Ceramic Tile Wear Ratings

Designed to resist medium to heavy wear group 3 tile is rated for use in residential and light commercial applications.

Ceramic tile wear ratings.

Use floor tiles with a pei wear rating of iii iv or iv. The porcelain enamel institute pei has developed a rating scale that can effectively guide a consumer through the arduous process of choosing the right tile for lets say a family room or busy kitchen area. Less than 7 for areas that are occasionally wet bathrooms kitchens. This rating does not measure the overall quality of the tile but the tile s resistance to abrasion and ability to handle foot traffic.

The current rating system for ceramic tile in place today is really the only reliable gauge for consumers to use in determining wear expectations for a particular tile choice. A rating of 1 is the highest quality and thickest tile available 3 4 inch thick and you can use them. Tiles in areas which are more often walked on by normal footwear with small amounts of abrasive dirt for example residential kitchens halls corridors balconies and terraces. Use tiles that provide good traction cof greater than or equal to 0 60.

It s a scale of 0 5 that indicates how a floor tile will wear due to the amount of foot traffic and therefore suggest what floor applications if any that the tile is appropriate for. Water absorption standards vary. How pei ratings are determined. Free quotes from tile contractors.

It is measured by the use of a machine known as a rotary abrasion resistance testing machine in which steel ball bearings are pressed down and rolled over the surface of the tile while an observer watches the effect. Tiles are graded using a numerical numbering system based on their thickness and quality. Tiles in areas which are walked on with soft soled footwear or bare feet with minimal amounts of abrasive dirt for example residential bathrooms. The ratings are issued based on how many revolutions of the machine s head are required before visible abrasions appear on the tile.

The porcelain enamel institute pei has developed a rating scale that can effectively guide. Ceramic tile wear ratings. The pei rating is essentially a measurement of the surface enamel s resistance to abrasion. Often this is referred to on technical specifications as abrasion resistance durability classification or pei rating.

Pei class 1 2. The porcelain enamel institute pei rates ceramic tiles for wear on a scale from 1 to 5.