What Is Ceramic Tile Pei Rating

A pei rating is given to a tile product based the hardness of its glaze.

What is ceramic tile pei rating.

A rating of 1 means the tile can be used on very light wear areas and should only be installed in rooms where people use soft footwear such as sneakers or slipper. It should be noted that the pei rating involves testing of only the surface wear layer of a tile s enamel glazing. It is not an indicator of the tile s overall quality or value. The pei rating applies only to glazed tiles.

It is important to note that the pei rating is the result of testing glaze wear only and not slip resistance. Tile that experiences much foot traffic should be harder and denser than than that receives no foot. Pei ratings act as a kind of shortcut to figure out where the tile can be installed. In many cases some of the most beautiful and costly tiles have a pei 1 or 2 rating.

This hardness is determined by the manufacturer using a standardized test. This is crucial because not all tile can be used in all areas. Pei porcelain enamel institute ratings help you determine the hardness and durability of tile. The pei rating only refers to a tile s strength and suitability for a particular application.

The tiles are rated from a soft 1 or talc to 10. A pei tile rating of 2 is designated for light wear mostly in bathrooms or in areas with normal. Tile with this rating is not suitable for installation on floors. Glazed and unglazed tiles are rated for scratch resistance and hardness via the mohs scratch test.