For thousands of years, discerning builders have chosen tile for their projects due to its many benefits. When you begin to factor in how environmentally friendly ceramic and porcelain tile products are, you’ll see that tile is the obvious choice when building green.

Tile and the Environment:

Life Cycle – Ceramic, porcelain, and stone tiles are some of the longest lasting flooring products on the market today. Unlike carpet, vinyl or laminate flooring which have to be replaced periodically, properly installed tile will last a lifetime.

Indoor Air Quality – Indoor air quality is a hot topic for good reason. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contribute to a wide variety of health problems and are a significant cause of “sick building syndrome.” Since tile is fired in kilns to extremely high temperatures, there are no volatile organics in the finished product that can be released into the air we breathe; literally “zero.” In addition, there are adhesives and grouts available that contain zero, or very low VOCs. Some carpet, vinyl and wood flooring contain low VOCs, but none can compare to zero.

Recycling – Tile factories today are “closed loop,” reusing water and materials. They send only negligible amounts of scrap to landfills and waste water to treatment facilities.

Hypoallergenic – Tile is inhospitable to dust mites, mold, germs, and bacteria and often used to replace carpet for people with allergies or asthma.

Low maintenance – Tile is easily cleaned, often only with warm water, eliminating the need for chemicals and cleaners needed to maintain other types of floors.

Courtesy of the Tile Council of North America, Inc.