Do You Know Your Tile and Stone?

Glazed Porcelain
Glazed porcelain is the most common type of entry-level porcelain tile. It starts with an uncolored boy of which glaze and decorative applications are applied. The tile is fired, and the glazed melts onto the body forming a durable top layer that can appear as stone, leather or wood.

Through Body Porcelain
A Through Body porcelain has pigments throughout the entire body so that the color goes all the way through. Pigment is the costliest part of the tile, through body porcelains tend to be more expensive.

Rectified Porcelain
A Rectified porcelain can be either a glazed or through body cut the sides of the tile are ground with a grinding wheel to be a consistent size.

Travertine
Travertine is created when mineral rich water evaporates over many years and the minerals are deposited into layers. Travertine is a good all purpose stone for home flooring and in light commercial use.

Marble
Marble starts as limestone, but then is subjected to hear and pressure drop deep underground where it recrystallizes into a dense stone. Marble is distinctive for its natural veins and depth of color.

Limestone
Limestone if formed when minerals are deposited but it occurs under water. The minerals often mix with shells and sea creatures. Limestone contains a fossil record of the sea floor from millions of years ago.

Slate
Slate is a metamorphic rock that cleaves naturally into smooth surfaced layers. It is quarried and split along its natural cleavage planes the then the floor tiles are machined on one side to have a flat surface for installation.

Granite
Granite is a very hard rock that has mineral inclusions giving it color and depth.