Tile Water Absorption Rate

In our previous post about the differences between ceramic and porcelain tile, we briefly touched upon this concept. The water absorption rate of a tile is a way to quantify the water resistance of that particular model of tile in a standardized, objective way. The test works like this:

Five small fragments of a tile—usually just a few inches square and taken from the centers of the full-sized tiles—are baked in a lab oven until their weight no longer changes. Fragments are used to increase the amount of exposed porous surface area of the tile, while the baking process assures the testers that there is absolutely no residual moisture in the pores of the tile.

After baking, the starting weight of each fragment is recorded. The tile fragments are then boiled in water for five hours and then left to soak in water for another 24 hours. Once that time is up, the fragments are weighed again. The finished weight is compared to the starting weight and expressed as a percentage; that percentage is the tile’s water absorption rate.

The lower the water absorption rate, the more resistant to moisture a tile is. This is also one of the key defining characteristics of porcelain tile in comparison to ceramic tile. In order to be officially classified and sold as porcelain tile, The Tile Council of North America mandates that the product must be at or below a 0.5% water absorption rate. Ceramic tiles, in contrast, are not bound by any industry standards for water resistance. While some ceramic tiles do get down to just above a 0.5% water absorption rate, most are in the low single digits, but others can get up into the double digits. So while most ceramic tile still offers good water resistance, porcelain tile will be the better solution for areas that see high levels of water exposure. Interested in the finer details of the testing process? Read more in this article from the TCNA.

PEI Rating

This is a term you’ll probably encounter on your tile shopping journey in a list of technical specifications for a particular tile model. Established by the Porcelain Enamel Institute, a trade organization that supports the development and use of porcelain across many industries, the PEI rating of a surface describes the hardness of a porcelain glaze. The harder the glaze, the more resistant to surface wear that tile is, and the better suited it will be for high-traffic areas of a home or business.

The PEI scale comprises 6 classes that fall on a scale of 0 to 5. At the low end would be completely unglazed tiles, with the high end reserved for the tiles with the toughest surface glaze. The most common household tiles will usually have a PEI rating of 3 or 4. Lower ratings don’t automatically designate a lower-quality tile, just one that shouldn’t be used in areas seeing lots of foot traffic. For instance, some high-end tiles may be designed to be used exclusively as a strong visual element on walls or backsplashes and simply were not constructed to deal with lots of wear.

Through Body vs Color Body

This term is used to describe the visual similarity between the surface glaze of a tile and its interior construction.  A “through-body” tile will have a consistent tone throughout the thickness of the tile, all the way through the visible surface. Most porcelain tiles have a through-body construction, while most ceramic tiles typically will not. Ceramic tile is usually crafted with a method known as “color-body,” in which the surface design or glaze are a different shade than the rest of the tile body. Imagine each tile as a piece of cake. The through-body tile would be a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, while the color-body tile would be a white vanilla cake with chocolate frosting.

What does this mean in practical applications? In daily use, there won’t be any noticeable difference between the two types of tiles. The major benefit of through-body only becomes apparent when the surface is chipped. If we go back to the cake example, imagine running a finger through the frosting of the chocolate cake. The results of your sneaking a taste probably won’t be visible except under close inspection. Now do the same thing with the vanilla cake, and the white dough underneath will likely alert the rest of your party that you’ve sampled the sweets. In the same way, a chip on the surface of a through-body tile will be much harder to notice from a typical viewing distance than a chip on a color-body tile.

If you expect your floors to need to endure abnormally high traffic or situations that may lead to chips, it may be a good idea to seek out products with a through-body construction while you’re tile shopping.

These were just three of the many mystifying terms you might encounter while perusing flooring products online. Whether you’re just beginning to consider what type of floors you might want to have installed in your home, or you’re already deep in the tile shopping process, Empire Today® is always here to help. From our award-winning customer service team to our free in-home consultations, Empire® is dedicated to helping you find the best floors for your home with as little hassle as possible.

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The floor is perhaps the main factor influencing your bathroom’s character, greatly affecting how it looks and how it feels—so you don’t want to pick just any random bathroom tiles when redesigning. If that statement sounds daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Empire Today® is here to help you choose bathroom tile you’ll love for years to come.

Know Which Bathroom Floor Tiles are Better for Your Home

There’s no one overall best tile for bathroom floors because every homeowner will have different needs. Before you begin shopping for bathroom floor tile, it can be very helpful to get a quick primer on the available options and what benefits they each can add to the room. While aesthetics are probably your primary focus, there are plenty of optional features to consider—features that can influence how comfortable your bathroom is, how safe it can be, how easy it is to keep clean, and more.  Getting to know these options will help you best understand which product will be your ideal bathroom flooring. 

Porcelain vs Ceramic Tile:

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are quite similar and usually impossible to tell apart with just a glance, but they do differ in durability and sustainability. Although both tiles are clay-based, the raw material used for porcelain tile is more refined and heated at a higher temperature. This makes porcelain bathroom tiles harder than ceramic, which in turn makes them a bit more durable and less porous than ceramic. Those features will make porcelain a better bathroom tile if you expect your floors to encounter high levels of moisture, lots of traffic, or things being dropped on the floor often—all common occurrences in, say, a kids’ bathroom.

While ceramic is technically a less robust material, it’s no slouch itself. Ceramic tile is still highly resistant to water, scratches, and stains. And it’s usually a bit more affordable than porcelain tiles in a comparable size and style. That makes ceramic a good choice if you’re on a budget but you still want bathroom tiles that can stand up to typical traffic.

Whether you choose ceramic or porcelain bathroom floor tiles, both materials offer some available options that can make your bathroom floors safer and easier to keep clean. Non-slip bathroom tiles are worth considering for any home, and especially those with young children or elderly residents. Both ceramic and porcelain tiles from Empire® are available with a non-slip finish.

Persistent moisture and condensation buildup doesn’t just turn floors into a slip hazard—it also creates the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. Despite most homeowners’ best efforts, moisture will collect in a bathroom. But having mold and mildew-resistant bathroom flooring installed will go a long way towards keeping nasty growth at bay, making for a healthier, cleaner room.

Vinyl Tile

Vinyl bathroom tile is an option that has rapidly grown in popularity since first hitting the market. Because it’s usually a more budget-friendly product than porcelain or ceramic tiles, vinyl has become a common choice for homeowners shopping for affordable bathroom flooring. One of vinyl tile’s greatest advantages is being able to offer the aesthetics of a material with certain features that the same product usually does not offer. For instance, a stone-look vinyl tile can give you the look of fine marble, without the worries of needing to reseal the floor every few years.  

Many of the vast variety of vinyl floor tiles from Empire also offer the same practical benefits of porcelain or ceramic tile. You’ll find products with high resistance to scratches, scuffs, and wear; slip-resistant textured surfaces; and even enhanced mold and mildew resistance. One of the ways that vinyl tile can be a better choice for bathrooms than ceramic or porcelain tile is that a great many vinyl products are completely waterproof instead of being just water-resistant. The ability to endure heavy saturation or standing water for extended periods of time can be a great benefit in many bathrooms.  

One additional benefit of choosing vinyl tile for a bathroom floor is how the material feels underfoot compared to a tile floor. Vinyl flooring will be a bit softer and usually feels warmer to bare skin, making for a more comfortable floor when you’re barefoot. That’s something worth considering especially for those who have experienced the bite of a bare tile floor during a late-night bathroom visit in the middle of the winter. 

Choose a Style You’ll Love

Here’s the fun part: choosing the look! This is when you can stop thinking about what practical functions the room needs and focus strictly on style. And because bathrooms are typically closed off from the rest of the room and don’t need to perfectly mesh with the rest of your interiors, they’re a great place to get creative with your style and maybe even do some experimenting with your bathroom floors. 

Want your bathroom to feel like a tropical island retreat tucked away in an otherwise neutrally styled home? Choose a waterproof wood-look vinyl floor and go crazy with the bamboo plants. Want to make it feel like a literal throne room? Consider some stone-look tile for a palatial look. 

Get Bathroom Floor Tiles That are Built for Your Lifestyle

Now that you’ve been introduced to some of the best flooring choices for a bathroom, it’s time for the potentially difficult process of choosing just one. Since no household’s needs are exactly the same, the decision ultimately boils down to personal preference. What features will benefit you the most? Are you getting new flooring for the bathroom in your master bedroom that only you and your spouse share or is it for a bathroom that your kids will also use? If it’s for an adults-only bathroom, the difference in durability between porcelain and ceramic may not play a big factor in your decision. Similarly, if you live in a warm, dry climate, mold and mildew resistance might not be a high priority for your bathroom floor. 

When it comes down to it, your best bet is to start with the must-have features and work backward from there, finding a material and style that fits your budget and design goals. No matter the style, Empire Today offers bathroom floor tiles that can elevate your home’s décor while taking your lifestyle into consideration. A flooring professional from Empire can help you make that journey. 

Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate to see all of your potential bathroom flooring options, without ever leaving your home. 

The post How to Choose the Right Bathroom Floor Tiles for Your Home appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Flooring Type: Vinyl Tile

Product/Color: Options—Beige

Rooms: Kitchen, Laundry Room, Hallway

What’s better than a vinyl tile that’s highly durable and beautiful? One that is also easy maintenance and comfortable to the touch! Unlike porcelain or ceramic tile, which can be a bit colder to the touch, this vinyl tile has a more comfy feel and is warmer to the touch. With water and mold/mildew resistance as well, this choice was a hit for these New Jersey homeowners. They chose the Options series of vinyl tile in the Beige color. We think the colors match perfectly with their home decor! Take a look and see how the project turned out.

The post Vinyl Tile Flooring is a Hit for This NJ Home appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

With hundreds of suggestions out there on how to remove stains, it’s hard to understand exactly how you should care for your floors. At Empire Today®, we know a thing or two when it comes to flooring, including how to keep your floors in tip-top shape in the long run. Here are a few easy tips to keep in mind for those annoying flooring stains:

1. Use the Correct Cleaning Technique

Anyone who has needed to know how to get stains out of carpet knows how frustrating they can be. While it’s important to remove a stain as quickly as possible, make sure to follow the right technique and manufacturer recommendation for how to remove set in stains. Be careful not to scrub the area too hard—being overly aggressive can cause your carpet fibers to fuzz and stand out from the rest. It’s also important to start from the outside of the stain and work your way in (not the other way around). This helps prevent the stain from spreading further.

2. Be Careful with At-Home Chemistry Experiments

Many of the tips you hear in social media posts and blogs suggest how to get stains out of carpet, like mixing hydrogen peroxide and soap, but be careful—mixing chemicals incorrectly can damage your floors. If you’re considering trying one of these sorts of tips look at what the manufacturer recommends first, then use caution, and run a test on a small, discrete portion of the carpet before trying it out on the actual stain. If you’re not sure, call a professional for help or try a safer DIY option. We suggest a couple safer at-home DIY solutions below in #5.

3. Make Sure to Use the Right Tools for Your Floors

It may come as a surprise, but high-tech cleaning tools aren’t always a good idea for all flooring. For example, high temperatures generated from steam mops can cause irreparable damage to certain types of floors. Make sure you check the manufacturer to see if a steam mop is safe for your specific floors. And if you’re not sure, steer clear.

4. Choose Quality Cleaning Products and Follow Directions

When it comes to mystery stains on your floors, the best course of action is to use a quality, name-brand floor cleaner designed for the specific flooring type you have. Remember, when it comes to cleaners, stronger is not always better. Be sure to read the directions on the bottle of cleaner and follow them carefully, and use the applicator recommended for the cleaner being used.

5. Consider Using Supplies from Around Your House

A sticky stain like chewing gum can be a real pain. But did you know that an ice cube can do the trick to remove it on laminate flooring? Instead of reaching for a sponge and scrubbing it away, you can place an ice cube directly on the sticky spot. As it cools, the gummy substance will typically harden—making it a lot easier to remove in one go with a dull plastic scraper.

I know we said to be careful with DIY solutions (and that’s still true), but not all are created equal. There are some helpful at-home remedies that are generally regarded as safe. For example, for rust stains on your vinyl flooring, a simple tip is using lemon juice and cream of tartar to help remove the stain. Afterwards, clean up with simple rinse with water and you’re done. For more general cleaning tips and maintenance ideas for your specific type of floors, see our Product Care section.

6. To Extend the Life of Your Carpet, Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner

Hiring a professional carpet cleaner isn’t just about refreshing the look and feel of your carpet (though it’s helpful for this, too). Getting your carpet professionally cleaned using hot water extraction every six to 12 months can help remove set-in or fresh stains. The professional carpet cleaner can also re-apply soil and stain protectants to help avoid future carpet stains. This makes maintenance easier, as well as providing you with additional peace of mind about your carpet’s longevity.

7. Consider a Flooring that Resists Stains and Cleans Easily

What’s better than getting stains out of your flooring? Preventing them before they even happen! Flooring options from Empire that resist stains and clean effortlessly make it easy.

For a softer option, HOME Fresh is a one-of-a-kind carpet that’s not only comfy but also helps keep your home cleaner! How? Its one-of-a-kind construction with a built-in premium padding provides better airflow, allowing dirt and dust to be vacuumed up easier. HOME Fresh’s fibers don’t absorb moisture, helping prevent the growth of mold, mildew, and allergens (the most common sources of a bad carpet smell). Plus, HOME Fresh comes with Scotchguard Protector 3M with Advanced Repel Technology, providing long lasting stain protection that helps keep spills from seeping into the carpet.

For a hard surface option, look into vinyl plank flooring. Also known as luxury vinyl plank, some vinyl plank flooring options are 100% waterproof, so they can stand up to large spills, dampness, moisture, or flat-out wetness. With the look and feel of natural hardwood flooring, vinyl plank flooring will keep your mind at ease and your house looking great for years to come.

8. If It’s Time to Update Your Stained Flooring, Empire Can Help

If professional cleaning isn’t doing the trick anymore, or the old stains keep piling on, it might be time to replace your floors. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate with an Empire flooring professional to see all the beautiful options you can choose from. From carpet to hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile, Empire Today has hundreds of choices. You might be surprised by the types of flooring you can get that give you the look you want with the convenience you need to stand up to spills, messes, and stains.

Even those of us who do our very best to keep our flooring clean and without stains will likely end up with a spill or mystery spot on our floors from time to time. It happens! We hope these tips give you the confidence you need to remedy the situation when stains do show up on your floors—keeping them, and your home, looking beautiful!

The post How to Remove Stains from Your Floors: The Dreaded Mystery Stains appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Getting Tiles for Living Room Floors Means Easy Maintenance

If you have kids or entertain guests, chances are your living room is utilized quite often. That means more chances of dirt and soil being tracked on your flooring. Cleaning is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be easy. Spilled juice? Dropped your coffee? Don’t fret! Porcelain, ceramic, and vinyl tiles are inherently stain and spill resistant. This not only lets you stop stressing over every spill but also helps maintain the longevity of your flooring. Unlike other hardwood, standing liquids are not a major threat to tile. If you’re hosting a party and don’t see the mess until after your guests leave, you don’t have to panic. To help you keep your porcelain and ceramic tile fresh just remember these few tips:

• Mop at least once a week with a damp mop (more for heavy traffic)
• Don’t scrub with highly abrasive tools
• Detergents, soap, and abrasive cleaners can leave a dull film on the surface
• Don’t use bleach or ammonia

Get Durability and Functionality

It’s nice to have flooring that can withstand common stains and spills, but what about other inevitable uh-ohs? Shoes, pets, and even your furniture can leave scratches and scuffs on your flooring. If you get tiles for the living room, you’ll get flooring that can hold strong against heavy traffic. In addition to being water, moisture, stain, and spill resistant, tiles are guards against scratches and scuffs. That means it’s durable enough to withstand your family’s lifestyle, making it even great for pets. Although tile is built to hold up against heavy traffic and scratches, it isn’t invincible. You still need to take measures in order to prevent damages. Here are a couple of things you can do to make sure your tile lasts:

• Remove shoes before entering your home
• Add protective pads, such as felt pads, to the legs on heavy furniture

Great in Warmer Climates

Another thing to consider when choosing floors for your home is the climate in which you live. Warmer climates mean humidity. Flooring options, such as hardwood and laminate, can warp and buckle when faced with humidity and the moisture that comes with it. Porcelain and ceramic tiles are a great option to help keep your home cool because tile isn’t easily damaged under humid temperatures like other wood looks. In addition to being durable under heat, tile doesn’t conduct heat as well as hardwood, making it cool to the touch and a better option to help avoid overheated rooms. When you choose tile, you can help cool down your home while having a style that can handle what warm weather may bring.

Just as Stylish as Other Flooring Options

If you want tiles for living room décor but are concerned about the style of your floors, rest easy. Tile flooring has evolved, and the basic ceramics are no longer a must. Not only can you get a natural stone look, Empire has plenty of realistic wood look tiles. Worried about how new flooring will match with your home’s aesthetic? Our neutral-toned styles can easily coordinate with your existing décor. Here are a couple of options that can help you modernize your living room and home overall.

Realistic Wood Look with Forest Lane

Want a wood look with functionality and durability? Forest Lane is the solution to your flooring needs. Highly scratch resistant, this porcelain tile was built to withstand heavy traffic. With its natural hand-scraped texture, Forest Lane has a realistic aesthetic that can give your home a modern look with easy maintenance.

A Wood Look That’s Built to Last with Canal Pier

Canal Pier is a vinyl tile that’s far from traditional. Not only does this USA manufactured vinyl tile give a natural wood look and texture, it’s built to withstand heavy traffic and your family’s lifestyle. In addition to having the typical benefits of vinyl tile, Canal Pier has an advanced aluminum oxide finish to help it look new without waxing, buffing, or polishing.

If you’re considering new floors for your living room, don’t count out tile! While it may be known as an option for moisture-prone rooms, it can work just as well in other common areas. You can get style and durability that may not even be available with other flooring options. Schedule an appointment with Empire Today and see what tile styles can work in your living room.

The post Should You Consider Tiles for Living Room Floors? appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

What is Wood-Look Tile?

Advancements in floor manufacturing have allowed porcelain and ceramic tile to resemble natural wood planks, resulting in wood look tile. Photorealistic photography and printing technology captures the character and random patterns of wood, and the images are printed onto the tile itself. What’s even better is that the tiles are made in the shape of wood floors – no square tiles here – so you can get that plank look. There are different plank sizes available, such as 12” X 24”, 13” X 17”, and more. In many cases, people have a hard time telling the difference between wood look tile and wood flooring. And, that is not just a visual comparison. The actual feel of wood look tile can mimic the hand scraped, rustic qualities of a plank of hardwood flooring.

Why is Wood-Look Tile Better?

Have you ever wanted wood flooring in areas of your home where solid hardwood floors and/or wood laminate floors are not recommended? Hardwood looks timeless and beautiful, but you wouldn’t want to have it installed in wet rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms, basements, or even laundry rooms. Wood floors, like solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, and even laminate are susceptible to damage if they’re exposed to moisture. Wood-look tile is a great alternative in this case. Plus, tile is constructed to be extremely durable – it resists most scratches and moisture, making it a great choice for high-traffic rooms. Finally, you can have a floor that looks like wood, with all the benefits of tile.

Wood-Look Tile is Unlikely to Fade

Prolonged exposure to sunlight can be bad news for hardwood floors. UV Fading can drastically alter the color of some wood floors. That’s not the case with wood-look tile options. Throw the blinds and shades open and let the sun shine in on your beautiful interior without a worry.

How to Clean Wood-Look Tile

Real wood and water are not a good match. Plus, real wood can scratch from a mistake as simple as using the wrong setting on a vacuum. Don’t let us get started on steam mops. Wood Look Tile can be easily cleaned with a damp mop once a week. Skip the strong detergents and soap – water will get most jobs done when it comes to Tile. Remember to always check the manufacturer recommendations on cleaning before you use any household cleaner on your tile floor.

There’s no guessing why Wood Look Tile has become one of the hottest trends in flooring recently. It is manufactured to look just like wood floors, but it has all of the great properties of a tile like moisture and scratch resistance. Wood Look Tile allows you to get that great wood look in any room without the worry of how your floor will handle traffic, splashes and spills, or even something as simple as sunlight.

Empire Today has several different options of wood tile floors that can be professionally installed. Get started by scheduling a FREE In-Home Estimate and a sales representative will show you samples, measure your rooms for free, and help you find the perfect Wood Look Tile for your home.

The post Wood-Look Tile: Why It Continues to Be a Trendsetter appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

Break out the dust rag, mop, and vacuum for the annual deep-clean—it’s spring cleaning time! We understand how overwhelming it can be to face all the dust and clutter that has accumulated over the cooped-up winter months—simple maintenance care can help make this spring cleaning easier.

Help make your floors look newer with these spring cleaning tips for Carpet, Hardwood, Laminate, and Tile!

Freshen Up Your Carpet

Regular maintenance of your carpet throughout the year can help make spring cleaning a breeze, but it’s ok if you didn’t. We’ve got you covered. First, choose a good quality vacuum and keep your vacuum’s filter clean—it can help make all the difference when tending to your Carpet. If spot cleaning is needed, try to remove the stain by using water before moving on to harder cleaning solutions—remember to blot rather than rub the stain.

No matter what type of carpet you have, prompt attention to spots and spills is vital. Here are a couple tips for cleaning your Carpet:

• Vacuum at least once a week and more often in heavy traffic areas, paying special attention to areas where people sit and move their feet.
• Be prepared with the proper tools to clean up accidents quickly and that you know the right way to clean. Otherwise, you may cause more harm than good to your Carpet.
• Place mats at the entrances of your home’s Carpet areas – this can help absorb moisture and help prevent soiling.
• Have your carpet professionally cleaned every six to 12 months. Spring is a great time to plan for a professional cleaning. We recommend a hot water extraction method or “steam cleaning.” The manufacturer warranty that comes with your carpet requires that it be cleaned by a certified professional.

Keep Hardwood Flooring Beautiful

Typically, sweeping and vacuuming can be enough to refresh your Hardwood Floors. However, when it comes to spills and stains, you may need to use a mop. Here are some other helpful cleaning tips to keep your hardwood floors looking great for longer:

• Wipe up wet spills and tracked-in dirt should be wiped away immediately.
• Sweep, dust, or vacuum using a hard floor attachment at least once a week.
• Use a cleanser made for Hardwood Flooring to help clean more stubborn soil.
• Don’t use buffing machines as they can damage Hardwood Floors.
• Avoid steam mops because the high temperature of the steam can cause damage.
• Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for optimal cleaning tips.
• For sticky substances, harden the spot with an ice cube and lightly rub with a dull plastic scraper.

Do not apply too much pressure as this could damage or scrape the floor’s finish.

Low Maintenance Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring pairs the beauty of natural wood with easier maintenance. However, it requires proper regular maintenance not only during spring cleaning, but throughout the year as well. When cleaning for spring, keep these simple tips in mind:

• Only use soap-free cleaners.
• Remove loose dirt with a dust mop or a gentle vacuum without a beater bar.
• Wipe up any spills immediately.
• Use a quality laminate floor cleaner.
• Do not use excessive water, as it could cause bucking or separation.
• Never wax, polish, or use buffing machines.
• Don’t use steam mops. The high temperatures can cause damage to Laminate.
• Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.

You can get years of beautiful performance from your Laminate floor with a little preparation and understanding of proper cleaning methods.

Durable Tile Flooring

Ceramic and Porcelain Tile is beautiful, durable and easy to clean, but daily maintenance is needed to keep your floors looking great. When beginning your spring cleaning, here are some simple instructions to help you care for your tile flooring:

• Clean with a damp mop to avoid buildup of mold, mildew, and grime.
• Dry tile thoroughly with a clean towel or cloth.
• Never use detergent or soap—they can dull the Tile’s surface.
• Place mats at doorways to help trap soil and other substances.
• Add protective pads to furniture legs.
• Avoid steam mops. High temperatures can cause damage to Tile.
• Read the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning.

Whether you have carpet, hardwood, laminate, or tile flooring, it is important to understand how to properly care for your floors. What are you waiting for? Get started on putting these spring cleaning tips into action!

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