CERAMIC TILE

With today's technology ceramic tile has become easier to maintain and much more affordable. If you have never considered ceramic tile before you will be amazed at the variety of colors, patterns, sizes, shapes, and textures available for you to choose from. Let our expert sales people help you find the right tile floor for your home. We also offer expert installation and free home estimates.

Glazed Tile - Most of the common ceramic floor tiles have either a glazed, or unglazed surface. The glazed tiles have a special ceramic coating that is applied to the body of the tile and then fired under tremendous heat. The glazing becomes hard and non-porous resulting in a flooring that is:

• Stain Resistant
• Scratch Resistant
• Fire Resistant
• Doesn't Fade from Sun Light
• Slip Resistant
• Easy to Clean

Unglazed Floor Tile or Natural Stone - There is no glazing or any other coating applied to these tiles. Because these tiles are porous it is recommendeded that a special penetrating sealant be used to maintain this type of floors and to help prevent stains from seeping into the pores of the tiles. Their color is the same on the face of the tile as it is on the back resulting in very durable tiles that do not show the effects of heavy traffic.

Porcelain Tile - Porcelain tile is a type of ceramic made of a very fine mixture of clays and minerals similar to those found in fine dinnerware. These special clays allow porcelain tile to be fired at temperatures even higher than ceramic tile, typically exceeding 2,400 degrees (F). The higher temperature results in a very dense tile. And the denser the tile, the better it resists moisture.

Like ceramic tile, porcelain tile is resistant to stains, odors, bacteria, and scratches. It is also...

• denser and harder than most other tile
• highly stain and water resistant
• naturally hygienic with easy to clean surface that can be smooth, textured, or polished
• beautiful and durable, both in the home or in commercial applications

Marble - Marble is a natural product and is not made in a factory. For this reason no two pieces of marble look the same and the veining is a natural characteristic in all marble. There are special marble sealants to help protect from staining of the face. Extra care should be used when cleaning and all abrasives and acidic cleaners should never be used when cleaning. Even colas, some juices, and possibly ammonia may destroy the marble finish.

Granite - This is another natural stone and is not manufacturered in a factory. Granite can be used indoors or outdoors and is less porous than marble. It is still recommended that you use a sealant to protect the finish from staining.

Grout - Grout is a mixture of cement and a color additive. For tile floors with wider spaces between each tile sand is added to the grout. Also, a liquid latex additive can be added to the grout to give better resiliency to the grouted areas. For ease of maintenance a penetrating sealant should be used on the grout. It should be noted you may see a change in color of your grout over time. Some of the other important things we can help with when selecting a tile floor is the slip-resistance, the size and color of the grout joints, the thickness of the tile, height variations from room to room, size of the tile, suitability of the subfloor, and cleaning of the tile.