SIZES AVAILABLE:

The sizes shown for all products on the site are the 'nominal sizes'. This means that the available sizes shown for the product are the intended sizes when produced, plus or minus the allowed tolerances.

Please Note:
Throughout the catalogue the various colours and finishes of products are not necessarily available in all the sizes shown. All sizes are shown in millimetres (mm).

FINISHES AVAILABLE:

This shows the entire range of finishes that may be available for any one particular product range. Determining the type of finish that is required, based upon the end use of the floor, is vitally important as a specific, required physical characteristic can be provided for by a particular finish.

Brief overview of various floor finishes:

Natural/Matt
A generally smooth, ranging to slightly textured surface finish.
A standard finish for a large variety of floor ranges.

This finish is suitable for a wide variety of standard domestic and commercial applications.

Semi-polished/Honed/Soft
A finish that provides for a smooth, dull sheen (a finish often associated with natural stone material).
Is now increasingly used in modern porcelain tile production, where the aim is to reproduce a natural stone aesthetic.
Suitable for a variety of applications, dependent upon the degree of slip-resistance required for the floor's end use.

Polished
Fully polishing the surface results in a vibrant, rich effect. The surface is highly reflective and hard in appearance.
Suitable for a variety of applications, dependent upon the degree of slip-resistance required for the floor's end use.

Structured
A structured surface gives the effect of a more natural floor whilst also providing a higher degree of slip-resistance. The surface is dull and can be moderately abrasive to bare foot traffic, depending upon the severity of the surface structure.
The surface will also require a more substantial cleaning regime than for other finishes.
Suitable for a variety of applications, dependent upon the degree of slip-resistance required for the floor's end use.

Bush-Hammered
A type of finish associated with natural stone material. This finish produces a dimpled/textured surface with good slip-resistant properties. Certain manufacturers of high quality porcelain are using this finish effect with their latest stone-effect products.
The surface is dull and can be moderately abrasive to bare foot traffic.
The surface will also require a more substantial cleaning regime than for other finishes.
Suitable for a variety of applications, dependent upon the degree of slip-resistance required for the floor's end use.

SLIP RESISTANCE:

RESISTANCE TO SURFACE ABRASION:

This is the most common abrasion resistance test that will be encountered for glazed floor tiles only, and was developed by The Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI). Glazed tiles are tested and rated using the PEI method which measures the ability of the tile glaze to resist abrasion.

It should not be confused with the MOHS scale, which simply measures the surface hardness of the tile surface, be it glazed or unglazed.

SURFACE HARDNESS:

This assesses the capacity of the working surface to resist scratching and etching by its hardness alone. Under the EN 101 test standard, tiles are classified on a scale of 1 - 10, based upon the increased hardness of the minerals used to scratch them.

The higher the MOHS hardness of the tile surface, the less risk there is that objects and other materials can scratch or etch it permanently.

It is important that 'hardness' or the ability to resist scratching is not confused with 'toughness'. The toughness of a tile is measured in a number of ways, one of which would be its resistance to scratching.

Standard Requirements:
Glazed floor tiles should achieve a minimum of 5 on the MOHS scale.
Unglazed floor tiles should achieve a minimum of 6 on the MOHS scale.

Important Note:
'Semi-polished/Honed' & 'Polished' finishes are not tested due to the finished nature of the surface.

Values are always shown as ' N/A '. This does not mean that such material is not suitable for use in the correct environment.

WATER ABSORPTION:

Water absorption is the medium by which a tile's porosity is measured. The more porous the tile, the greater the quantity of water it will absorb. Water absorption has a direct bearing on the tile's ultimate physical and mechanical properties.

As a general rule;
Unglazed products that have a low porosity are generally more suited to applications that require a higher physical and mechanical performance. This is due to additional benefits a low porosity tile offers, i.e. frost resistance, resistance to staining, etc.

The porosity of glazed products is less important as it is the glazed surface that provides a significant degree of the tile's physical and mechanical properties. However, a low porosity body is important for external considerations of use.

ACID & ALKALI RESISTANCE:

This indicates the resistance to potentially damaging chemical agents that the product may come into contact with in everyday life. The test determines the resistance to marks, cleaning products, additives in swimming pool water, acids and alkalis.

Floor tiles may come into contact with aggressive substances, either accidentally or by design, and it is prudent to understand to what degree a product will resist such chemical attacks.

Catalogue 'Key':
The following values for products shown on this website are categorised based upon the following;

Resistant
Tiles are resistant, showing no visible change. This is usually the value for all unglazed porcelain product.

GLA-GLC
Shows resistance to low concentrations of acids & alkalis, GLA being the most resistant. [Glazed tiles only]

GHA-GHC
Shows resistance to high concentrations of acids & alkalis, GHA being the most resistant. [Glazed tiles only]

GA-GC
Shows resistance to household chemical and swimming pool salt, GA being the most resistant. [Glazed tiles only]

The info rmation shown on this site aims to help you with your initial decision making process with regard to the suitability of various products. Thereafter, it is highly recommended that specification for areas subject to chemical attack should be completed on a 'project by project' basis.

THERMAL SHOCK RESISTANCE:

This assesses the ability of the product to withstand the sudden rise or fall in temperature which tiles may become subject to as a result of contact with hot or cold objects.

A tile which resists such thermal shock will show no damage as a result. This type of resistance is of great importance when specifying product within areas that are subject to variations in temperature, internally or externally.

FROST RESISTANCE:

This indicates the ability of the product to withstand the stresses brought on by an environment below freezing (< 0 ° C).

Product to be specified externally must not sustain damage caused by water freezing and thawing on the surface of the tile.

The resistance of the product to freezing conditions is closely linked to its porosity level, i.e. the less porous the body, the more likely the tile will resist the freeze-thaw cycle.

DEEP ABRASION RESISTANCE:

This is a test standard for 'Unglazed' products. Where glazed material is tested using the PEI method, to ascertain the resistance to abrasion on the glaze, so 'Unglazed' products are tested for their resistance to deep abrasions on the surface of the tile.

Results are expressed as volume of material removed, in cubic mm, the less volume of material removed, the more resistant the surface.

The 'Bending Strength' of a tile, also referred to as the 'Modulus of Rupture', determines the breaking load in order to prove its ultimate capacity to withstand dynamic and static loads once installed.

The tile is supported at two opposite edges and a weight is placed on the tile surface, in the centre. The point at which the tile breaks is its 'Modulus of Rupture'. This provides a useful guide to the mechanical strength of the tile based upon its physical/chemical characteristics. This measure is particularly useful when looking to specify product in areas that require high mechanical strength.

The higher the result in N/mm2, the higher the mechanical strength of the tile with respect to its 'Modulus of Rupture'.

The 'Breaking Load Index' indicates the maximum stress that the tile body can withstand, according to the application geometry required by the EN 100 standard. Results are shown in either Newton 's (N) or Kilogram's (Kg).

The 'Breaking Load Index' provides a guide, to the thickness of tile that should be used, in areas where there is a specific requirement for a mechanically robust tile.

This test provides an accurate indication of what dynamic loads a tile will withstand before it breaks. The only series PROSPEC currently supplies where this is relevant is the GRIP series; recommended for heavy industrial and commercial applications.