FAQs

Ceramic and porcelain tile are made from natural materials and emit no VOCs, the gases responsible for headaches, nausea and irritation in “sick building syndrome.” Tile is also impervious to dust mites, mold and bacteria, making it a smart choice if you or your family deal with allergies or asthma. Unlike many other flooring options, tile contains no formaldehyde binders or PVC.

Tile is a sustainable, Certified Green building material that can last for generations when installed correctly, with zero-waste manufacturing. It’s plastic-free, recyclable, and many options are made from recycled materials. Tile’s thermal mass also helps moderate indoor temperatures, easing the load on your HVAC system, and most manufacturers source materials within 500 miles of their plants, keeping shipping emissions low.

For centuries tile has combined durability with real design impact, from historic buildings to modern homes. Whether you want a hardworking floor or a wow-factor feature wall, tile delivers both function and style.

No — tile itself is not waterproof, which matters most in a shower or tub surround. A shower can see roughly 1,100 inches of water run through it per year, more than 30 times Seattle’s annual rainfall, so make sure whoever installs your shower has a real waterproofing plan in place before the tile goes up.

Porcelain is dense and low-absorption, making it a durable, low-maintenance choice for almost any application. Ceramic is fired at a lower temperature, so it’s softer and absorbs more water — better suited to indoor use. Other common options include mosaic (small-format tile mounted on sheets), encaustic or cement tile, natural stone like marble and travertine, and large-format gauged porcelain panels.

A few terms worth knowing: grout fills the joints between tiles, thinset mortar bonds tile to the substrate, and backerboard is the underlayment tile is installed over (some types need to be waterproofed first). Lippage is an unwanted change in height between adjacent tiles, and bullnose is a rounded trim tile used to finish an edge cleanly.

The industry is represented by several standards and trade groups, including the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), and the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), along with standards bodies like ANSI and ASTM. Coverings, held annually, is the largest tile and stone trade event in the industry.