All about ceramics, porcelain & tile flooring
When you walk into our tile showroom, you’ll be amazed at the almost unlimited number of choices. Tile flooring is one of the most versatile materials, working just as well in the kitchen and bath as in the living room. Some, especially in hot climates, also use it in the bedroom because of the material’s temperature transference properties. Now that you’re so close to making your decision, there are a few things you should know.
Floor tiles aren’t the same as for wall
When they’re made for the floor, they are thicker to withstand the weight of foot traffic. It is possible to use floor ceramics for the wall, but not the other way around. Boxes are marked as to whether it’s appropriate for floors or walls. It also drills deeper, categorizing appropriateness for various foot traffic levels, porosity, and even grip (called "coefficient of friction" or COF).
The word "ceramic" refers to any material made of clay, even if it includes sand and glass. That means porcelain is a type of ceramic. It is heavier, denser, and best suited to high traffic floors in busy areas, such as the kitchen and bath. Waterproof, whether or not it's glazed, they can also be used outdoors and is considered "through-body," meaning that the color goes entirely through, making chips unnoticeable.
Porcelain is a large format, sometimes getting as big as 60x120, responding to tiles' current trend to get larger and larger. It is available in a large assortment of colors and patterns and can be made to look like anything, from stone to wood and fabric to leather. It can also be used on walls, and tub/shower surrounds.
Other ceramics include the 4 X 4 highly decorated squares often seen on backsplashes and accent walls, as well as floors. You will also see terracotta, with that beautiful reddish-brown hue that works so well in rustic atmospheres. Even mosaics, the tiny, often glass-coated pieces used mainly for floor and wall decoration and subway bricks, usually seen on backsplashes but also used on very low traffic indoor floors.
Visit our showroom to see stunning tile floors and get inspiration as well as a free quote. The Luke Van Camp's Floors & More showroom is in Tallahassee, FL, and visit us, especially if you’re a homeowner in Tallahassee, FL, Thomasville, GA, Crawfordville, FL, Woodville, FL, and Havana, FL. We’re committed to providing quality and service you can stand on.
Types of ceramics
The word "ceramic" refers to any material made of clay, even if it includes sand and glass. That means porcelain is a type of ceramic. It is heavier, denser, and best suited to high traffic floors in busy areas, such as the kitchen and bath. Waterproof, whether or not it's glazed, they can also be used outdoors and is considered "through-body," meaning that the color goes entirely through, making chips unnoticeable.
Porcelain is a large format, sometimes getting as big as 60x120, responding to tiles' current trend to get larger and larger. It is available in a large assortment of colors and patterns and can be made to look like anything, from stone to wood and fabric to leather. It can also be used on walls, and tub/shower surrounds.
Other ceramics include the 4 X 4 highly decorated squares often seen on backsplashes and accent walls, as well as floors. You will also see terracotta, with that beautiful reddish-brown hue that works so well in rustic atmospheres. Even mosaics, the tiny, often glass-coated pieces used mainly for floor and wall decoration and subway bricks, usually seen on backsplashes but also used on very low traffic indoor floors.
Visit our showroom to see stunning tile floors and get inspiration as well as a free quote. The Luke Van Camp's Floors & More showroom is in Tallahassee, FL, and visit us, especially if you’re a homeowner in Tallahassee, FL, Thomasville, GA, Crawfordville, FL, Woodville, FL, and Havana, FL. We’re committed to providing quality and service you can stand on.
