Ceramic Tile & Porcelain Tile
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Below you will find some general information about ceramic tile to help you better understand your options. Stop by any of our Milwaukee store locations and we will be happy to help guide you with your ceramic tile selections. Tile Basics- There are many different materials from which tiles are made. The three main groups are ceramic, porcelain, and stone. Ceramic tiles are almost always glazed. Porcelain tiles can be glazed or unglazed. The glazed tiles have a special coating that is applied to the body of the tile and then fired under tremendous heat. The glazing becomes hard and non-porous, and it is the glazing that gives us so many choices of color and look. Ceramic tiles offer many benefits, including:
Unglazed Floor Tile (Pavers etc.) – There is no glazing or any other coating applied to these tiles. These tiles may sometimes be porous, in which case it is recommendeded that a special penetrating sealant be used to help prevent staining of the tiles. The color is the same throughout the body as well as the face of these tiles, resulting in very durable tiles that do not show the effects of heavy traffic. The main stone tiles are marble, granite, limestone, and slate. Below is a short description of each. It is necessary to seal the stone in order to protect and enjoy them for a long time. Marble is a natural stone product, and when veining is present it's hard to find two tiles that look exactly the same. There are special marble sealants to help protect from staining. Extra care should be used when cleaning and all abrasives and acidic cleaners should never be used. Even colas, some juices, and possibly ammonia may destroy the marble finish. Granite is the strongest and the densest of almost all stone tiles. It is commonly delivered with a fine finish and withstands staining better than any other type of stone tile. It is commonly used on countertops and backsplashes. Limestone is a very popular stone, it is the most used stone in any area. it has a distinct beauty and warmth and our prices are very competitive in the local market. Its color hovers around beige, which a lot of people find very attractive and easy to match. Slate is very unique and colorful, it usually has a very rough surface, has extreme color and thickness variation, and more than any other type of stone brings home the natural beauty of stone. Because it is a soft multi-layered stone, you may see flakes comming out from some of the tiles. Getting a little more extra tiles than normal helps in avoiding the installation of visibly weak tiles. Most slate tiles are not recommended for heavy traffic areas. Grouting the tiles is the process of filling the lines between the tiles. Grout is a mixture of cement and a color additive. When the grout line width (the gap between the laid-down tiles) is over 1/8", sand is added to the grout for texture and durability. Also, a liquid latex additive can be added to some grouts for stain protection. For ease of maintenance, a penetrating sealant should be used. It should be noted that you may see a change in the color of your grout over time. Some other things to consider when selecting ceramic tiles are tile size, grout colors, tile thickness, height variations between existing floors, subfloor suitability, and patterns and borders. |
Ceramic tile offers timeless beauty, extraordinary durability and unlimited
design possibilities. If you have never considered ceramic tile before
or even recently, you will be amazed at the variety of colors, patterns,
sizes, shapes, and textures available for you to select from. 
Today's ceramic is much easier to maintain,
much more affordable, and can compliment any interior design. At Kerns
Carpets we offer the widest selection of name brand ceramic and porcelain
tiles from companies such as: Daltile, Mohawk, SelectaFloor, Shaw,
Mannington, Liz Claiborne and many more. With every sale we offer
expert installation and our exclusive Carpet One warranties.