Sponsored Results for Ceramic Tile

Quick Fact:

Worldwide usage of Ceramic Tiles is estimated to be 9 billion square feet in 2010, and has shown consistant growth each of the past 5 years. Ceramic Tiles continue to be the most widely used, and popular Tile on the planet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the antic civilization of the Egyptian, ceramic tile have been used to decorate house and patio all around the world.  

The roman use to floor their houses with mosaic and marble.

In ancient time mosaic was used to decorate walls and interiors of churches.

Today natural stones and ceramic tile are extensively used to decorate interior or exterior of our homes.

Ceramic tile today are strong and beautiful, with endless designs, styles, colors and sizes.

You can choose a marbleized, rustic, stone like or a wood-look design.

Ceramic tile will not stain nor the color faint.

Italy, Spain, Brazil, Taiwan, Mexico and China are the major production country.

Ceramic tile is the flooring choice for the new millennium. Sophisticated, stylish and so easy to maintain, floor tile is becoming a popular design choice, and Daltile is the resource to meet that demand. From the elegance of realistically textured stone- and marble-looks to the rustic charm of Southwestern saltillos, ceramic is increasingly viewed as an affordable and attractive flooring choice. Ceramic floor tile is common in commercial and residential floors, walls, countertops, patios and exterior cladding.

With a virtually limitless selection consisting of 4-1/4", 6" and 8" square tiles and larger size wall tiles which coordinate with floor tiles as well as complementary trim and angle pieces.  offering of ceramic wall tile is unmatched by any other manufacturer. At Daltile, you'll find glazed wall tile for almost any application: interior walls, shower walls, countertops, vanity tops, ceilings, kitchen backsplashes, tub surrounds and light-duty residential floors. Daltile produces a myriad of choices in a never ending array of colors and textures.

With  mosaics, unending design possibilities exist - special patterns, murals and logos are popular examples of the versatility of mosaic tile. Small unit mosaics from are available in an array of exciting colors and are fade- and stain-resistant. Unglazed mosaic typically is applied in commercial walls and floors as well as in decorative murals and logos. Glazed mosaics are commonly used in light usage areas as a complement to the unglazed mosaic products, kitchen backsplashes, shower walls and as a decorative accent blended into unglazed mosaics. Both glazed and unglazed mosaic tile are commonly used in bathrooms for residential and commercial purposes.

 

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Decorating with Ceramic Tile

Using ceramic tile in your decorating scheme can be simple once you know the basics. It's extremeley important that you make the right decision, considering ceramic tile will become a permanent part of your home's decor.

Sizes, Styles and Textures

There is a wide variety of sizes, styles and textures when it comes to ceramic tiile. Such a vast selection can be overwhelming. We'll guide you in the right direction based on the total area you are looking to cover, the finished look you are trying to achieve, and other factors you will need to consider.

 
Qualities and Ratings

There is a standard rating system used for judging the durability of ceramic tile. Some people who sell ceramic tile use this rating system to oversell a customer. We'll ease your concerns in this area and make sure you get the quality that best suits your needs.

Installation Materials and Related Products

Choosing your installation materials can be as important as choosing your tile. Something as simple as your grout, which is a fairly inexpensive item, can drastically alter the finished look of your floor. We'll explain some industry basics in terms you can understand, to help make you an instant expert.

 

There are different qualities or "groups" that are used to rate a ceramic tile. These groups are as follows:

Group I - Light Traffic
These tiles are usually used in residential bathroom floors and are not reccomneded for any area that will have any constant or heavy foot traffic.

Group II - Moderate Traffic
These tiles can be used on residential interior floors but should not be used in areas such as kitchens, entry ways, stairs, or areas that me have contact with sand or gravel and then be walked on.

Group III - Moderate to Heavy Traffic
These tiles can be used for any residential or light commercial application. The only place this tile would not be used is in a heavy traffic commercial area such as in a bank at a teller window, a restaurant, etc.

Group IV - Heavy Traffic
These tiles can be used for any residential and most all commercial
applications. These tiles could even be used in such heavy traffic areas as a shopping mall.

Group V - Ultra Heavy Traffic
These tiles can be used for all residential, commercial, as well as industrial applications where extreme durability is required. 

 

  There are so many styles to choose from when it comes to ceramic tile that it can be a real challenge to go out and shop for tile. We'll try to give you some insight into what might fit your specific needs.

Sizes

Ceramic tile varies in size, from 1" X 1" to as large as 24" X 24". We will discuss the most commonly used sizes for square tiles - 12", 13", 16", 17" and 18".

Choosing the correct size to fit your area is simple. If you have a small room, for instance a 9' X 9' area, we would recommend that you stick to a 12" X 12" or 13" X 13" tile. If you use a larger size in a small area, it may tend to appear overpowering, and you may not get the full overall presence of the tile. In a larger area, the choice is yours.

A simple room of thumb is, the larger the tile, the larger the overall look. This is mainly due to the fact that with a larger tile, you will have fewer grout joints or grout lines. With fewer grout joints, the overall look will be less busy, and will look larger. Another benefit to the fewer grout joints is that there is less grout in general to keep clean.

Styles

When it comes to ceramic tile styles, the choices are virtually endless. Even so, there is still a method of shopping for the right style. Just try to imagine what look you want in your home. Do you want the warm, somewhat rustic look? If so, the stone look tiles are for you.

The stone tiles are by far the most popular look right now. There are a lot of stone look tiles, and they usually live up to their name, imitating the natural look of stone. Most have a very textured look.

There are usually mixes of color in each of the stone-look tiles. However, there are also many available in solid and slightly shaded colors. Many also have very rustic edges, with the appearance of having been cracked or hammered.

All of these features add to the finished look. Many manufacturers also make coordinating and contrasting borders to accent the look of a tile. But we must caution you to consider your project budget, as some of these borders are quite costly.

Would you prefer the formal high gloss look? This has been a popular look for a very long time. A high gloss marbleized tile can add a high class look to any home.

There are a few considerations in using high gloss tiles. If you have an active family lifestyle, with kids, etc., or if you have anyone living in your home who is disabled, or very elderly, the high gloss tiles can present a problem. They become extremely slippery when they are wet. In addition, they tend to show more day-to-day soil than the textured or less glossy tiles do. With that in mind, if you have the appropriate home for this type of floor, it will deifnitely lend a touch of elegance to any area.

Textures

The different textures of ceramic tiles are directly related to the style, and whichever style you decide on will most likely determine the texture you get. If you are looking at the stone-look tiles, they will most likely have a rougher texture, while the marbleized tiles will have a smooth, glass-like feel.

There are several other textures available. One, which is very common, is known as a matte finish. This is a smooth finish which is not as slippery as a high gloss finish, and has a duller apperance.

There is also a rippled high gloss finish which is also referred to as an "orange peel" finish. Another texture is the non-skid finish. This is available in a few different variations, but the most common finish looks and feels like a heavy grit sand paper. This finish is sometimes used outdoors on patios, walkways, around pools, or in commercial application.

Keep one thing in mind, though, when considering using this type of texture outdoors. Although it has a heavy sand-like quality, it is still a glazed ceramic tile. This means that any water will sit on top of the tile, and can still present a slip hazard.

There are other tile textures available, such as a quarry tile or a porcelain tile, but these are mainly used in commercial applications.

Remember, if you ever have any questions concerning this topic or any related topics we are covering here, feel free to call us and we will be glad to give you as much help as we can.