One of the most authoritative international trade organizations in the field of production and sales of ceramic and porcelain tiles is the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), with nearly 70 years of experience in the field.
The purpose of the organization is to expand the market of ceramic tile in North America, as well as to contribute to the establishment of a clear system of certification of quality ceramic products. One of such certification programs is a water absorption test specially designed for porcelain tiles.
As you probably know, according to many international quality standards, porcelain tile is a material with water absorption of 0.5% or less. Anything that does not match this standard cannot be sold as porcelain tile. Unfortunately, at present there still exists some confusion in the market as to what constitutes real porcelain. Such certification programs are some sort of a guiding light for architects, designers, end-users, helping them to avoid mistakes when choosing materials for their projects.
It is well known that porcelain tile is a very durable product with high abrasion, bending, frost resistance, etc., which also makes it more expensive than regular ceramic tiles, but it is suitable for virtually unlimited field of applications. Porcelain tiles can be safely laid outside, even in regions with very cold climate. It is indispensable for the high traffic areas, where such characteristics as wear resistance and durability are crucial. Thus, when selecting a material for your project, it is important to take the right decision, and that is where the TCNA certification helps to decide.
We at The Tile Company are proud to be one of the TCNA certified manufacturers. Our porcelain tiles meet the highest quality requirements for this type of material, including the water absorption of 0.5% or less criterion. All of our collections of glazed porcelain tiles are certified by the TCNA and have a Porcelain Certification Mark, which distinguishes them among all others as the material of the highest quality.
