Marble Tile Grades

Premium standard and commercial.

Marble tile grades.

Stones with fill that. The higher quality stones have no holes that need to be filled with epoxy or resin. Marble with the a grade unlike school indicates marble that is not quite as aesthetically appealing as other grades. Those tiles with a pei porcelain enamel institute hardness rating of 4 or 5 are good for home and business traffic.

They can stand up to moderate foot traffic and everyday wear and tear and are acceptable for light commercial applications such as offices or small shops. The quarries of carrara yield several grades of marble that are ranked by builders. If the back of the tile appears to be covered in a mesh or net this marble is more fragile than others. Marble grading guide the grading of condition is very subjective.

There are three grades of travertine. A pei rating of 3 is good for residential and only light commercial traffic. Flip the marble tile over and look at the back. Premium grade which is sometimes called first grade is a tile that has been perfectly cut and has a uniform thickness throughout with very little filler.

They can also be used as outdoor porcelain tile. The thickness of tile its calibration offers one indication of its quality. There may be dry veins which means a separation between naturally occurring materials and some filling of minor imperfections may be required to improve appearance and soundness of the material. Both marble and porcelain are hard materials but porcelain is rated on a pei scale.

Some stones such as thassos white marble will only have fill in the lower grades. Bailey founder and principal designer of prudence home design in this kitchen she used 4x8 subway tiles to give the illusion of a bigger space and then added 1x3 carrara marble tiles in a herringbone pattern for the backsplash. Most tiles that are designated as residential floor tiles are grade 3. This classification of marble contains a few flaws as in grade a but may also display some pitting.

Every collector has their own opinion and no two collectors will ever agree on the exact grading of a particular marble collectors use interchangeably a descriptive grading system mint near mint good collectible and a numerical grading system based on a scale of 1 to 10. Marble has a reputation of being one of the most luxurious home design materials and its attractive veining and color options can truly make it stand out in any room. Grade a is pure subtly veined marble with few geological flaws. Grade 3 tiles are ideal for residential use in kitchens family rooms and hallways and are also great for countertops.

For most commercial installations grade 4 tile is recommended.