What Kind of tile do I need?

So your most likely here to find out what kind of tile is best for the area you need to have it installed in. Lets start off with the kinds of tile and how they will hold up over time.

Porcelain tile:

-porcelain tile is currently the most dense (hard) tile you can buy. With a 0.5% It will absorb water but not much. It will last as long as any other tile. The down side is that since it is so dense (hard) the tile can be brittle and or chip easily while being installed. Its can be used in any tile installing. Wet areas, interior and exterior. Now there is different grades of porcelain tile ranges from 0-5. The higher the grades usually means the more dense (harder) the tile will be. Most installs I will recommend a porcelain tile, if the client want a durable long lasting tile.

Ceramic tile:

-Ceramic tile over the last few years has made a comeback with most if not all subway type tiles being made up of ceramic. Ceramic is a softer tile than porcelain. That said it will absorb more water. Since the tile is a softer material it is not as brittle as porcelain and will not chip as easily as porcelain. Nowadays you will see a lot ceramic tile come in 3”x6”-4”x16” sizing for shower walls and backsplashes. Ceramic tile is also used on floors but it will need to be a higher grade of ceramic 3-5 depending on the area needed to be installed in.

Stone tile:

-Stone tile is a really timeless look. Its a real beauty.

The pros, stone tile can be polish quiet a few times depending on the thickness of the stone. It can be cut to size in most cases and the edges can be polished to made a factory cut look. No tile will ever look the same.

The cons,absorbs a lot of water. With a 3%-5% water absorption. This tile will suck up a lot of water,Its will need to be sealer with a proper sealer when newly installed before grouting and then every 6-12 months depends on the area it was installed in. You can not use stone in a steam shower. Alot of my clients like stone installed on there shower floor. I do not recommend it, yes it looks amazing with new but depending on the quality of the water in the house, the stone can discolor over time.

Glass tile:

-Glass tile with a water absorption rate of 0.1%-0.5% it almost sucks up no water. Most glass tile are only good for vertical surfaces (walls). They are a soft body tile. Difficult to cut and install. They have there issues being installed in a wet areas. Consult the glass manufacturer when install in a wet area if they do not have information on the box on areas they can be installed. Due to the material they are made of (glass) they will expand and contract a lot more than other tile. Due to this you will need to made sure to have proper expand areas with the glass tile will meet a change of plane (corners, floors,celing etc. If you do not they tile will need to give some where and made crack in the field. Where it can to relieve the stress of the movement.

So what the best tile for you? Make your pick with what your trying to get out the installation.

Overall in my opinion, You can’t go wrong in most cases with porcelain tile.