Understanding PEI Ratings to Choose the Right Tiles
Buying tiles is more complicated than you think, especially if you’re purchasing tiles for areas with high foot traffic, like hotels, malls, or corporate buildings. If you want to retile or tile an area for the first time, you must familiarise yourself with PEI tile ratings. PEI is the method used to rate tiles based on their strength and suitability for specific areas. Here is a guide to understanding PEI ratings so you can choose the right tiles for your project.
What are PEI ratings?
PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute) is commonly used to measure ceramic and porcelain tiles’ resistance to abrasion and wear. This score will indicate where and how they should be used. This type of scoring is mainly based on their strength and durability. It helps determine whether it would be better to use them in low-foot-traffic areas, for aesthetic purposes or if they can handle the consistent strain applied by regular or heavy traffic in certain areas like malls and corporate buildings.
PEI ratings explained
As you look for floor tiles, you’ll notice that most have a strength grade on them. Depending on their manufacturer, this may be a PEI rating or another grade score. Here is a guide describing what the different PEI scores mean and where these tiles should ideally be used:
Group 0
Tiles in the group 0 category wouldn’t be suitable for floor use. While they may be made from materials like porcelain or ceramic, these tiles are usually relatively thin and easy to break. This makes them more suitable for aesthetic uses only, like on walls as a backdrop or for other aesthetic functions.
Group 1
As we move up the strength ladder, group 1 tiles enter the usable floor tile category. However, these tiles are only really suitable for areas with little to no foot traffic, where shoes are rarely used. For example, you could probably use these in a bathroom. In addition to that, these tiles can also be used for the interior of commercial or residential walls.
Group 2
Being slightly stronger, group 2 tiles can be used in general residential areas with standard traffic. This would include places like your living room, bedroom or other areas in your home that receive regular amounts of foot traffic. This may vary depending on your house and the number of family members you have. We wouldn’t recommend using group 2 tiles for your kitchen, entrance or stairs.
Group 3
Group 3 tiles hit a nice sweet spot for residential homes. They’re strong enough to be used in higher traffic areas like your kitchen, entrance, hallways, or countertops. In some cases, they can even be used in light commercial areas. That said, we wouldn’t suggest that you use them in high-traffic areas like the lobby of a commercial building. For that, we would recommend going for a stronger tile.
Group 4
As we get to the top of the pyramid, the tiles get a lot stronger and thus more versatile. Group 4 tiles are better suited to areas with high foot traffic. They’re more durable and resistant to cracking or chipping. As a result, they’ll last longer. We’d recommend that you use group 4 tiles for medium-sized commercial buildings and light institutional use. For instance, we would go in a group if we were tiling the lobby of a large university simply because of the sheer number of students.
Group 5
Group 5 tiles are the strongest porcelain and ceramic tiles available. If you want something stronger than natural stone, tiles may be the next step. These tiles are designed to handle heavy foot traffic, abrasive dirt, and moisture and are ideal where safety and performance are needed. Areas like malls or large institutional buildings would benefit from installing these tiles.
Where to buy quality tiles
In addition to finding tiles with the proper PEI rating, you also want tiles matching the design you’re going for, right? If so, check out the range of quality floor tiles The Tile Collective offers. We’re confident you’ll find the tiles you’re looking for through their range of different tile materials and styles.
Final thoughts
Tiling a large area (or small) is a significant investment that you surely want to last. Unfortunately, if you choose tiles unsuitable for the foot traffic they’ll experience, they will crack or chip before they should. This would require you to replace them sooner. With that in mind, go through the PEI ratings and make sure that you buy tiles that match the strain you expect they to take.
