Palm Tile

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are constructed differently. Both porcelain and ceramic are made of water and clay, but porcelain contains denser clay minerals like quartz and feldspar. Porcelain tiles are more dense and less porous as a result. Because porcelain is less porous, it’s more durable. It’s less likely to chip than standard ceramic, and it can even handle the freeze/thaw conditions of the outdoors. Porcelain can also have a through body color, meaning the top layer of the tile matches the body of the tile, or a color body, which means the body of the tile closely matches the color of the surface design. These options allow you to install porcelain in high traffic areas, because wear and tear is less obvious. Meanwhile, ceramic tile typically has a red or brown body color, which can be really noticeable if the surface chips or gets worn.

Porcelain tile is a type of ceramic tile. It is made from a dense mix of clay minerals and water. The clay is often made of feldspar, kaolin, and quartz. This combination of clay, and the higher pressure during construction makes porcelain denser than ceramic clays. Porcelain is more durable than ceramic, meaning it’s less likely to chip. It’s also waterproof when glazed, and can even be used outdoors.

When you use natural stone, marble or any stones that water penetrate.

To be used outdoors, we recommend the tile must be frostproof and unglazed for floor use. Make sure the absorption rate is 0.5% or less.

Grout is as much a personal option as selecting your tile. We can make suggestions based on what's commonly used but we strongly suggest that you select the color that is right for you and your design objective.

Crack suppression is used to minimize the tile’s exposure to stress from the slab. Before setting the tile, you should walk the slab and look for cracks. If you only have a few cracks then you can use a crack suppression kit. If the slab is new or under three years old then crack suppression should be used on the entire area to be tiled.

Going over any other surface than virgin concrete you should use a multipurpose mortar ("pro" or "premium" flexible thinset). If you are setting a single fired tile or porcelain you should use a multipurpose as well.

Mastic is meant mainly for wall tile. The rule of thumb is to mortar the floors and mastic the wall. Mortar can be used to set wall tile; however, it is not very sticky and holding the tiles in place until they dry can be challenging unless you use a light weight flexible thinset.

What determines whether you use sanded or non-sanded is dependent on the size of the grout space. 1/8” or larger use must use sanded grout. Under a 1/8”, usually 1/16 or smaller, you have to use non-sanded in order for the grout to properly pack into the joint. Non-sanded grout is also recommended for installation of glass, metals, or other materials that can easily scratch.

That is calculated by measuring length and height and times them together. We recommend to add an additional 15% extra tile.