Porcelain Tile is a Smart Choice for Front-of-House Installations
Porcelain tile is a smart choice for front-of-house installations for many reasons. The huge range of design styles available is just one, albeit an important one, as it gives designers’ the ability to incorporate tile into virtually any type of design scheme imaginable. Porcelain is more durable than natural stone, making it an obvious great choice for high traffic areas, and it’s nearly effortless to maintain, as well. Porcelain tile contributes to good indoor air quality because it doesn’t emit VOCs, and especially important to restaurant applications, porcelain tile is sanitary. It’s non-porous and doesn’t harbor bacteria, dust, mold, or mildew. And when you consider the life-cycle cost analysis of porcelain over other surfaces, it’s extremely budget friendly. What’s not love about porcelain tile for front-of-house installations?
Tile’s Technical Performance
Certification
While porcelain tile is a smart choice for high traffic commercial spaces, it’s important to be aware that not all porcelain is created equally. Specifiers must consider the technical specifications provided by the manufacturer. All certified porcelain undergoes rigorous testing for the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials). Specifiers should be cautious if testing results aren’t available for any particular porcelain tile product.
Slip Resistance
It’s also important to note that tile specified for commercial flooring must meet a DCOF (Dynamic Co-Efficient of Friction) value of .042 or greater, and the information should be disclosed on the product website as well as all printed materials. DCOF is a standard for measuring tile’s frictional resistance that is closely related to traction and slipperiness. Learn more about DCOF here.
Imperviousness
Porcelain tile is categorized as “impervious,” which means it has a water absorption rate of less than 0.5%. Such a low water absorption rate means porcelain tile very unlikely to absorb food and beverage stains – making it an excellent choice for front-of-house flooring. Being impervious also makes tile exceptionally easy to maintain with just a daily refresh of clean water and tile and grout cleaner.
Advantages of Crossville Tile for Front-of-House Flooring
Family owned, Crossville manufacturers porcelain tile in America to the highest standards and is sustainable at all levels of operations. We use the latest technology to bring our customers the highest performance characteristics, as well as the most current design styles. We clearly state all specification details and certifications for our products so designers are assured they’re selecting the best products for the jobs at hand. Our diverse collections go even further thanks to our versatile programs and product enhancements such as Get Planked (for custom-cut plank sizes), Hydrotect (a revolutionary, invisible coating that uses science to create the best defense against dirt and pollution), and Cross Sheen (our proprietary finish that makes it easy to remove, scuffs, stains, and graffiti). In short, we give specifiers real problem-solving solutions to answer the challenging demands of restaurants!
