Ceramic or porcelain tiles are quite common in homes and they are used by millions of homeowners. They are available in different finishes and colors and they often look the same as high quality real hardwood planks. The growth story of tiles has been quite wonderful and therefore there is quite a bit of excitement and enthusiasm surrounding it. When spending time choosing the right porcelain or ceramic tiles, you could come across many technical terms. One such term is PEI and you also may have to encounter other terms like soluble salt, caliber, water absorption levels just to name a few. This might make you a bit confused and undecided. Though there are many such terms, we will be looking at PEI rating and find out why it is important when it comes to making a choice of porcelain or ceramic tiles.

What Is PEI Rating?

PEI actually stands for Porcelain Enamel Institute and this institute was founded in the year 1930. The objective and purpose was to put in place the right consumer guidelines when it comes to buying of glazed tiles. It deals with the wear rating and could also help you to choose the right tiles keeping in mind the right surface. It is a rating which applies both for porcelain and ceramic tile. However, it is more commonly applicable for porcelain tiles because of their innate hardness when compared to ceramic tile. There are basically five scales on which PEI ratings are given and each rating could help you to make the right choice as far as porcelain and ceramic tiles are concerned.

0 – This is considered to be lowest rating and porcelain or ceramic tiles with this rating are considered unsuitable for floors. They might, however, look bold and are often used on the walls of your toilet, bathroom and also used on countertops for your kitchen.

1 – Very light traffic. This is considered suitable again for countertops and walls. It could be used as flooring but only where there is not much of jumping and weight bearing. It can at best stand a weight of 30 pounds.

2 – Light Traffic – They are considered to be good choices for countertops and walls. They are also used in sitting rooms and other such places where there is not much of traffic. They are good for homes with limited number of family members.

3 – Moderate Traffic – These are deemed fit for all types of residence use apart from being. However, they are not considered suitable for any types of commercial use.

4 – This grading is suitable for moderate to heavy traffic – It is perfectly suited for almost all residential purposes. They also are one of the most sought after PEI rated porcelain/ceramic tiles for restaurants and lobbies.

Heavy traffic – They are considered to be the toughest and strongest porcelain and ceramic tiles in the market. They are perfectly suited for all types of residential uses. They also are recommended for heavy commercial uses. They are used in airports, railway stations and also for your private plane hangar.

Summing Up

The above ratings have stood the test of time and are extremely useful for customers when it comes to choosing the right porcelain and ceramic tiles. The PEI rating takes into account traffic, load factor and other such things so that customers could choose the rating which meets their specific needs and requirements.

In summary, tile flooring is a great choice to go with,  check our all the benefits of tile flooring in our main article on the blog.