The Crucial Detail To Check Before Buying Any Kind Of Tile (& What Does It Mean?)

Choosing the right types of tiles to use in your kitchen and bathroom can be a nerve-racking experience. There are so many variables to consider pertaining to appearance, performance, and cost. And what's worse — more often than not, tiles that fit one criterion don't fit the others. To streamline this process, check the tile's grade. Manufacturers mechanically and manually inspect tiles in order to categorize them into three different grades — where grade 1 is the best and grade 3 is the worst — depending on the smoothness of their glaze, the consistency of their color, their thickness, and the uniformity of that thickness, as well as the precision of their dimensions.

A grade 1 tile, also known as standard grade, is of premium quality. It looks virtually perfect, and at typically three-quarters of an inch, it's thicker and therefore more durable and fit for floors and exterior use. In turn, a grade 2 tile, also known as secondary grade, has some imperfections, such as marks, uneven coloring, or wonky edges, and is typically thinner, at half an inch. But it's still adequate for indoor floors and walls. Finally, a grade 3 tile, also known as cull grade, is more fragile. It is typically only a quarter inch thick, has glaring irregularities, and is unfit for floors. 

Checking tile grade on the product label will tell you valuable information about the tile's makeup, helping you choose the best type of tile for your kitchen floors, bathroom floors, backsplashes, shower walls, and other applications.

If you're looking for durability, grade 1 tiles are definitely recommended. Not only are they usually thicker, and thus able to withstand intense traffic and weather, but they're also regular in size and thickness, allowing for an easier and more stable installation, with less chance of warpage and grout cracks in the future. Reserve them for busy areas like kitchens and entryways, and for terraces and balconies. Plus, since you can't spot any imperfections on these tiles at a distance of more than 3 feet, you'll want them for areas where aesthetics are just as important as function.

Because of their imperfections, grade 2 tiles may be sold at a discount. However, since they're only slightly thinner than grade 1, and therefore still fit for both indoor floors and walls, they're a great option if you're on a budget. You can use them in less frequented areas of the house, like a guest bathroom or a cellar, and for projects where imperfections are welcome. After all, imperfect tiles like zellige tiles are trending as sources of personality in interior design. In the case of grade 3 tiles, most don't even make it to retailer shelves and are purchased directly from the factory by tile professionals. They're suited only for decorative applications and can't be used on floors.

On a final note, be wary of general confusion between tile grade and the tile's Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) rating. The latter rates the abrasion resistance of the tile's glaze and applies only to ceramic and porcelain tiles. It's divided into six categories, where 0 is least resistant and 5 is most resistant. With tile grade, the numbers are the other way around and evaluate overall quality.