A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such
as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass, generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers,
or other objects such as tabletops. Alternatively, tile can sometimes refer to
similar units made from lightweight materials such as perlite, wood, and mineral wool, typically used for wall and ceiling
applications.
The word Tile is derived from the French word tuile,
which is, in turn, from the Latin word tegula,
meaning a roof tile composed of fired clay.
Tiles are often used to form wall and
floor coverings, and can range from simple square tiles to complex or mosaics. Tiles are most often made of ceramic, typically glazed for internal uses and unglazed for
roofing, but other materials are also commonly used, such as glass, cork, concrete and other composite materials, and stone. Tiling stone
is typically marble, onyx, granite or slate. Thinner tiles can be used on walls
than on floors, which require more durable surfaces that will resist impacts.
TYPES OF TILES BASED ON APPLICATION AND MANUFACTURE
Tiles in building construction are
thin plates or elements used to cover surfaces like roofs, floors, and walls.
Tiles in present scenario are a
primary element in bringing building interior as well as exterior finishing and
beauty. They are mainly made up of clay material or any form of inorganic raw
material.
Nowadays tiles are also manufactured
from recycled materials, making the element eco-friendlier. The shape of the
tiles is obtained by the different processes like extrusion or pressing at room
temperature or any other method.
After the shaping, they are allowed
to dry. These dried elements are subjected to fire. This stage of firing is to
ensure that they gain the required properties, that they are meant to acquire
when they are in the market and in the building application.
Different types of tiles used in
building construction are available in glazed or unglazed form. They are
incombustible in their nature. Tiles are unaffected under the light.
Types of Tiles based on Application
There are different types of tiles
used in building construction which are unique to the type of surface where it
must be applied.
Following are the types of tiles based on surface of application:
·
Roofing tiles,
·
Flooring tiles,
·
Wall tiles, and
The roofing tiles are earthenware that is baked products. Its manufacture
is similar to that of brick. Roof tiles are designed mainly to keep out rain, and are traditionally made from locally available materials
such as terracotta or slate. Modern materials such as concrete and plastic are also used and some clay tiles have a waterproof
glaze. A large number of shapes (or "profiles") of roof tiles have
evolved.
The wall tiles as well as the floor tiles, are employed in the interior as well as the exterior
of the building. This is mainly employed based on the requirement of decoration
or aesthetics. These belong to the class of ceramics and are called as white wares.
Tiles that are used on walls and
floor are available in both glazed and in the unglazed forms. Mostly the wall
tiles are glazed by a thin layer of glazing when it is available in the market.
Floor tiles are too designed to
bring the beauty of flooring and movement. But it is subjected to higher load,
pressure and other undesirable material action. So, these tiles are made more
durable, abrasion resistant, water impervious and easy clean form.
Floor tiles along with the mentioned
properties should also provide good aesthetics. The degree of burning is the
parameter that differentiates the wall and the floor tiles.
When compared to floor tiles, the
wall tiles burned at a lower temperature. After this, it is glazed and re-fired
at a lower temperature.
Floor Tiles
These are commonly made of ceramic or
stone, although recent technological advances have resulted in rubber or glass tiles for floors as well. Ceramic tiles may be painted
and glazed. Small mosaic tiles may be laid in various patterns. Floor tiles are
typically set into mortar consisting of sand, cement and often a latex additive for extra adhesion.
The spaces between the tiles are
commonly filled with sanded or unsanded floor grout, but traditionally mortar was used.
Natural stone tiles can be beautiful
but as a natural product they are less uniform in color and pattern, and
require more planning for use and installation. Mass-produced stone tiles are
uniform in width and length. Granite or marble tiles are sawn on both sides and
then polished or finished on the top surface so that they have a uniform
thickness. Other natural stone tiles such as slate are typically
"riven" (split) on the top surface so that the thickness of the tile
varies slightly from one spot on the tile to another and from one tile to
another. Variations in tile thickness can be handled by adjusting the amount of
mortar under each part of the tile, by using wide grout lines that
"ramp" between different thicknesses, or by using a cold chisel to
knock off high spots.
Some stone tiles such as polished
granite, marble, and travertine are very slippery when wet. Stone tiles with a
riven (split) surface such as slate or with a sawn and then sandblasted or honed
surface will be more slip-resistant. Ceramic tiles for use in wet areas can be
made more slip-resistant either by using very small tiles so that the grout
lines act as grooves or by imprinting a contour pattern onto the face of the
tile.
The hardness of natural stone tiles
varies such that some of the softer stone (e.g. limestone) tiles are not
suitable for very heavy-traffic floor areas. On the other hand, ceramic tiles
typically have a glazed upper surface and when that becomes scratched or pitted
the floor looks worn, whereas the same amount of wear on natural stone tiles
will not show, or will be less noticeable.
Natural stone tiles can be stained by
spilled liquids; they must be sealed and periodically resealed with a sealant
in contrast to ceramic tiles which only need their grout lines sealed. However,
because of the complex, nonrepeating patterns in natural stone, small amounts
of dirt on many natural stone floor tiles do not show.
The tendency of floor tiles to stain
depends not only on a sealant being applied, and periodically reapplied, but
also on their porosity or how porous the stone is. Slate is an example of a
less porous stone while limestone is an example of a more porous stone.
Different granites and marbles have different porosities with the less porous
ones being more valued and more expensive.
Most vendors of stone tiles emphasize
that there will be variation in color and pattern from one batch of tiles to
another of the same description and variation within the same batch. Stone floor
tiles tend to be heavier than ceramic tiles and somewhat more prone to breakage
during shipment.
Rubber floor tiles have a variety of
uses, both in residential and commercial settings. They are especially useful
in situations where it is desired to have high-traction floors or protection
for an easily breakable floor. Some common uses include flooring of garage,
workshops, patios, swimming pool decks, sport courts, gyms, and dance floors.
Tiles can also be used in swimming pool area; these tiles are high crack
resistant. generally swimming pool tiles are blue or white to reflect light and
make it more attractive.
Plastic floor tiles including
interlocking floor tiles that can be installed without adhesive or glue are a
recent innovation and are suitable for areas subject to heavy traffic, wet
areas and floors that are subject to movement, damp or contamination from oil,
grease or other substances that may prevent adhesion to the substrate. Common
uses include old factory floors, garages, gyms and sports complexes, schools
and shops.
Type of Tiles based on Materials and Manufacture
Based on material and manufacture,
following are the types of tiles are used in building construction:
·
Ceramic tiles or non-porcelain tiles, and
·
Porcelain tiles.
i.
Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles are used for the
interior floors, swimming pools, exterior floors, walls and for special
installation both in interior and exterior cases.
Most types of tiles come under the
category of ceramic tiles. They are made from a mixture of clay and other
materials. They are fired in a kiln.
Following are the various types of
unglazed and glazed forms of ceramic tiles:
·
Earthenware tiles
·
Terracotta and faience
·
Fully vitrified tiles
·
Glazed tiles
·
Stoneware Tile
The earthenware tiles are made of clay while the stoneware
tiles have a large quantity of silica that is present in the form of sand,
crushed stoneware etc. Silica in the stoneware tiles are added to prevent the
shrinkage when the fixing process is carried out.
Terracotta tiles are manufactured by the use of high-grade fired clay.
When the firing is done twice unlike the case of terracotta tiles, we obtain
the faience. Faience initially
is subjected to fire, that is initially terracotta. After glazing the
terracotta tiles, it is again fired. This will finally give Faience.
The Faience is available in large
variety of color change. This would help for improving the terracotta works.
Glazed and vitrified tiles ceramic are developed presently. The glazed
tiles were only used for walls, at initial stages. Glazed ceramic tiles are
mainly manufactured by two processes.
Step 1: With the help of special white clay that is fired at a temperature
of 1200 degree Celsius, the body of the tiles are made. These final elements
are called biscuits.
Step 2: The biscuits are accompanied by glazing and decorations if any, and
are fired in the oven.
The glazes in ceramic tiles can be of
two types:
Earthenware glazes, and
Colored enamels.
The colored enamels are also of
different types.
ü
Bright or glossy surface
ü
Eggshell, vellum finishes
ü
Matt finishes
For different types of floor and
different abrasion due to traffic, the glazing techniques can be improved.
Vitrified ceramic tiles are tiles that are made from clay materials plus other
finely ground materials. These are subjected to a higher temperature firing.
Fully vitrified tiles are those tiles whose whole thickness are also vitrified.
Vitrified ceramic tiles have higher
abrasion resistance and can be employed in the areas of heavy traffic. These tiles
are said to be hard as granite. These are polished with the help of carbide or
diamond abrasive tools.
When compared to vitrified tiles, the
glazed tiles are not long lasting.
ii.
Porcelain Tiles
The manufacture, absorbing capacity
and the breaking strength of porcelain tiles differ from the ceramic tiles. The
porcelain tiles are also made from clay. But compared with the ceramic tiles,
they make use of heavy or denser clay.
Porcelain tiles during manufacture
are subjected to heavy temperature for a longer time. This baking is carried
out until all the water present in the element is evaporated. This unique
method of manufacture makes these tiles harder and denser compared to ceramic
tiles.
This is the reason why porcelain
tile is regarded as a superior product when factors of durability, design,
color and value factors are considered.
Porcelain tiles are highly impervious
to water. It has a water absorption rate lesser than 0.5%.
The cost of porcelain tiles is higher
when compared to the ceramic tiles. The porcelain tiles gain more application
in surface areas that have high traffic. These tiles are a type of vitrified
tiles. It is sometimes referred to as porcelain vitrified tiles.
The porcelain tiles demand special
cement for their installation. These tiles are harder and denser compared to
ceramic tiles. So, when these tiles are used for wall surfaces, the cement that
has high adhesive property are used.
The porcelain tiles that are polished
are also available in the market. After firing of the tiles, they can be
polished. This would bring a shine in the tile, without any glazing.
WATER ABSORPTION TEST ON TILES
AIM
To determine the percentage of water
absorption of roofing tiles
APPARATUS
A sensitive balance
SPECIMEN
Two tiles shall be used for this test
from the sample selected.
PROCEDURE
(i) Dry the tiles selected in an oven
at a temperature of 105 ° TO 110 °C till they attain constant weight and then
cool and weigh ().
(ii)When cool, immerse the dry
specimen completely in clean water at 27±2°C for 24 hours.
Remove each specimen, wipe off the
surface water carefully with a damp cloth and weigh the specimen nearest to a
gram () within 3 minutes after removing the specimen from the tank.
CALCULATION
Percentage of water absorption
Where 
=weight of the specimen after 24
hours immersion in clean water
=weight of the specimen after 24
hours immersion in clean water
= weight of the dry specimen.
RESULT
Water absorption of the given roofing
tiles= ………………...%
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