Full bodied or grade 5/3 ? Porcelain

[Filip]

How do I know what grade my Porcelain tiles are I have been read on here about different grades.
I have some Porcelain tiles but do not know what the grade is.

 

[Tile Shop]

Unfortunately that information is rarely on the box. You need to ask the supplier or factory for a copy of the specification sheet or DoP with the surface abrasion result on it (ISO 10545-7)

 

[Filip]

Unfortunately that information is rarely on the box. You need to ask the supplier or factory for a copy of the specification sheet or DoP with the surface abrasion result on it (ISO 10545-7)

Hmmm - we are talking tops tiles !

 

[Flintstone]

Why do you need to know ?

 

[Tile Shop]

HAHA.... I mean.... oh dear 🙂
It is something they should be able to tell you in store. At the very least their head office would be sourcing this information before putting it on sale. It will be there, you just need to dig it out of them 🙂

If not, have a look for the factory contact details on the box, go to their website and see if they have a downloadable catalogue as it may have what you need. If they don,t contact them direct, give them the info off the label and they should be able to tell you.

 

[Filip]

I am sue all I will get from tops is - "yeh its porcelain"
The reason I ask is that I am soon to be doing a 9m2 outside area but it is enclosed on 3 sides one of which is my house and it also has a polycarb roof so am I right in thinking I need porcelain and a nice full body one.
Perhaps I had better start another thread for that project

 

[Tile Shop]

Wearing grade has nothing to do with whether a tile can be used outside or not. As a general rule, 95% of most porcelain tiles 60x60 or less are frost resistant/frost proof and being covered over is an advantage.

The grade will however dictate how much foot traffic it will take and how much you need to protect it from grit and scratching dirt, and outside that won't be easy. In a domestic garden I would not suggest anything less than grade 4 porcelain but would always push for a 5. And to be honest, I can't remember the last time I saw a porcelain, glazed or otherwise of grade 3 or less..... (scrap that, yes I can.... grade 1..... jet black glazed.... and it still gives me the occasional night terror)

Again, Topps is your first port of call for the grade and you need to ensure they recommend them for external use..... Or buy a new range of tiles that you are confident in.

 

[Dumbo]

You're best bet is to go to a proper tile shop to buy your tiles . Somebody like ctd I don't deal with them personally but ive not heard any pro on here say a bad word about them

 

[Filip]

CTD it is then my very local one is inside jewsons. Thank you

I was looking at the water absorption test which made me think about grades but after reading it I think I best not go there !
@Paul C. thanks for the frost info and the angle on the surface hardness, the area gets aluminium deckchairs stored there and we retreat the outside table under there went it rains on our bbq.
The area at the moment is concrete with no DPC and been covered for 18 years no damp that I can see apart from the section nearest the exposed open side where the rain blows under.
What is the best way forward as to adhesive (Tilemaster is local) I have a feeling you are going to tell me I need some sort of decoupling membrane but I don't want to be adding any height as that will cause me other problems.

 

[Filip]

So I went into tops and asked what grade the tiles were - I first got a blank expression and then I said you know -full bodied or grade 5 and they said straight away "no they are not full bodied " and then proceed to look on the computer and couldn't find any info on grade.