What Tiles to Use Where? PEI Ratings for Tiles

Not all tiles are created equal. Some of them are perfect to be stepped on daily by a lot of people (like in malls, parks, and places of business), some can only take very little weight at a time like bathroom tiles while others can’t take weight at all.

Today, we’ll be discussing the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) Rating and what purpose it serves in determining what tiles to use for your specific purposes.

To start off, the PEI rating is an internationally used scale of hardness or toughness specifically for commercial tiles. PEI rating ranges from a value of 1 (least hard) to 5 (hardest).

PEI 1

You may not under any circumstance use tiles with a PEI of 1 as flooring. These tiles may only be used on walls or any other decorative purposes. These tiles are very prone to wear, tear, and breaking so never use them to be stepped on.

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PEI 2

Harder than PEI 1 but not completely hard, these are tiles that may be used in very low traffic areas like bathroom tiles, pantry flooring, or supply closet tiles.

PEI 3

Tiles that can take light to moderate traffic only are categorized under PEI 3. These include domestic kitchen floors, commercial kitchen & domestic countertops, and most residential flooring for about 3-8 inhabitants. Such tiles are available at FC Floor Center or FC Tile Depot.

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PEI 4

This is a lot sturdier than PEI 3 in that it may be used between moderate to heavy foot traffic. This is good for any residential flooring, but if it will be used for commercial flooring, it is best used for heavy traffic where people do not stay for prolonged periods like clothing boutiques or service centers.

PEI 5

This is the hardest among all the tiles perfect for very heavy traffic like as public bathroom tiles, airport tiles, park & mall flooring, or restaurant, food court, and events area tiles.

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Aside from the PEI rating, there are other factors that affect the contextual usability of tiles like coefficient of friction, to name one. Make sure to learn more about your tiles before you decide to buy them.