An Ecological Basis for Selecting Ceramic Tile

Evaluating ceramic tile for use in green building projects
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Sponsored by Tile of Spain

Tile Applications and Green Capabilities

While the cone-shaped tiles used in Mesopotamia served as elements of column structures, over the years ceramic panels and various setting techniques have been used for interior surfaces, special occupancies (such as healthcare), and outdoor uses including paving and building cladding.

Advances in digital printing technology make the look of granite and natural stone possible with ceramic tile.

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain

Green Reasons for Ceramic Tile

Specialty contractor Studio Tile & Stone of Melbourne, Florida, lists ceramic tile’s positive impacts in a number of areas, including:

Indoor environmental quality:
Resistant to fungus, mold, and mildew.
Inherently nontoxic and inert.
No emissions or off-gassing.
Uses nontoxic adhesives.
No sealing or stripping required.

Robust, durable materials:
No absorption of water.
Used in hygienic locations.
Resists fire, flame, and heat.
Resists chemicals, caustics, and corrosives.
Moisture and freeze resistant.

Reduced operational impacts:
Cleanable using water only.
Does not require professional cleaning.
Not affected by ultraviolet (UV) light.
Retains color permanently.
Resists insects and pest damage.

Occupant comfort and health:
Cool surface for warm climates.
Improves thermal comfort (TC).
Increases thermal mass.

Resource benefits:
Made of plentiful materials, such as clay.
Can be made with recycled materials.
Recyclable at end of use.
Very good life-cycle (LCA) profile.

Interior wall covering and flooring dominates the interior use of ceramic tile and its market dynamic overall. From mosaic tile to subway tiles to large-format, modern ceramic panels, properly installed ceramics provide a strong and lasting finish.

Tile's resistance to water, moisture, and bacteria—thanks to ceramic tile's dense composition and often glazed finishes—has encouraged its use in wet locations such as lobbies, foodservice areas, kitchens, restrooms, gymnasiums, hospitals, natatoriums, and more. Studies of microbiological growth show that ceramic and porcelain tile actually reduce bacteria, mold, and mildew in these areas when properly installed.

The inherent strength of tile surfaces has also opened doors for reuse opportunities. One of the most valuable in recent years is the advent of slim porcelain and ceramic tiles, which range from 3mm to 7mm in depth, some of which are even suitable for flooring installations for tile-over-tile retrofits using the original tile as a substrate. In addition to saving project time and cost, this technique obviates both the heavy tile construction waste as well as the need for new virgin or recycled materials for use in replacing the subfloor. The tile surface is stable and strong enough for point loads as well as typical environmental variations.

As flooring, ceramic tile offers a very resilient and protective finish, making it ideal for high-traffic zones, places where long-term aesthetics are important, and specialty interiors, such as healthcare settings, where cleanability and hygiene are concerns. In locations with direct ultraviolet (UV) exposure from sunlight and the potential for reconfiguration, tile demonstrates its resilience, durability, and flexibility. “Because ceramic tile will not fade due to UV light, the reconfiguration of spaces is much easier since furniture, rugs, or even cosmetic interior walls can be moved without the worry of light and dark patches of flooring,” says Ryan Fasan, a consultant to the Coral Gables, Florida-based trade group, Tile of Spain.

The inherent durability of porcelain and ceramic tile has attracted sustainable design adherents to their use in high-traffic, high-use areas. Novel tile designs that mimic wood and stone finishes offer the look of another natural surface with today's expected engineered performance. Other finishes may have a lower initial cost, but a tile installation can be amortized over a very long lifespan. An LCA study by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) comparing popular finish materials showed ceramic tile to be the lowest cost option for timeframes up to 40 years.

Another factor is thermal comfort (TC), according to Fasan, which has become an important buzzword in terms of occupant health and safety. Defined as the perceived warmth or coolness of a space, TC can be achieved using methods with low energy costs, or no energy cost at all, such as tile finishes. For example, studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that subfloor radiant heating in combination with hard, dense surfaces like ceramic tile tend to be among the most efficient ways to heat a space. Where geothermal power can be incorporated, both heating and cooling can be easily achieved with lower operating costs.

Designed by Estudio C O R, the award-winning MUCA Auditorium and Music Complex in Algueña, Spain employs a rainscreen of iridescent ceramic tiling.

Photo courtesy of Tile of Spain

Outdoor and Exterior Applications

Tile Experts and Green Building

Recent industry activity has focused attention on the potential for ceramic and porcelain tile use in green building. The Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA ), for example, has formed a Green Building Committee “to educate industry on the green building movement and to influence the way in which ceramic tile is viewed within the green building movement.” For its part, the Tile Council of North America (TCNA ) has formed its Green Initiative Committee and indicates it will work collaboratively with CTDA to further advance the use of ceramic tile in green building projects. Related developments include an insurance group, Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), which has developed a program to reward increased robustness, longevity, and durability—combined with improved disaster resistance—in building design. These life-cycle analysis (LCA) focused developments tend to reinforce the use of tile.

Studies of TC in commercial and residential interiors have also shown that thermostats are set an average of 2 degrees lower in areas of bare foot traffic when flooring feels warmer or cooler than the ambient room temperature. In addition to these long-term green solutions, ceramic and porcelain tile add thermal mass to the building assembly, which further stabilizes IEQ and energy draw through weather swings and occupancy changes.

Thermal mass is especially effective as part of the building exterior, and ceramic and porcelain tile offer longstanding uses as a finish for outdoor areas. According to the Glen Ellyn, Illinois-based Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), many ceramic tiles are frost resistant and can be used in both exteriors and interiors, while other materials quickly degrade in the outdoors. This offers design continuity, for example, where an interior floor material continues outdoors to a balcony, patio or terrace.

While outdoor uses such as paving, base, and wall finish—in addition to interlocking tile roofs—offer literally centuries of demonstrated effectiveness, recent design concepts bring tile panels into high-performance, engineered assemblies.

Most noteworthy are the cutting-edge façade and cladding applications using ceramic tile and porcelain tile, which are increasingly popular. These ventilated enclosure systems have been favored by architects and engineers due to their redundant nature and ability to provide continuous, protected insulation layers and air/moisture barriers. The result, say experts such as Avellaneda and Gonzalez at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, improves the “energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and acoustical performance” of the enclosure.

Overcladding with rainscreens is an effective retrofit approach for many buildings, according to architects like Mark Sealy, AIA, LEED AP, a principal with the Charlotte, North Carolina-based firm BJAC, “allowing the addition of thermal insulation for the building envelope,” he explains. “Rather than potential costly exterior wall deconstruction, repair, or replacement, existing buildings with moisture infiltration may benefit by sealing the existing exterior and adding a rainscreen.”

Aesthetics matter too, and ceramic tile is one of a small number of cladding materials rendered in color that is unaffected by exposure to sunlight. Beyond its durability, ceramic and porcelain tile in light colors can reduce a building's heat load and contribution to urban heat-island effects, which increase local ambient temperatures. These performance factors further build a case for using tile enclosures.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in December 2013

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