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Three kinds of tile to use on your floor
There are so many colors, patterns, designs, shape and sizes of tile these days it’s impossible to not create a unique style for your home.
Grande Floor Covering has a combined staff experience of 50 years. Owner John Grande has been in the flooring industry for over 20 years and is a certified installer of tile, as well as other floor materials.
We know how various furnishings effect flooring, so we provide complementary products, such as cabinets and countertops.
Our showroom is in Voorhees, NJ and we service Voorhees, Cherry Hill, Marlton, Berlin, Berlin Township. Come in to learn more about our products, services, and our free in-home estimates.
Grande Floor Covering has a combined staff experience of 50 years. Owner John Grande has been in the flooring industry for over 20 years and is a certified installer of tile, as well as other floor materials.
We know how various furnishings effect flooring, so we provide complementary products, such as cabinets and countertops.
Our showroom is in Voorhees, NJ and we service Voorhees, Cherry Hill, Marlton, Berlin, Berlin Township. Come in to learn more about our products, services, and our free in-home estimates.
Aren’t all tiles ceramic?
No. While there is the ceramic tile, you also have porcelain and glass, and they’re all appropriate for the floor.
- Ceramic tile. This has a lot of design options and besides the floor, it's also used as backsplashes, accent walls, borders, and even art.
It does need glazing to be waterproof. That glazing also gives it the ultra-hard outer shell that makes it impossible to break. They are thinner than porcelain, so best used for lower traffic floor areas, like the bedroom. Be sure the box is marked "appropriate for flooring."
Enhance your property with our tile flooring
Are you planning on remodeling your bathroom or kitchen? Get in touch with John Grande Floors for high-quality tiles for your remodeling project. Don't settle for just anything. Your floors are one of the most important features when it comes to enhancing your property.
In addition to tiles, we do floor installations too! Contact us for more details on our flooring services. FREE estimates are available.
We provide tile flooring for the following
- Bathrooms
- Kitchens
- Backsplashes
- Custom backsplash pieces
- Bathroom walls
- Shower
The correct subfloor structure is critical to performance
Ceramic tile, more than any other form of flooring, requires the proper subfloor system and setting materials. A double subfloor system with the total thickness of 1-1/4 in., over floor joints 16 in. on the center is required. The top subfloor layer should be exterior grade plywood or an underlayment specifically designed for ceramic tile installation like cement backer board.
Special setting materials are available which will allow ceramic tile installations over existing floors that are solid and already meet the above requirements. Failure to provide a sturdy base can cause the grout to crack and release or tile to crack. Although many ceramic tiles look the same, there are quality differences.
The quality of raw materials, the firing process, and the sophistication of glazing applications that create realism will determine the quality of the finished product. These quality differences are often reflected in the price. Selecting the right surface glaze is an important step when selecting floor tiles.
Floor tiles are rated for glaze wear and slip resistance, which are important factors to consider. Glaze ratings should exceed 3 for residential applications except for bath areas that can use tiles rated 2. Tiles with a slip-resistant rating of 0.5 or better should work well in most indoor residential applications.
Use caution when selecting tile for outdoor installations. Unglazed quarry tiles, tiles with heavily textured surfaces, or porcelain paver tiles, all with slip resistant ratings of 0.6 or greater are possibilities. They must also be frost resistant. Request the best in setting materials. New latex modified mortars and grouts provide better strength while also allowing greater flexibility.
Special Caution: Dropping objects on ceramic tile, particularly heavy ones, can chip even the best tiles.
Special setting materials are available which will allow ceramic tile installations over existing floors that are solid and already meet the above requirements. Failure to provide a sturdy base can cause the grout to crack and release or tile to crack. Although many ceramic tiles look the same, there are quality differences.
The quality of raw materials, the firing process, and the sophistication of glazing applications that create realism will determine the quality of the finished product. These quality differences are often reflected in the price. Selecting the right surface glaze is an important step when selecting floor tiles.
Floor tiles are rated for glaze wear and slip resistance, which are important factors to consider. Glaze ratings should exceed 3 for residential applications except for bath areas that can use tiles rated 2. Tiles with a slip-resistant rating of 0.5 or better should work well in most indoor residential applications.
Use caution when selecting tile for outdoor installations. Unglazed quarry tiles, tiles with heavily textured surfaces, or porcelain paver tiles, all with slip resistant ratings of 0.6 or greater are possibilities. They must also be frost resistant. Request the best in setting materials. New latex modified mortars and grouts provide better strength while also allowing greater flexibility.
Special Caution: Dropping objects on ceramic tile, particularly heavy ones, can chip even the best tiles.
- Porcelain. While this is a type of ceramic tile, it is also made up of sand and glass. This makes it heavier and best suited for high traffic flooring areas, such as the kitchen, bath or entryway.
A large-format, this is all-white but does come in patterns like florals and basket weaves. However, like ceramic, it can be made to look like anything, from wood to leather to stone.
Porcelain is waterproof whether or not it’s glazed and, because it’s also frost-resistant, you can use it outside. Many will also use it on tub and shower surrounds, as walls, so be sure it’s appropriate for installation as flooring. - Glass. These are sparkly little jewels with a translucent quality. They come either separately or on a mesh backing as mosaics. They’re made from recycled glass, which is first melted, then hand-crafted into various shapes from the traditional square to the less traditional diamond.
They can be a bit pricey. If budget is an issue, you can always buy a few to insert as accents.
