Warranty

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Glass Tile Types
There are various styles of glass on the market today. “Back painted” is a general term that describes the color application process to what typically starts out as a clear slab of glass tile and has color
applied to the back surface. If you hold the back painted tile sideways, you can see right through the lens. Not all back painted glass tiles are the same; there are subtle differences in manufacturing
that define where these tiles can or cannot be used. It is imperative that the glass tile is installed over the proper substrate. To avoid adversely affecting the color of glass tile, white mortar is required
for all installations. As most glass has translucent properties, it is important to ensure adequate coverage of mortar by lightly back buering the tiles. Some types of back painted or back foiled glass
are not suitable for exterior or wet applications as the coloring is not designed to hold up to these types of conditions. Glass tiles with a frosted finish will generally not do well when exposed to pool
chemicals. For these reasons, usage may be color specific within a series.
Crackled and Crazed Ceramic Finishes
Crackled and crazed finishes are considered a desired look, not a defect, in the glaze of certain tiles. The tiles may be used on wet area walls if properly sealed. They are not recommended for general
use on floors and counters. Typically, products with these finishes will have potential size variations adding to the handmade and hand painted look. It is recommended that a grout release, or a sealer
be applied to the crackled glaze prior to installation so the tile will not absorb any grout pigments, or installation related debris. Aer grouting, a penetrating sealer should be used to seal the surface
of the tile. Abrasive cleaners should not be used with these types of products.
VOC’s
Certification is not needed to satisfy LEED® specifications with hard flooring surfaces. The test methodology specified in CA Department of Public Health Standard – Section 01350 is the same one
used for the following certifications:
• SCS/RFI FloorScore
• SCS Indoor Advantage, Indoor Advantage Gold
• AQSI/GEI Greenguard, Greenguard -Children & Schoolsd
• CRI Green Label, Green Label Plus
Due to the manufacturing process of all of our fired floor tiles, the temperatures that these tiles are produced at inherently eliminate the presence of any off-gassing and results in no detectable
emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). As such, Emser’s floor tiles perform beer than the requirements of the FloorScore certification. Hard surface flooring products can contribute to
gaining 1 POINT for low-emiing materials in LEED® V4 rating systems. The credit definition is: “Mineral-based finish flooring products such as tile, masonry, terrazzo, and cut stone without integral
organic-based coatings and sealants and unfinished/untreated solid wood flooring qualify for credit without any IAQ testing requirements”. For this reason, it is assumed that ceramic and porcelain
floor tiles are negligible sources of VOCs and are available for credit without any testing requirements.
Transparency
Emser tile practices raw ingredient transparency which can be seen in HPD2.1 and SDS documents. Additional information can be found in our sustainability initiative on www.emser.com as well as
in this catalog.
Flame Spread Characteristics
Flame spread is measured using ASTM E84 Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, compliant to CBC Chapter 8 Section 803. This test will measure flame
spread, fuel contributed, and smoke developed. It is intended for all building materials including everything from counters, fabrics and wall surfaces to cementitious substrates. However, the test
method and the building codes do not apply to tiled surfaces. The test itself does not list tile as a required specimen for submission. The time temperature curve this test is conducted at will max out
at around 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. Quarry tile, ceramic and porcelain products pass this test as far as fuel and flame spread go. Although, under actual use circumstances, smoke may be caused on
the surface of the tile due to a number of outside factors i.e. sealers, cleaners, grease, surface debris etc., which are not a direct cause of the tile itself, but rather due to inherent presence of foreign
materials on the surface. Because ASTM E84 is conducted in levels below 1200 degrees and our tiles are manufactured at temperatures greater than 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, the combustion and
melting points of our tiles substantially exceed the testing threshold. ASTM E84 is a comparative test where the performance of the test specimen is compared with that of fiber-cement board and
select grade red oak flooring, which have been established as 0 and 100, respectively. Testing of floor tiles is not required or a recommended industry practice as they will produce a result of Class
A-0 due to their composition.
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Resources