Pierre Belle Blanc Bold Matt

Rectified tiles are precision-cut to size, trued and squared off, with 90-degree edges. Non-rectified tiles are pressed to nominal sizes and have rounded off edges, sometimes referred to as a cushion edge. Rectified tiles have a consistent size; non-rectified tiles can have a minimal variance in size.

The PEI Scale, or PEI Rating, is a vital tool when deciding which tile is best for you, because it classifies the ceramic surface in terms of how much wear the tile can bear without damaging its appearance.

• PEI 1 Wall tile.
• PEI 2 Bathroom and ensuite floors, soft shoe areas.
• PEI 3 Light traffic domestic, all domestic areas.
• PEI 4 High traffic domestic, all domestic areas.
• PEI 5 Light commercial, all domestic and low commercial traffic suitable for retail shops, not shopping centre floors.

Pedestrian surfacing products, intended for a range of industrial and domestic outdoor area applications, may be classified by the oil-wet inclining platform (Ramp test) method.

These values range from R9 lowest to R13 the highest amount of grip; most domestic external areas require a minimum of R11.For all commercial areas please refer to the Hand book Guide to the specification and testing of slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces.

The wet pendulum test is relatively inexpensive and may be performed either in a testing Lab or on site. The test instrument utilizes a pendulum slider making contact with the test surface over a prescribed distance and measures the quantity of resistance to the motion of the pendulum created by the contact.

These values range from P1 being the lowest amount to P5 the highest amount of grip; most domestic external areas require a minimum of P4. For all commercial areas please refer to the Hand book Guide to the specification and testing of slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces.

Each porcelain and ceramic tile features variation of colour, tone and texture that make it unique. We rate these variations according to the following hierarchy.

• V1 Uniform appearances; uniformity between pieces.
• V2 Little Variation; there may be a little shade variation between pieces.
• V3 Moderate Variation; although the colours represented on one piece are indicative of the colour on another piece, the intensity of colours on each piece may change.
• V4 High Variation; the pieces have a wide range of colours, in order to obtain a unique and natural aesthetic effect. In some cases, the pieces maybe completely different from each other.

Total thickness of the tile from back of the biscuit to the topside of the glaze.

Digital printing on tiles provides product with a distinct aesthetic look whether it be marble, stone, wood or concrete.

When referring to how many faces, we are referring to the amount of different individual faces in the size required that make up the complete design of the product.

Ceramic: Ceramic is man made from clay and is fired at high temperatures in a kiln. It is made available in glazed and unglazed finishes, as both wall and floor tiles.

Porcelain: Porcelain is a ceramic tile, but made with the addition of feldspar, flint and silica. It is pressed, then kiln fired at 1200-1300 degrees Celsius; its composition and production methods result in a low absorbency, uniform, hardwearing tile. Porcelain is available in glazed or unglazed finishes, as wall and floor tiles.

Glass: Glass tiles are primarily used as decorative tiles. They are easy to clean and resistant to staining.

Natural Stone/Marble: Natural stone is a natural resource, composed of aggregate minerals, taking upwards of millions of years to form. Stone, such as limestone, marble, granite and slate, is extracted from the earth through quarries; it is inherently porous and requires sealing. It has a high absorbency and is high maintenance.