As the age of shared information rolls on, there will always be a desire for more knowledge surrounding practically every industry. The more information that people know, the smarter they’ll be as consumers. So, every producer (tile nerd, salesperson, etc.) should get ahead of the game by brushing up on their flooring knowledge, both present and future. 

Health and safety concerns continue to rise to the top of the priority list for consumers. And, that’s across industries. Smart consumers demand more accountability from the products and brands they choose to spend their hard-earned dollars with. 

Gone are the days of quantity over quality. Millennials, the incoming buying generation, care more about the longevity and practicality of products than they do about the status symbol associated with them. 

How well do you know the health and safety facts about tile? Let’s find out!

Free of VOCs and PVC

VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are found in many building materials and can cause serious harm to one’s health. Long-term exposure to VOCs has been linked to cancer, sick building syndrome, and other ailments like nausea and headaches. There are very few flooring options that are free of VOCs, but ceramic tile is one of them. Similarly, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is used in some flooring products and has raised concern from medical experts about the negative health effects it has. Again, ceramic tile is one of the few materials that does not contain any PVC.

Hypoallergenic

Respiratory issues caused by exposure to allergens in building materials are extremely common. Many people suffer from allergy irritation on a regular basis, and it is compounded by a lot of flooring or wall products in the marketplace. The good news is that ceramic tile is non-porous and therefore cannot be penetrated by bacteria, pollen, mold, or other common causes of allergy/respiratory problems. This non-porous makeup of ceramic tile also helps keep spaces tidy. All it takes is a good surface cleaning to remove any sort of unwanted debris or residue. 

Water resistant

Unlike flooring that must be kept dry in order to fall under the slip-resistant category, ceramic tile can withstand moisture while also staying safe for occupants. Going back to its non-porous nature, water sits atop a tile surface which doesn’t affect its traction ability. This makes it safe in wet and dry situations, clearly making it the safest flooring choice for any project. 

Fire resistant

Because ceramic tile is heated at such a high temperature during the production process, it is naturally resistant to fire. That doesn’t mean that it is fire-proof, mind you. Since tile does not possess harmful chemicals, like the ones we talked about earlier, it is non-combustible and does not produce smoke during a fire. So, when exposed to fire, it won’t fuel it or succumb to it very quickly.