Want to know what type of tile floor to buy for your flooring project? Read this 1 minute tip to learn about calibrated and rectified tile.

I admit, 1 minute is not enough time to talk about  a flooring replacement project. So I’ll make it brief. If you are thinking about replacing your flooring with tile in 2020, there are two words that you need to have some general awareness about.

CALIBRATED TILE

In layman’s terms, calibrated tile is cut before it goes through the baking process. The tile is cut in consistent squares then it is placed in the oven. The only problem with this process is that the tile shrinks at different rates. I’m not talking about major shrinkage but enough to potentially cause someone with ocd about grout lines and symmetry to have a panic attack ( I’m being funny, but you know who you are, and of course none of my clients). Often times home owners want minimal grout lines but minimal grout lines are often not recommended by the manufacturer and may cause major lippage ( tile not flush with each other).

RECTIFIED TILE

Rectified tile on the other hand is pre-cut, baked, then trimmed. This process minimizes size variations from tile to tile. Rectified tile is not better than calibrated tile. Tile rectification can produce a beautiful result but substrate ( where you are installing the floor) conditions will be more important. The floor has to be well prepared to obtain the expected results. 

CONCLUSION

Understanding the difference between rectified and calibrated tile will help you reduce anxiety about your tile installation project. It will help reduce misunderstandings between the homeowner and installer. You will have realistic expectations. Talk to your supplier and installer about the most appropriate application for your project. You can always contact Northeast Houston Renovation if you are in the Kingwood, Humble, Huffman, Crosby, Atascocita, Summerwood, Fall Creek, Eagles Springs, The Groves and Bridges areas, to ask general information about these topics. At the very least, we will point you in the right direction.

All the best!

Jorge (George) Pinto