailer about the criteria they have for this grade, although the price might be very good it is not always a bargain. You can expect tiles that might be buckled, fairly out of square, different sizes and thickness and might even have chip marks on the sides.

Firing
This applies to manufactured tiles which is Ceramic and Porcelain tiles.

• Single Fired: These tiles go through the firing process in the kiln once and are glazed before they are fired. These tiles are not as hard as double fired tiles and thus not as durable as double fired tiles.
• Double Fired: These tiles are usually fired and then the glaze or colouring is applied and then they go through the firing process for a second time. These tiles are usually thicker and more dense than single fired tiles and thus more durable.

Glazed or Full-Bodied Tiles

• Glazed: These tiles are best for residential use inside the house because they can be slippery when wet. Glazed tiles are more resistant to stains due to their non-porous surface and available in a wide range of colours. If glazed tiles should chip then the body of the tile is usually a different colour to the top surface making chips very noticeable. Take the PEI rating in consideration as a low PEI rating can walk off after a few years.
• Full-Bodied: The body of a full-bodied tile is the same as the surface and thus chip marks will not be as noticeable as with glazed tiles and is also naturally slip resistant except if they have a polished finish. For this reason these tiles are better for outside and commercial use and can usually be re-polished or treated periodically after which they will look as good as new again.

Glazed Tiles Floor Care
The surface of glazed tiles are sealed with a glaze and is easy to maintain. Below are a few points for floor care.

• Use felt pads under furniture, as especially items with steel feet as this can damage the surface of your new tile floor.
• It is recommended to add a sealing agent to grout or seal the grout afterwards to prevent staining of the grouted joints.
• Do not use scouring pads or any other harsh objects on your tile floor as this might damage or scratch the glazed surface.
• Do not use cleaners that contain bleach, acid or ammonia as this can damage the grout and tile surface.
• Do not use waxes, oil-based or sealants on glazed tiles as these will build up a layer on your floor which will attract dust.

Unglazed and Natural Stone Floor Care
Make sure to ask your retailer about recommended cleaning and treating methods as there are a wide variety of finishes applied to these products and not using the manufacturers recommended cleaning materials, fluids and treatments can influence the guarantee on the product.