Floor tiles compared to wall tiles are usually larger, thicker and more durable. They come as squares, rectangles, octagons, hexagons as well as Moorish, ogee and other shapes as well. Floor tile are available as glazed or unglazed. Unglazed tiles are less slippery and wear shows less easily since the color extends all the way though the tile.
Ceramic floor tile solves several common flooring problems. It’s durable, easy to maintain and you don’t have to worry about breathing all those toxic vinyl fumes. As compared to other natural type flooring materials like wood, cork, bamboo and linoleum, it represents a real value. Plus it’s possible to install it yourself with just a few inexpensive tools. Here are the 5 common types of tiles available.
Quarry Tiles
These pieces are made by extruding clay into forms and then firing. Available as glazed or unglazed, you can get natural clay colors of yellow, brown, or red. Tough and water-resistant, quarry tile makes for a really tough, ideal floor surface. Sizes and shapes vary.
Pavers
Pressed rather than extruded, pavers are generally unglazed and must be sealed to be water resistant. Available in many sizes and colors, a common size is 4 by 8 inches, commonly called brick pavers. Very dense pavers are called porcelain tiles.
Porcelain Tiles
These tiles are often earth colors but come in other colors as well. They don’t require sealing. The tile material is highly refined clay fire at more than 2000 degrees F. The product is very dense and very hard.
Glazed Tile
usually made of pressed clay, the tiles for walls and floors differ.
Wall tiles are often softer and not suitable for floors. Some glazed floor tiles have a textured or matte finish for better traction and longer wear.
Mexican Tile
From Mexico come rustic, earth-colored pieces popular especially in the Southwest and West. Often soft and highly absorbent, these tiles must be sealed. Another popular Mexican tile product are the many art pieces available to serve as accents.
Ceramic floor tile comes in all kinds of types as well as many shapes, colors and sizes. Pick the right tile for your project and you get a durable material, easy to maintain, and easy to live with. Installing ceramic is also a project that most handy people can complete with just the purchase of a few special tools. Flooring with ceramic is easier than many other tile projects because of the relative lack of trim work required. Many of our articles include free hints for shower pan installation.
Check out our website for tips on installing ceramic tile projects of all kinds.