Glossary

Tile makes reference to a ceramic surfacing unit, usually relatively thin in relation to facial area, made from clay or a mixture of clay and other ceramic material.

Tiles have glazed or unglazed face and is fired above red heat in the course of manufacture to a temperature sufficiently high to produce specific physical properties and characteristics.
Many kinds of tiles are available, to wit:

Cement body tile - Tiles with a structure made from a mixture of sand and Portland cement. The surface can be finished with Portland cement, spheroids, marble or other materials.

Conductive tile - Made from a special body composition or by methods resulting in specific properties of electrical conductivity while retaining other normal physical properties of tile.

Decorative tile - Tile with a ceramic decoration on the surface.

Faience tile - Features characteristic variations in the face, edges, and glaze which gives a handcrafted, non-mechanical decorative effect. Generally made by the plastic process with glazed or unglazed tile.

Field tile - An area of tile covering a wall or floor. Most often bordered by tile trim.

Frost proof tile - Product manufactured for use where freezing and thawing conditions occur.

Glass mosaic tiles - Made of glass usually in sizes not over 2" square and 1/4" thick mounted on sheets ot paper. Sheets are usually 12" x 12".

Glazed tile - A fused, impervious facial finish composed of ceramic materials fused to the body of the tile which may be nonvitreous, semi-vitreous, vitreous or impervious.

Heavy duty tile - Tile suitable for areas where heavy pedestrian traffic is prevalent. Can be specified to meet higher test values as determined by job requirements.

Impervious tile - Has water absorption of 0.5% or less.

Marble tile - Marble cut into tiles 12" x 12" or less - usually 1/2" to 1/4" thick. Available in various finishes, including polished, honed and split faced.

Mexican paver tile - Used mainly on floors. The hand-made tiles vary in color, texture and appearance. The terracotta-like tile in hexagon, octagon, elongated hexagon, fleur de lis squares up to 12"- and other shapes. Coated with various types of sealers to provide a wearing surface.

Mosaic tile - Formed by either the dust pressed or plastic method. Usually 1/4" to 3/8" thick with a facia area of less than six square inches. Made of porcelain or natural clay composition, with or without an abrasive mixture throughout.

Mounted tile - Tile assembled into units or sheets, either back mounted or face mounted. and bonded by suitable material to facilitate handling. Back mounted has perforated paper, fiber mesh resin or other suitable material permanently attached to the back and/or edges so that a portion of the back of each tile is exposed to the bond coat. Face mounted has paper applied to the face of the tile, usually by water soluble adhesive so it is easily removed prior to grouting of the joints.

Natural clay tile - A ceramic mosaic or paver tile made by dust-pressed or plastic method. Made from clays that produce a dense body with a distinctive, slightly textured appearance.

Non-slip tile - Tile with greater non-slip characteristics due to abrasive admixture, abrasive particles, grooves or patterns in the surface or because of natural non-skid surface characteristics.

Nonvitreous tile - Has water absorption of more than 7%.

Paver tile - Unglazed porcelain or natural clay tile formed by the dust-pressed method. Similar to ceramic mosaic tile in composition arc physical properties but relatively thicker with six square inches or more of facial area.

Porcelain tile - A ceramic mosaic or paver tile generally made by the dust-pressed method of a composition that produces a dense impervious fine-grained tile with smooth and sharply formed face.

Pregrouted tile - A surfacing unit consisting of an assembly of ceramic tile bonded together at the edges by a material (generally elasiomeric) which completely seals the joints. The material (grout) may fill the joint completely or partially and may cover all, part, or none of the back surfaces of the tiles. The perimeter of these factory pregrouted sheets may include all, part or none of the joint between the sheets. The term edgebonded tile is sometimes used to designate a type of pregrouted tile sheet having the front and back sufaces completely exposed. Also called Edgebonded tile

Quarry tile - Unglazed tile that is usually six square inches or more in surface area and 1/2 to 3/4" thick. Made by the extrusion process from natural clay or shale.

Sculptured tile - Tile with a decorative design of high and low areas molded into the finished face.

Self-spacing tile - Tile with lugs spacers or protuberances on the sides which automatically space the tile for grout joints.

Semivitreous tile - Has water absorotion of more than 3% but not more than 7%.

Slip-resistant tile - Tile having greater skid-resistance characteristics due to an abrasive mixture, abrasive particles in the surtace, or grooves or patterns in the surface.

Special purpose tile - Glazed or unglazed tile made to meet or to have special physical design or appearance characteristics such as size, thickness, shape, color or decoration; keys or lugs on the backs or sides; pregrouted assemblies on sheets; special resistance to staining, frost, alkalies, acids, thermal shock, physical impact,or high coefficient of friction

Unglazed tile - A hard, dense tile of uniform composition throughout, deriving color and texture from the materials from which the body is made.

Vitreous tile - Has water absorption of more than 0.5%. but not more than 3%.

Wall tile - Glazed tile with a body suitable for interior use. Usually nonvitreous, it is neither required nor expected to withstand excessive impact or be subject to freezing or thawing conditions

-see also:
"Tile" is in the NAICS Code "238340"
(Tile and Terrazzo ContractorsMosaic work)


"Tile" is in the UNSPSC Code "30161716"
Tile spacers

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