Tile Lines

We carry a large line of both ceramic, stone and porcelaine tile manufacturers such as Galleher. We welcome you to our showroom.

Types of Tile Flooring

Ceramic tile is a mixture of clays and other natural materials. The special clays are mined from the earth, shaped, colored and then fired. Ceramic tile can be naturally colored and left unglazed like terra cotta, or they can feature colored or highly designed surfaces which can be glazed (finished with a glass surface) either in a high gloss or matte finish.

Porcelain tile is a newer form of ceramic tile. Porcelain tiles are composed of fine porcelain clays and fired at much higher temperatures than ceramic tiles. This process makes porcelain tile much more dense, less porous, much harder and less prone to moisture and stain absorption than ceramic tiles. For these reasons, most porcelain tiles are suitable for both indoor and outdoor installations.

Unglazed porcelain tile is when the color goes all the way through from top to bottom, so scratches or dings are less obvious and has better slip-resistance. Glazed porcelain tiles may or may not have the same coloration from top to bottom because of the top glazed layer. Glazed porcelain tiles help seal the microscopic pores thus are easier to maintain than unglazed tiles.

Rectified tile needs to be explained, because it is becoming more popular. Rectified tile is often described incorrectly and is confusing for people purchasing time. It is simply tile that has been grinded or sawed after firing to achieve a more exact tile size. Many tiles will vary slightly in size after being fired (both porcelain and ceramic tiles it is up to 1.5% variation) . By sawing or grinding the tiles after firing the manufacturer hopes to minimize the size variations from tile to tile. Although, at this time there are no set ANSI standards set for what the minimum variations are allowed for rectified tiles, it is strictly up to the tile manufacturer.