Page 344 - 2018 National Home Improvement

2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 277

Tips on Ceramic Tile
Most ceramic tile carries a PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute) wear rating:
• Class 1, no foot traffic. Interior residential and commercial walls only.
• Class 2, light traffic. Interior residential and commercial walls and residential bathroom floors.
• Class 3, light to moderate traffic. Residential floors, countertops, and walls.
• Class 4, moderate to heavy traffic. Residential, medium commercial and light institutional floors and
walls.
• Class 5, heavy to extra-heavy traffic. Residential, commercial and institutional floors and walls.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Tile
Tile that absorbs water will crack when exposed to freezing and thawing. Tile with an absorption rating of
3 percent or less is usually considered acceptable for outdoor use. That includes vitrified and porcelain
ceramic tiles. Outdoor tile is very dense and doesn’t break easily. Use thin-set mortar with a latex
admix.

Matching Styles and Batches
Tile colors and glazes can vary from batch to batch. To make matching easier, many tile manufacturers
emboss batch numbers into the back of each tile.