Different Ceramic Floor Tiles Types

The material that's used to make tile and the methods of manufacturing determine its durability and absorption. It's important to know what tile is best suited for your specific situation.

Most ceramic tile is glazed. Glazed tile is made from a mixture of clays that are pressed into shape. A "glaze" is then applied to the top and baked on. Glazed tiles are available in high-gloss, matte, and abrasive slip-resistant finishes. Glazed tiles also come in decorative styles with a pattern or hand-painted design. The glaze on the tile doesn't go all the way through, so if it gets chipped, you're going to see the color inside. Glazed tiles may tend to get scratched on frequently-used countertops, but they're ideal for walls.

Mosaic tile is made from different types of clay with color pigments added so the color goes all the way through the tile. Mosaics are suitable for almost any surface because they resist moisture, are stain-proof and will not chip easily.

Quarry tile is a broad classification for any tile made out of a mixture of clays. They are usually deep red in color and left unglazed. These tiles are used mostly for interior floors because they're usually porous and irregular in shape. The surface of these tiles can be sealed or left unsealed, although, they may stain if left unsealed.

Another hot trend is natural materials such as slate, marble, granite, and limestone cut into thin pieces and installed like tile.

Trim Tiles

Most lines of tile have special tiles for creating borders and accents. They should also have tile for finishing corners and edges. These will give your project a professional look.

You can get really fancy with your tile layout. One way is to use trim tiles for an accent strip in your design. These come in many different varieties.

Glazed tile that is used in the field will only have glaze on the top surface. This is so they can butt up to other field tile. Special tiles will be rounded at the edges to finish off the field tile.

Bullnose is a term used to describe rounded-edge tile. A single-edged bullnose tile is used to finish off the top of a wall, like a bathtub surround, or the edge of a countertop.

A double-out bullnose has two rounded edges for finishing off the corner of a tile section.

Edge tile is used for around the overhang of a countertop.

If your line of tile doesn't come with an edge tile, you can substitute it with a bullnose tile on top and a regular field tile at the edge.