Tile Construction

What makes a home is clear to you. What makes ceramic tile may not be.

Floor coverings have a huge influence on your home and lifestyle. They impact the interior
beauty, design, décor, and most importantly, comfort and livability.

Ceramic tile may be a beautiful choice, as it offers a wide array of choices and will definitely
allow you to customize your look.

Being familiar with ceramic tile construction helps you understand and evaluate the performance
and differences of all the different options out there today.

Fire & Earth Combined.

The main ingredients of ceramic tile and its manufacturing processes have not changed that
much throughout the centuries.

Ceramic tiles are created from natural products extracted from the earth, then are shaped
into tiles and fired in kilns at extremely high temperatures. Finally, they can be glazed with a
decorative top coat to add a distinctive style or color.

The two sides of ceramic tile.

There are 2 main types of tile construction: glazed and unglazed.

When you look at a glazed tile from the side you can see 2 layers. The body of the tile is called
the bisque. The top layer is called the glaze.

Glazed tiles have a hard, non-porous surface added after firing. They are more stain resistant
than unglazed tile and are easy to clean.

Unglazed tiles add a whole different beauty to your home. They are solid colored all the way
through and do not have a top layer or glaze. This is often referred to as through-body tile
construction.

Unglazed tiles have no additional surface applications. They are typically more dense and
durable than glazed tile. Thus they are more suitable for interior and exterior applications where
durability is a concern.

If your home has areas of heavy activity, unglazed tile could be a perfect choice.

There are 5 steps in the ceramic tile manufacturing process: Mining, Blending/ Mixing, Pressing,
Glazing, and Firing.

Step 1: Earthy.

This process begins with the mining of the raw materials, which is a mixture composed of mostly
clay and minerals.

Step 2: Introducing water into the mix.

The clay and mineral mixture is blended and mixed into a semi-fine powder.

Water is added to form a wet slurry or muddy consistency. Then the slurry is pumped into a large
dryer.

The result is a fine clay powder that feels like warm, fine sand.

Step 3: Applying pressure to the process.

The clay is then pressed or formed into a tile shape. The press pushes the dust into a set size
and shape with a force ranging from a few hundred pounds a square inch to 100,000 pounds per
square inch.

That pressure is what gives the finished project its tensile strength.

There is also another method called extrusion. Extruded tiles are formed by forcing the clay
through a mold for the desired shaped versus pressing the tile.

Pressing is the most common method used today. And after the green tiles are formed they are
dried to remove some of the moisture.

Step 4: Glazing.

The next step in the manufacturing process is to add the glaze to the tiles.

If the tile is to remain unglazed, it skips this step and goes directly to the firing kiln.

There are many choices for the glaze, including matte and high-gloss, and many ways of
applying it, from spray to silkscreen. The glaze liquid is prepared from a glass derivative called
frit and colored dyes.

Step 5: Lets heat things up.

The ceramic tiles are now fired in the kiln at temperatures as high as 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
The tiles are put on a conveyor belt type apparatus and run through the kiln where the heat is
precisely monitored and controlled by a computer.

Tiles that are fired once after the glaze is applied, are called Monocoturra tile or single fired.

A tile that is fired more than once is called Biocuturra tile. If you want a tile with many colors or
an elaborate pattern, then it will be done with this method.

Before each firing, a different colored glaze is applied to the tile, and the process is repeated until the design is complete.

Porcelain Tile.

In addition to the glazed and unglazed ceramic tile, there is another category that continues to
gain popularity – beautiful, elegant, porcelain tile.

Porcelain tiles are made up of 50% feldspar and are fired at a much higher temperature than
regular ceramic tile. This creates a much harder and denser tile product.

Low water absorption ratings of less than 0.5 percent and their better performance, make these
tiles a worthy choice for your home.

Porcelain tile can be used for interior and exterior applications, and work well in heavy
commercial areas.

Applications…

Not all ceramic tiles are suitable for all areas of your home. The decorative tile you might put on your kitchen backsplash, may not be suited for installation on the floor.

Most manufacturers will have a rating system that is based on the American Society for Testing
& Materials (ASTM). You can usually find these ratings on the tile sample or in the product
catalog.

The most common system rates ceramic tile scratch resistance or the overall durability of the tile.

There are 5 classes you should be familiar with:

Most manufacturers will have a rating system that is based on or supported by the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM). Many times you can find these ratings on the tile sample or in the product catalog.

Class 1: no foot traffic.

These tiles are suggested for interior wall applications only and not for the floor.

Class 2: light traffic.

These tiles are suggested for interior wall applications and for residential bathroom flooring only.

Class 3: light to moderate traffic.

These tiles can be used for residential floor and wall applications including bathrooms, kitchens, foyers, dining rooms and family rooms.

Class 4: moderate to heavy traffic.

These tiles are recommended for residential, medium commercial and light industrial floors. Also for wall applications including shopping malls, offices, restaurant dining rooms, showrooms and hallways.

Class 5: heavy/extra heavy traffic.

These tiles can be installed anywhere. They will hold up in floor and wall applications in almost any commercial application.

You may also see a rating for Slip Resistance, which is measured by its Coefficient of Friction
(COF). The higher the COF, the more slip resistant the tile. This is important when selecting a
floor tile for wet areas, such as your shower floor.

Other ratings listed by the manufacturer might include: scratch resistance, moisture absorption,
chemical resistance and breaking strength.

That’s a brief explanation of ceramic tile types, manufacturing processes and rating systems.

We hope that the information we’ve featured here leads you to a better understanding of how this beautiful and versatile product is created, and underlines the fact that ceramic tile flooring can help make your home.