Selection of tile is a daunting task. There are so many choices it is hard to think of where to begin. Finding the right tile that is suitable for a given applitcation is of course important and of course you will want the time consumed doing that to be a short as it can. Making sure you have the right tile starts with knowing what your options are.
Tile is made from a wide variety of materials, most often some type of ceramic. Ceramic tile combines the virtues of low cost and high durability. You’ll also find tiles in a tile store in varieties that range from terra cotta, stone, porcelain and agglomerated. These all come in a range of prices and applicability to specific situations.
Ceramic tile has thousands upon thousands of choices in size, color, shape and texture. If you can imagine it, somebody someplace is probably making it. Squares, hexagons, triangles… the list is endless. Ceramic tiles often come pre-set on a paper backing that allows you to mearly unroll the tile onto the floor and add grout, the pattern is pre-determined and you don’t need to worry about spending hours making sure every tile is in the correct space or set the correct distance from each of its neighbors. Low polish ceramic tile is the best choice for floors that are likely to be wet or high traffic areas because the surface is less slippery.
Porcelain tile is a subset of ceramic tiles; it’s made with a higher temperature kiln with a glaze. This lends the tempered porcelain a bit more durability, and there are wider options for color patterns. That said, it’s less common than ceramic because many people feel that the price to durability ratio is unfavorable. Porcelain is a bad choice for any floor that’s going to be wet or potentially slippery. It should be avoided in kitchens and bathrooms and foyers.
More expensive than ceramic, quarry or stone tile is a popular choice because of its natural finish and appearance; this is a pretty high premium to pay - upwards of four times as much for a given area over ceramic. It’s a popular choice for outdoor use, where it fits in with natural walkways and landscaping. Most driveway and other applications for outdoor use are stone and brick because they can handle the abuse these applications get. When considering stone for interior use, remember that getting stone tiles in anything smaller than a 12×12″ piece is pretty uncommon, and they’re hard to cut for custom shapes.
Mexican tile (also called terra cotta) is a clay based, unglazed ceramic tile type. Since they’re unglazed, they’re a horrible choice for use on the floor, where routine mopping, or walking over them with wet boots, can do serious damage and cause them to disintegrate. What they excel at is decorative patterns for interior walls, or rarely in seating areas.
The last type of tile to showcase are agglomerated tiles, which are bits of stone and other material put into an epoxy or resin base; compared to ceramic tile making, this is a brand new innovation. However, they can be made to custom specifications in a short period of time, and can be cut more readily than a basic stone tile can. The exact job for each type of agglomerated tile will vary by its composition and resin base, so be sure to ask questions before you buy and discuss what you want to do with it.
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