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 Glazed Tile - Most of the common ceramic floor tiles have either a glazed, or unglazed surface. The glazed tiles have a special ceramic coating that is applied to the body of the tile and then fired under tremendous heat. The glazing becomes hard and non-porous resulting in tiles that are:
- Stain
Resistant
- Scratch
Resistant
- Fire
Resistant
- Doesn’t
Fade from Sun Light
- Slip
Resistant
- Easy
to Clean
Unglazed Floor Tile (Pavers) – has no glazing or any other coating applied to these tiles. These tiles are porous and it's recommendeded that a special penetrating sealant be used to maintain this type of floors and to help prevent stains from seeping into the pores of the tiles. The color goes all the way through from the tile surface to the back resulting in a very durable tile that will not show the effects of heavy traffic.
Marble – is a natural product and is not made in a factory.
For this reason no two pieces of marble look the same and
the veining is a natural characteristic in all marble. There
are special marble sealants to help protect from staining
of the face. Extra care should be used when cleaning and all
abrasives and acidic cleaners should never be used when cleaning.
Even colas, some juices, and possibly ammonia may destroy
the marble finish.
Porcelain Tile - gets its strength from the unique clays that are fired at extreme temperatures to produce a harder, denser tile that is unmatched durability and outperforms glazed tiles. Many porcelain tiles can be used both indoors and outdoors.
Granite – is another natural stone and is not manufacturered in a factory. Granite can be used indoors or outdoors and is less porous than marble. It is still recommended that you use a sealant to protect the finish from staining.
Grout – is a mixture of cement and a color additive. For tile floors with wider spaces between each tile sand is added to the grout. Also, a liquid latex additive can be added to the grout to give better resiliency to the grouted areas. For ease of maintenance a penetrating sealant should be used on the grout. It should be noted you may see a change in color of your grout over time.
Other Factors - Some other important things we can help you with when selecting a tile floor is slip-resistance, grout joint width and color, tile thickness, overcoming height variations from room to room, suitability of your subfloor and tile maintenance.
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