Floor tiles for each part of the home
Most people choose a floor tile in a showroom, under bright lights, with a sample in their hand.
Where the tile will go matters as much as how it looks. A hallway, a shower and a front path each ask different things of a floor. These notes go through the main kinds of floor tile and the places they suit.
Ceramic and porcelain
Ceramic tiles have their own British and European standard, BS EN 14411. It sets out how they are defined, classified and marked.
Separate tests measure things like water absorption, frost resistance, stain resistance and resistance to chemicals. A tile's data sheet should give the results. Ask for it, and check the tests that matter for the room you have in mind.
Natural stone and terrazzo
Stone tiles are covered by a different standard from ceramic ones. Terrazzo has two standards of its own, one for indoor tiles and one for outdoor tiles. Check which one a terrazzo tile was made to before it goes outside.
The British code of practice for tiled floors is BS 5385-3. It covers ceramic, natural stone and terrazzo floors, indoors and out. It covers agglomerated stone, the factory-made kind, for indoor floors only.
Engineered stone
Engineered stone is made from crushed stone or minerals bonded with resin. Cutting, drilling or polishing it makes dust. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warns that the fine silica dust can cause silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.
HSE asks people who work with it to choose stone with the lowest silica content and to use water to keep the dust down. If you are thinking about engineered stone tiles, ask your fitter how they will cut them.
Tiles outside
A tile laid outdoors has to cope with rain and frost. Check that the data sheet shows the tile has passed the frost resistance test.
In England, paving a front garden can need planning permission. If a new hard surface covers more than five square metres and water cannot drain through it or run off onto a lawn or border, permission is needed. The rules for houses differ from those for flats and maisonettes, and some areas have extra limits.
Showers and wet rooms
A shower floor gets wet every day. The Tile Association explains that water-resistant adhesive and grout are no substitute for a proper waterproof layer, known as tanking.
NHBC, which sets standards for new homes, has guidelines for tiling showers and wet rooms. Where a power shower is fitted, or in a wet room, only certain tested tanking systems should be used. NHBC counts a shower as a power shower above 12 litres a minute. After tiling, the British standard recommends waiting at least 14 days before using the shower.
Floors at work
Floors in shops, cafés and offices have to meet the law on workplaces. HSE says a floor must suit the work done on it and be kept in good condition. Where a floor is often wet or dirty, people should still be able to walk on it without slipping.