Can Porcelain Tiles Be Rated for Moisture Absorption?

There are a lot of ways on how you can tell if the porcelain tiles are best. One such yardstick is the price. There is a common thinking that the higher the price of these tiles, then the better its quality. The tiles' hardness is also another measure that is used by many designers and welders in telling if one set of tile is better than the other. 

Now there is another factor that can be used in telling which tiles are best and which ones is not- and that is through moisture absorption rate. How well can these tiles absorb water? And how much amount of water can these tiles carry before these will break and disintegrate? 

These are the critical questions that are being asked, and these questions are all related to the concept of moisture absorption. Together with hardness, this factor is being used right now to test the quality of these porcelain tiles.

Here's a simple definition of water absorption rate. This is actually the measurement developed by the American National Standards Institute or the ANSI to see how much moisture one porcelain tile can absorb on a regular basis. 

This is a necessary move because there are some porcelain tiles that can easily crack after it has absorbed some water. In order to test for its rate, the testing body will oil the tiles on water and will measure the gain in the weight of the tiles and compare the current weight to the previous one before the tiles were boiled. Now there are four (4) ratings that are used to test the moisture absorption rate of these tiles and these are discussed below:

• The first rating group is the non-vitreous or the low dense. These are given to porcelain tiles with absorption rate of 7 percent or more.

• The second rating group is called the semi-vitreous where the absorption rate is more than 3 percent but should not be more than 7 percent.

• The vitreous group. This level is called the high dense where rate is more than 0.5 percent but not greater than 3 percent. And finally;

• The impervious group or the extremely dense tiles. These are your porcelain tiles.

This function is also related to the suitability of the targeted tiles for a number of applications, whether for exterior or for interior applications. The general ruling in the proper selecting of tiles based on this rate is as follows:

• If the tiles that are targeted are to be used for exterior projects, then it should be remembered that the tiles that should be selected are those with low water absorption rate. This is especially true in areas bombarded by rain and snow.

• And if the rate is low, then these tiles may absorb typical stains in a lesser manner.

Majority of the porcelain tiles are part of the third group, and the group that will not absorb those stains easily. Now you know the reason why these types of tiles are sought-after and very much in demand in the market.
