ANSI Tile Standards and Why You Should Care
Navigating the World of Tile: Understanding ANSI Tile Standards
Today, we’re going to unpack the must-knows about ANSI tile standards and see how they help us pick the crème de la crème of porcelain tile. These standards are our trusty sidekicks, ensuring we choose tile that is top-notch in quality, safety, and performance. Ready to get informed and shop smart?
ANSI: Our Tile Quality Superhero
ANSI, aka the American National Standards Institute, is our go-to superhero for all things standardization, especially in the world of tile. ANSI standards are like the beacon of light guiding us through the sea of tile options, ensuring we get quality, performance, and safety. They help keep things consistent and trustworthy — allowing us tile shoppers to pick our tile with confidence.
Unpacking the Standards
ANSI has set up some pretty detailed standards for checking out porcelain tile. Here’s what they’re looking at:
Water Absorption: We know porcelain tile doesn’t like to hold water. ANSI checks how much water a tile can absorb, giving it the right category. The real-deal porcelain should absorb 0.5% or less.
Breaking Strength: ANSI checks out how much force it takes to break a tile — basically, making sure it’s tough enough to last.
Abrasion Resistance: This one's about how well a tile can handle wear and tear — super important for those busy spaces like commercial buildings.
Slip Resistance: ANSI checks how slippery tile is, making sure it’s safe — especially important in wet places like bathrooms and kitchens.
Why ANSI Standards Rock
When choosing porcelain tile, sticking to ANSI standards can really shape your decisions. Here’s the lowdown on why these standards are the bomb:
Quality Assurance: Tile that passes the ANSI test are guaranteed to be reliable and high-performing. It's like the seal of approval for top quality.
Smart Decision-Making: Knowing your tile meets ANSI standards means you have a solid benchmark to compare all your options and make the smartest choice.
Safety and Longevity: These standards make sure your tile is safe and will stand the test of time, so no nasty surprises down the road!
Cost Savings: Once you know how to compare tile quality, you can sniff out the best deals without being distracted by shiny marketing.
How to Shop with ANSI in Mind
Check the Labels: When on the hunt for tile, always look for ANSI compliance in the product descriptions—it’s your shortcut to quality and safety!
Don’t Be Shy—Ask! If you can’t find any info on ANSI compliance, ask the seller or the manufacturer. They should give you the 411 on whether the tile meets the standards.
Compare Wisely: Use ANSI compliance as your trusty tool to compare different tile. It gives you that extra peace of mind knowing you’re choosing quality.
We are proud of the product we offer at Wholesales Surfaces. Check out our testing results to see how our tile stacks up to ANSI standards.
Getting the scoop on tile standards means you’re set to navigate the tile jungle like a pro, armed with the knowledge to pick tile that is gorgeous, top-quality, and affordable. Next time you find yourself lost in the overwhelming world of porcelain tile, let ANSI be your compass, guiding you to choices that marry beauty with top-tier quality and performance.
Happy tile treasure hunting! May you go forth with confidence and knowledge.
About Wholesale Surfaces
We're tile nerds from Texas, on a mission to offer affordable, high-quality porcelain tile directly to builders and developers — bypassing overpriced middlemen and marketing hype. With 40+ years in the biz, we prioritize stringent ANSI standards to guarantee the reliability and quality of every tile we endorse. We visit manufacturers and perform detailed ANSI testing on samples before featuring them on our platform. This allows us to bring you the finest, directly from the source, sans the unnecessary retail markup. Whether you're a builder, developer, or a tile lover, we’d love for you to explore our collection.
