Page 1
ELITETILE
TILE SPECIFICATION GUIDE
INDUSTRY STANDARDS
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) are nationally
recognized organizations, which identify and develop industry
test methods and technical standards.
SCOF, DCOF
The tile industry uses ASTM C1028-06 to measure the
Coecient of Friction (COF), or the relative slip resistance
of tile surfaces. This procedure measures the maximum force
required to initiate motion, or slip, across the tile surface.
The values are recorded and averaged to determine the Static
COF (SCOF). A newer standard, called Dynamic Coecient of
Friction (DCOF) AcuTest, is an evaluation of the COF of a tile
surface under known conditions using a standardized sensor
prepared according to a specic protocol ANSI A326.3.
Measurements are made using a tribometer, under wet
conditions using a 0.05% sodium lauryl sulfate solution to
establish a thin lm as would be present when a slip occurs.
Because many variables aect the risk of a slip occurring, the
SCOF and DCOF measurement shall not be the only factor in
determining the appropriateness of a tile for a particular
application.
WATER ABSORPTION
All tile products distributed by Elite Tile are Grade 1, FirstQuality products and meet or exceed the requirements of ANSI
A137.1. Please refer to individual product pages for item-specic
technical data.
BREAK STRENGTH
Tiles used on oors and walls must be able to withstand the
expected load-bearing capacity of various installations. The
tile industry uses ASTM C648-04 to determine the strength
and durability of the tile. The test method provides means
for establishing whether or not a tile meets the strength
requirements which may appear in tile specications. Tile
strength is the force in pounds-force (or newtons) necessary
to cause an unsupported* tile to break.
* Breaking str ength does not mea sure the weight limit o f foot trac or supp orted tile.
The nal st rength of a tile ins tallation is calc ulated by including ( but not limited to)
the tile, the i nstallation mate rials and method, an d suboor.
Elite Tile recommends adherence to industry installation
guidelines set forth here:
ANSI A108.1–Installa tion of ceramic tile w ith Portland Ceme nt.
ANSI A108.4– Installation of ceramic tile with water resistant organic adhesives.
ANSI A108.5– In stallation of cer amic tile installe d with dry-se t Portland Cement
Mortar or Latex-Portland Cement Mortar.
ANSI A108.6– Inst allation for ceramic tile installed with chemical-resistant epox y.
Water absorption is measured using ASTM C373-88.
Individual tiles are weighed, saturated with water, and weighed
again. The percent dierence between the two values is the
water absorption value. Tiles are categorized according to
water absorption percentages as follows:
Impervious Tiles absorbing 0. 5% or less. (Frost-pro of, can be used for out door
applications)
Vitreous Tiles absorbing more th an 0.5% but not more th an 3.0%.
(Frost-proof, can be used for outdoor applications)
Semi-Vitreous Tiles absorbing mor e than 3.0% but not mor e than 7.0%.
(Not frost-proof, not recommended for outdoor applications)
Non-Vitreous Tiles absorbing more than 7.0%. (Not frost-pr oof, not recommend ed
for outdo or applications)
CHEMICAL RESISTANCE
Chemical resistance is measured using ASTM C650-04.
A tile sample is placed in continuous contact with a selection
of chemical agents for 24 hours, then the surface is rinsed and
examined for visible staining or variation.
PEI RATING / ABRASION RESISTANCE
The durability of glazed tile is measured by observing the
visible surface abrasion of the tile when subjected to the
ASTM C1027-99 testing procedure. Tiles are classied into the
following classes according to their durability:
PEI 0 (Wall Use Only)–No t recommended fo r use on oors.
PEI 1 (Light Residential)–Li ght-duty resid ential oors, bat hrooms and bedro oms without
direc t access from out side; no scratching d irt can be pres ent.
PEI 2 (Residential)–All int erior walls and light f oot trac such as po wder rooms and areas
subjec t to normal footw ear trac with small a mounts of scratc hing dirt.
PEI 3 (Heavy Residential or Light Commercial)–Medium-dut y residential oors
includin g kitchens, halls, cor ridors, balco nies and areas used m ore often with no rmal
footwear and moderate amount of dirt.
PEI 4 (Commercial)–Heavy-dut y residential and commercial applications, including
kitchens, entrances and sales oors.
PEI 5 (Heavy Commercial)– Areas subject to h eavy pedestr ian trac over sust ained
periods , such as shopping cen ters, airpor t concourses, pub lic walkways
and industrial applications.
TILE SPECIFICATION GUIDE
Loading...