How Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Is Made

Up to date knowledge on how this ancient product is created.

The Creation of Ceramic Tiles

A ceramic tile floor is an artistic statement that fills your home with personality. Your ceramic artwork can greet you at a spectacular entryway, at the edge of a hot tub, or under your feet after a particularly harrowing day. It is beautiful, practical and versatile. If you are considering tiling with ceramic, learning about ceramic construction can give you a background that can help you with your decision. This article will give you a background on how ceramic tiles are made, and introduce you to some of the performance aspects as well. We've also included an easy to understand abrasion rating system that should be of great assistance to you when deciding what type of ceramic tile you would like for your floor.

Get comfortable and take a tour of the ceramic tile process.

Uniting Fire and Earth

The process of creating ceramic tile hasn't changed much over the last few hundred centuries. You take natural products, such as clay, from the earth. You then shape it, perhaps in a tile shape. Then you take the shaped clay and fire it in a kiln at a super high temperatures that can reach 2000 degrees Fahrenheit

As you've probably seen in homes or magazines, ceramic tiles can be used for walls, counters and floors. They can also be used for furniture, headboards and picture frames. Floor tiles are far more durable than wall tiles. Wall tiles are not designed to take on the weight and wear and tear that floor tiles have to struggle with.

Wall tiles are usually glazed, and have a semi-gloss or matte surface.

Two Classes of Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tiles are available in glazed and unglazed tiles.

A glazed tile has two layers. You can see these layers if you look at a tile from the side. The largest layer is the bottom layer, and that's referred to as the “bisque.” The top layer is the official “glaze.”

After glaze tiles are fired at the kiln, they develop an impermeable surface that is hard and non-porous. A glazed tile is more appropriate for rooms where spills are likely to occur because they have a higher stain-resistance than unglazed tile. They are also easy to clean. A definite advantage for use in kitchens and bathrooms.

Unglazed tiles are color-filled with a solid color. They do not have any glaze on top. An industry term for unglazed tiles with a solid color all the way through is “through-body construction.” Unglazed tiles are more durable than glazed tiles, and often used for outdoor living applications. Unglazed tiles also have a higher density level, which make them ideal for rooms that are going to be exposed to heavy wear and tear – particularly a “kid zone.”

The Ceramic Tile Manufacturing Process

Mining, Blending, Mixing, Pressing, Glazing and Firing are the five steps it takes to manufacture ceramic tile.

Step 1 All Natural

Raw materials are mined. These materials are a mix of clay and minerals.

Step 2 Mud Turns to Sand

Clay and raw minerals are then combined thoroughly and mixed into a semi-fine powder. Then water is added to make a muddy mixture called “slurry.” The slurry is then pumped into a large drying machine. Out comes a fine clay powder that is just like sand.

Step 3 Forming the Formula

The next day the tiles are officially turned into “green tiles” by being pressed and formed into their tile shape. “Green tiles” is a term the ceramic industry came up with describe tiles at this stage. This is a common method for forming ceramic tiles.

A lesser-used method of extrusion can be substituted for the pressing method. In an extrusion method, the tiles are formed by pressuring the clay to go through a mold, instead of being pressed into a mold.

Once the tiles are formed, they are then dried to eradicate some moisture.

Step 4 The Glaze Phase

Once the tiles are shaped and dried, it's time for the glaze phase. Unglazed tiles don't go through this step, they go right to the firing kiln.

Frit and dye are used, which are glass derivatives, to create the liquid glaze. A high pressured spray is used to cover the tile with glaze. In some instances, it is poured right onto the tile.

Step 5 Lots of Hot

At a burning hot temperature that averages about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, the ceramic tiles are fired up at the kiln.

Monocuttura tile is a “single-fired” tile, meaning that it is fired up only once after the glaze.

Biocuttura is a “double-fired” tile. They will be fired after the green tile is dried, and they will be at the kiln burning at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit after the glaze is put on.

A Word About Porcelain

Porcelain is often considered another category of ceramic, in addition to glazed and unglazed ceramic tiles, but it too is divided into glazed and unglazed categories. Porcelain is elegant and strong, incredibly versatile, and uniquely inviting. If you crave an artistic flair for you floor, there are no better choices than ceramic or porcelain.

Porcelain is also an extraordinary choice of tile because of its resistance to moisture and staining. It has an absorption rating of less than 0.5%, which is extremely low. The low rating makes porcelain an ideal tile for interior rooms that are subject to water exposure (your kitchen, bath or indoor hot tub), and it makes porcelain an ideal tile for exterior tiling. Since it doesn't absorb moisture, it is frost-resistant (not completely frost-proof) and holds up well in cold Chicago winters.

It has a very dense body made up of fine-grain clays and minerals. At the kiln, porcelain is subjected to extreme temperatures, even higher than the 2000 degree Fahrenheit heat of standard ceramic tiles.

Glazed porcelain tiles are easier to maintain than unglazed tile. There are microscopic holes that are present in porcelain tile, but these are filled in when the porcelain is glazed. The glaze will, however, likely change the color of the porcelain.

Unglazed porcelain has gained the name of “through body” by professionals in the ceramic industry. This is because the color of unglazed porcelain goes through the entire body of the tile. This is advantageous because it allows the porcelain tile to show less wear and tear than it would if the color didn't go all the way through. Unglazed porcelain tile also generally has a better slip-resistant quality than glazed tile.

Tile Ratings

Although you can mix and match ceramic and porcelain tiles, you need to pay attention to the ratings from the ASTM (American Society for Testing & Materials). Floor tiles are created for extra weight-bearing, whereas wall tiles are not. Therefore, you would be safe using a floor tile on a wall, but not in using a wall tile on the floor. The ratings should be listed on the tile sample, or in a product catalog.

There are 5 classes of these ratings suggested by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). These classes indicate abrasion resistance and durability.

Class 1: Wall Use Only. No Traffic.

These tiles are recommended for interior walls only and do not have the weight-bearing capacity required for floor traffic.

Class 2: Light Residential Use. Light traffic.

These tiles are suitable for bathroom flooring, countertops and walls, but they are not for floors that support daily traffic, such as living rooms and kitchens.

Class 3: Medium Commercial and All Residential

These are the tiles made for home flooring. They can be used on floors, walls or countertops, and in family rooms, living rooms, kitchens and hallways, and any other room that will get some foot traffic. Medium Commercial and All Residential are solid, strong and dependable.

Class 4: Moderate to Heavy Traffic. Residential, Commercial and Light Industrial.

You'll see Class 4 tiles in restaurants, malls, showrooms and public buildings. They will definitely hold up to heavy residential use, and they are made for medium commercial use and light industrial use as well. These tiles can be used on floors or walls.

Class 5: Heavy Traffic. The Toughest.

Imagine the traffic at the Chicago airport and subways stations. Class 5 tiles are made for the most demanding traffic areas, such as airports, subways and supermarkets. This is the toughest and most durable tile of them all.

Floor tiles will also have a Slip-Resistance rating. This rating is achieved by a mathematical formula which determines the Coefficient of Friction (COF). A higher COF rating means that the tile is more slip-resistant than a tile with a lower rating. This is another important rating that you should examine when you are choosing your particular tile type. Choosing a tile with a low COF rating could be dangerous if it gets installed in a shower, bathroom or kitchen.

Ratings such as those mentioned above, as well as other manufacturer and industry ratings on scratch resistance, moisture absorption, chemical resistance and breaking strength should all be considered when you are making your tile selection. By considering these in your tile selection decision, you will be confident that you are choosing the most appropriate and cost-efficient tile for your floor.

We hope this article has given you some valuable information that you can refer to when you go shopping for your ceramic tile. If you get a chance to visit our Chicago showroom, our experienced staff can help you discern which tile is most appropriate for your plans based on tile types and ratings. Then you can spend more time planning the design. (We can help you with that too. But that's usually the fun part of the planning process.)

Enjoy your search for the perfect floor for your home. Browse through our website for more ideas and information on other floorings if you're not sure if ceramic is for you. With every step you take towards making a decision, you get one step closer to walking on your new floor.