Tile terminology

Ability of a surface to resist being worn away.

American National Standards Institute, a standards development organization. https://www.ansi.org/about_ans…

American Society for Testing and Materials International, a standards development organization. https://www.astm.org/ABOUT/ove…

A strip of motif tile that creates a design concept.

Colorless or colored ceramic glaze with a high gloss.

Tile installation with each row offset, usually by half its length. Common with subway tiles on wall installations. If the side to be offset is greater than 15 in., a maximum offset of 1/3 is recommended.

A finish commonly used on stone or metal with the appearance of having been wire brushed.

Trim tile with a radius on one edge, used for finishing an edge, outside corner or floor base.

Spreading a bond coat to the back of a ceramic tile immediately before the tile is laid.

A tile with a material, commonly mesh, which has been attached to its back for reinforcing purposes.

An underlayment material in the form of a panel or board which is typically fastened directly to the framing (walls) or subfloor (floors) and used as a substrate for ceramic tile.

Tiles that have been sorted to meet a specific size tolerance range.

Tiles having a facial area of less than 9 in². Typically mounted in sheets or strips with other mosaic tiles.

A ceramic surface component, usually relatively thin in relation to facial area, having either a glazed or unglazed face and in the course of manufacture fired to a temperature sufficiently high to produce specific physical properties and characteristics. The different types of ceramic tiles are as follows: porcelain tile, pressed floor tile, quarry tile, wall tile, and ceramic mosaic tile.

Tile on which the facial edges have a distinct curvature that results in a slightly recessed joint.

Small tiles or bits of tile, stone or glass forming an attractive design.

Tile that features decoration on the surface.

A ceramic or stone tile edge with the appearance of an antique or used look.

Measure of a surface’s slip resistance. Contaminants such as dirt, water, soap, oil, or grease can change this value.

Tile decorated with colored clays, inlaid and fired. Learn more about encaustic tile’s use in medieval and modern Europe.

Primary area of tile covering a wall or floor.

Kiln-firing ceramic ware before glazing.

Subjecting ceramic body and its glaze to one firing operation.

A manufacturer-specified ceramic tile (including porcelain) primarily for use on floors, but also suitable for use on walls and countertops, and having a facial are of 9 in² or more.

Tile that can be used where freezing and thawing conditions exist; suitable for outdoors.

A tile which has been manufactured to a specific thickness where its thickness largely associated with how it is installed and/or used. Gauged tiles can be used in wall or floor applications depending on manufacturer’s recommendations.

Tiles made of glass not exceeding 9 in², usually mounted on sheets.

A ceramic coating matured to the glassy state on a formed ceramic article. The term glaze also refers to the material or mixture from which the coating is made.

Tile with a fused impervious facial finish composed of ceramic materials fused into the body of the tile. The glazed surface may be clear, white or colored.

The material used for filling tile joints.

A satin surface with little or no gloss.

Method for applying color finishes to tiles before firing in the production process, similar to the way pages are printed using an inkjet printer. Allows for various resolutions (dots per inch or DPI), multiple images and patterns to be created and repeated. For tiles with structured surfaces, this method of printing is effective for decorating “peaks” and “valleys.”

International Organization for Standards, a standards development organization. https://www.iso.org/about-us.h…

A detectable change in elevation between the edges of tiles sharing the same grout joint. Lippage may be related to an uneven substrate, excessive tile warpage, and/or installation.

A decorative border primarily for walls.

Marble cut into tile sizes 2 ft. x 2 ft. or less and ¾” or less thick.

An underlayment material, usually in the form of a sheet or trowelable liquid or paste, applied to the substrate prior to tile installation. Common uses of membranes include: isolating substrate cracks from the tile and mortar (crack isolation membranes), waterproofing (waterproof membranes), prevention of sound travel (sound reduction membranes), providing an air space for additional substrate curing after tile installation (uncoupling membranes), or a combination of these properties.

A blend of cement, sand, and additional compounds which may include polymers or other additives to improve adhesion, accommodate movement, and add strength. The primary function of mortar is to adhere tile to a substrate. Tiles can be set in a thick reinforced mortar bed, or can be applied directly to a substrate with dry-set mortar, modified dry-set mortar, or improved modified dry-set mortar using the thin-set method.

Tile assembled into units or sheets to ease installation. May be mounted on the back, edge or face of the tile using mesh, plastic, paper, or glue dots.

Slang for mortar.

A tool used to apply mortars, adhesives and liquid membranes to a substrate. Often constructed of rigid metal or plastic with a handle and available in various shaped notches (e.g. “square” notch, “V” notch, “U” notch) and sizes to accommodate different applications.

A general term for floor tile.

A glossy surface achieved through mechanical means.

Glazed or unglazed ceramic tile which is impervious, meaning its water absorption is 0.5% or less.

Floor tile manufactured by having the body of the tile formed by pressing.

Glazed or unglazed tile, made by the extrusion process from natural clay or shale.

A tile that has had all edges mechanically finished to achieve a more precise facial dimension.

Method for applying color finishes to tiles to tiles before firing in the production process. Tiles pass under a coated roller and finishes are transferred onto the tile. Rollers may be solid or patterned and can produce repeatable but random designs. On structured tiles, coatings are only applied to the “peaks” with this method.

A stone used where necessary by installers to smooth the rough edges of tile after cutting.

Tile installation with each row offset, usually by half its length. Common with subway tiles on wall installations. If the side to be offset is greater than 15 in., a maximum offset of 1/3 is recommended.

A cutting tool for tile. A wheel is used to score the tile in a straight line followed by an application of pressure to either side of the line to create a controlled break.

The underlayment for a ceramic tile installation.

Slang for dry-set cement mortar.

Slang for gauged tiles with a thickness of 6.5 mm or less.

A ceramic tile of size greater than or equal to 1 m². A product less than 1 m² is simply a “tile.”

Tiles with tumbled, round edges producing an aged, antique appearance.

Various shapes of bases, caps, corners, moldings, angles, etc.

A tile without glaze, often (but not always) a hard, dense tile of uniform composition, deriving color and texture from its material.

A glazed tile for interior use on walls. These tiles are not typically expected to withstand excessive impact, abrasion, or be subjected to freeze/thaw cycling.

The measured curvature of a tile.

A physical property of tile. An indication of tile porosity from measuring how much water can enter the body of a tile.

A cutting tool for tile. An electric saw typically fixed to a table which most commonly uses a diamond-coated blade to cut the tile while water is applied to cool the blade and reduce dust.