The only acceptable wood sub-floor is exterior grade plywood. Other types of wood flooring such as hardwood, parquet or particle board are not acceptable. If you must install ceramic tile on top of an existing vinyl or linoleum floor be sure the floors are well bonded and properly prepared. Ceramic tile should never be installed on top of a cushioned vinyl floor.

I can not decide whether I should buy ceramic or porcelain tile, what is best for my floor?

Your choice will depend on what you have in mind for the tile. Porcelain tile is a type of ceramic tile. They are both fired above red heat. The following are the main differences between porcelain and ceramic tile. Porcelain tile is harder and denser than other types of ceramic tile, porcelain tile is frost proof and impervious.

I have installed ceramic tile before, should I do anything different when installing porcelain tile?

Because of the hardness and the dense nature of porcelain tiles be sure to use a cement mortar specifically formulated for this type of tile.

My contractor suggested sealing my new ceramic tile floor, is this necessary?

Glazed ceramic tile or porcelain tile does not require sealing or waxing. Unglazed tile may be sealed or finished if desired.

I am shopping for tile for my outside porch and am concerned about the consequence of temperature changes, what should I look for?

You should limit your shopping to tiles that are marked "frost resistant". This type of tile is specifically made to withstand exposure to freezing temperatures.

I am redoing the floors in my office in ceramic tile. The floor has to withstand a lot of foot and wheelchair traffic. How do I select the proper ceramic tile?

You will want to pay attention to the tile’s wear rating which is referred to as the PEI number. PEI numbers range from 1 to 5.  The higher the PEI number, the more durability.