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Ceramic Tiles - Label Information
Label Categories
Ceramic tiles are shipped in cartons with labels containing (symbols) and important
information about the tiles, including:
- Grade
- PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute wear) rating
- Water Absorption (W.A.)
- Coefficient of friction rating (C.O.F.)
- Frost
- Tone
In General, Carpentry Done Right recommends the following set of ratings as a guideline
for selecting floor tiles.
Grade: Use Grade 1 or 2 tiles for floors. Grade 3 tiles are suitable only for walls.
PEI Wear Rating: Use floor tiles with a PEI rating of III, IV or IV+.
C.O.F.: Use tiles that provide good traction (COF greater than or equal to 0.60).
Water Absorption (W.A.): Water absorption standards vary. In general, use:
- Less than 7 % for areas that are occasionally wet (bathrooms, kitchens).
- Less than 3 % for areas that are constantly wet (showers).
Elsewhere, water absorption is unimportant.
Frost: Frost resistance is an issue for outdoor installation only.
Tone: Personal taste determines which variations in floor tile tone are most suitable, so
choose the tiles you like best.
1 Grade is the numerical ranking that reflects tile quality. Grade Grade 1: Highest quality. Recommended for walls and floors. Grade 2: Similar to grade 1, but with slight imperfections. Recommended for
walls or floors.
Grade 3: Lowest quality. Thinner tile design for walls, not floors. Floor tiles
are allowed on walls, Grade 3 tiles are not allowed on floors.
Note: PEI wear ratings apply to glazed ceramic tiles only.
PEI III PEI Wear Rating
Indicates tile's resistance to abrasion; reflects suitability for floor traffic.
Icon that identifies PEI: Bit drilling into tile
PEI I and II: Lowest resistance. Not suitable for floors (walls only).
PEI III: Moderate resistance. Suitable for all residential uses.
PEI IV: High resistance. Suitable for all residential and light commercial uses.
PEI IV+: Highest resistance. Suitable for all residential and all commercial
and heavy traffic uses.
W.A. Water Absorption (W.A.)
2- 5% A tile's rate of water absorption: Weight of water absorbed as percentage of
tile weight.
Icon that identifies W.A.: Umbrella shielding rain
Nonvitreous: High absorption (more than 7 % water absorbed). Not suitable
for outdoor use or for rooms with a lot of moisture, such as bathrooms.
Semivitreous: Moderate absorption (3 % - 7 % water absorbed). Not suitable
for outdoor use or for wet rooms, such as bathrooms.
Vitreous: Low absorption (0.5 % - 3 % water absorbed). Suitable for outdoor
use and wet rooms, such as bathrooms.
Impervious: Lowest absorption (less than 0.5 % water absorbed). Suitable
for all interior and exterior uses.
Notes:
- Glazed tiles are resistant to water at the tile surface, but susceptible at the edges.
- All grouts, except epoxies, will allow some moisture absorption.
- Only vitreous and impervious tiles should be used outdoors or in bathrooms.
- Most glazed tile is fired to give an absorption rate of less than or equal to 3 %, which
places them in a frost proof category (vitreous and impervious).
- Glazed white body (talc clay) wall tiles are no vitreous with more than 7 %
absorption. If these tiles become saturated and are installed in an exterior freeze
environment, the tiles will be damaged by the freeze thaw cycle,
resulting in cracked tile or spalling the glaze finish.
- In general, the more resistant a tile is to water, the more it will cost.
C.O.F. (Coefficient of Friction) DRY .65 The coefficient of friction value represents the tile's natural resistance to slip,
measured by the force required to move an object across the tile divided by
its weight. Icon that identifies C.O.F.: Sliding person Range: 0 - 1
Lower Numbers: Indicate less friction: floor will provide less traction and be
more slippery.
Higher Numbers: Indicate more friction: floor will provide greater traction and
be less slippery.
Recommended or required values
C.O.F. Greater than .50 - Recommended for standard residential
application.
C.O.F. Greater than .60 - Required for commercial applications to meet or
exceed ADA guidelines.
Tone
Multishade grid indicating that the carton contains variations in tone
from tile to tile, which is true for most types of tile, except for pure colors,
such as black and white.
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