Guide to Understanding and Choosing Tiles

What tile material is best for my project?

Ceramic Tiles have been used for thousands of years, are durable, easy to maintain and eco-friendly. Ceramic tiles are usually more lightweight and affordable than porcelain tiles making them ideal for indoor, residential applications.

Porcelain Tiles are made using finer materials and are fired at higher temperatures. This makes them very durable, dense and water resistant. Porcelain tiles are ideal in high-traffic commercial and outdoor residental areas as they offer greater durability and wear resistance.

Natural Stone Tiles are not man-made and therefore offer a unique appearance that varies from tile to tile. Natural Stone Tiles are beautiful and durable but often require more maintenance (like sealing and using non-abrasive clearners) and consideration than ceramic or porcelain tiles. It is important that you research and understand the specific stone's characteristics and suitability for your project and some stones are more porous and susceptible to staining than others.

What does vitrified mean?

Vitrification is a process of heating something to meld it together and reduce it's porosity, thereby improving it's water and grime resistance. Tiles are available in Vitrified, Semi-Vitrified and Highly Vitrified states.

Semi-Vitrified tiles have a water absorption rate between 3% and <6%. They are suitable for dry areas like walls.

Vitrified tiles have a water absorption rate between 0.5% and <3%. They are ideal for low-traffic areas like bedrooms.

Highly Vitrified (Porcelain) tiles have a water absorption rate of <0.5%. They are the most durable and perfect for high-traffic areas, wet areas and outdoor spaces.

What is a Polished tile? What is a Lappato tile? What is a grip finish tile?

At The Blue Space we use the following terms to describe our finishes because they are the most common throughout the tile industry.

Polished finishes are high-gloss finishes that reflect light, creating the illusion of a larger, brighter space. Polished finishes are often very easy to keep clean but can be very slippery when wet.

Lappato finishes are semi-polished or honed offering a semi-gloss, satin like finish that is somewhere between gloss and matte. Some tiles combine both polished and matte finishes within their texture or pattern. Lappato finishes are generally more slip resistant than polished finishes.

Matte finishes are smooth and sleek, non-reflective finishes that absorp light rather than reflect. They can be smooth or textured and offer a warm, tactile aesthetic to a space.

Grip finishes are specifically designed to offer a high level of anti-slip and are perfect for floor tiles and outdoor use.

Honed finishes have had pits and hollows filled with a similar colour to the natural stone of the tile making them smooth and easy to clean. Honed ties generally have a lapatto sheen.

What does rectified and non-rectified mean?

Rectified tiles have been carefully cut to precise dimensions after they have been fired. This gives them a uniform dimension with perfectly straight edges allowing them to be installed with much smaller grout lines to achieve a sleek and low-maintenance space. Rectified tiles are often more prone to chipping and can have sharp edges so additional care must be taken during installation and grouting. They can also incur a higher installation fee due to the expertise and care required.

Non-Rectified tiles are also known as pressed tiles or cushion edge tiles. The edge of these tiles is formed during the moulding process, prior to firing which results in slightly rounded, more irregular edges. Without the precision cutting, variations in size and shape are common due to expansion and contraction during the firing process. Non-rectified tiles require grout lines of around 3mm to ensure a proper fit.

Tumbled tiles are generally made of natural stone that has been tumbled in a large drum to give a worn look.

What do tile slip ratings mean?

In Australia, slip ratings are determined using the 'Pendulum Test' (P rating) which measures the friction of a tile against a rubber soled shoe under wet, dry and 'contaminated' surfaces; or the oil-wet ramp test (R rating) which measures the slipperiness of a slanted tile coated in oil against a rubber shoe at varying degrees of angle.

Pendulum classifications are as follows:

P0 - Very high slip risk

P1 - Very high slip risk

P2 - High slip risk

P3 - Moderate slip risk (we recommend P3 or greater for wet areas such bathrooms, kitchens and laundries)

P4 - Low slip risk (P4 or greater is best for outdoor areas)

P5 - Very low slip risk

Oil-Wet Ramp classifications are as follows:

R9 - Very high slip risk

R10 - High slip risk

R11 - Moderate slip risk

R12 - Low slip risk

R13 - Very low slip risk

Tiles that are not rated have not undergone testing to determine their slip-rating.

Do my tiles need to be slip rated?

Slip ratings are great to use as a guide for selecting flooring in Australian homes but there is no obligation to meet requirements for general flooring in residential projects. The Australian National Construction Code (NCC) only mandates slip rating in residential applications for the following areas:

Stair nosings and landings - P3/R10 dry areas or P4/R11 wet areas

Ramps - between P3 and P5 or R10 and R12 depending on the incline ratio

For further information on the requirements for stairs and ramps click here

Commercial applications such as commercial kitchens, shopping centres, public spaces, warehouses, etc are subject to more stringent standards. If you are buildling a specification for a commercial project we suggest you review the standards related to the project type via the ABCB.

What do tile wear ratings mean?

Wear classifications will give you an indication of the abrasion resistance and durability of your tiles against foot traffic.

Wear Rating 0 - Intended for wall applications only; not suitable for flooring.

Wear Rating 1 - Ideal for interior wall and floor surfaces that are exposed to low-abrasion wear with bare feet or soft-soled shoes only.

Wear Rating 2 - Ideal for interior wall and floor surfaces exposed to light traffic, with soft shoes or bare feet and occasional exposure to abrasive dirt. Bedrooms or bathrooms are common applications.

Wear Rating 3 - Ideal for wall and floor surfaces exposed to general foot traffic with normal footwear and some exposure to abrasive dirt. Perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, etc.

Wear Rating 4 - Ideal for wall and floor surfaces exposed to heavy duty wear by regular traffic, with normal footwear and some exposure to abrasive dirt that is more severe than Class 3. It can be used in entrances, laundries, patios etc.

Wear Rating 5 - Ideal for wall and floor surfaces exposed to extra heavy duty wear by severe traffic over sustained periods with exposure to some abrasive dirt. Often used in places like foyers, commercial shops and other high-traffic areas.

What do the tile variation ratings mean?

Tiles are often designed with the whole collection in mind, some with a very large pattern that is broken up between the individual tiles. Boxes of tiles may include a mixture that vary in colour, texture, or pattern according to the design for the series or collection. The ratings have been developed to help you understand the level of unique variation within each collection of tiles. The higher the rating, the more variation you will find between the individual tiles.

V1 - Tiles will have uniform overall appearance with minimal to no texture or colour variation

V2 - Tiles will be similarly coloured with slight variation in texture and pattern

V3 - Tiles will feature moderate variation in appearance of colour and texture

V4 - Tiles will have substantial variation in colour and texture for a unique appearance

It is important to note that all of the categories above have some range differences, consequently they should be checked before installation to ensure you’re totally happy with the variation within the range. Tiles should also be selected from several cartons randomly and laid with the bisque logo and/or arrow facing the same direction, the latter avoiding aesthetic issues.

The sizes given by the tile manufacturers are nominal measurements. The manufacturing process for tiles can alter dimensions by as much as 0.75% and still be within the Australian standard.