Homeowners want attractive flooring in their homes, but they also want safe flooring. Slips and falls are a worry for everyone. Most indoor falls occur on the ground floor of a home. With this in mind, companies that supply tile flooring in Naperville, IL, test their tile before they sell it to homeowners. Here’s what you should know about tile testing.
Coefficient Friction Rating
The coefficient (COF) indicates the amount of friction generated by the interaction of two numbers. The first is the measurement of the force it takes to move one object, such as a shoe, against another object, such as a floor. The second is the pressure between the two objects.
A tile floor should have the highest possible number for slip resistance, a COF of 0.6. Dry objects moving against each other tend to have a COF of 0.3 to 0.6. These numbers are important to tile companies testing for skid-resistant tile flooring in Naperville.
Porcelain Enamel Institute Rating
The second rating homeowners seeking tile floors should pay attention to is the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) Rating. This is the measure of a tile product’s durability and hardness. The numbers run from Class 1 to Class 5, ranking the suitability of the tile for zero to heavy foot traffic. Class 1 tile would be suitable for a wall but never for a floor. Class 5 tile, rugged enough for floors in commercial environments where the foot traffic is intense, would be overkill for the interior of your home. Tile companies offer these ratings to help determine where to place the tile.
You’re in Luck
No other type of flooring is tested like tile is for slip resistance. When you choose tile flooring, you get flooring with a track record of safety. Homeowners wishing to know more about the skid resistance of their tile flooring can check the National Flooring Safety Institute for further information. Best Buy Carpet & Granite will be happy to alert you to the skid resistance of our tile flooring when you call or visit us at BestBuyCarpets.com to learn more about it.
