Ever been on a tiled bath floor that was so slippery after a shower it had you holding onto the towel rails for dear life?
Choosing the right tile for your floor carries with it safety precautions you should be aware of. High gloss finish tiles (glazed tiles) can create a falling hazard when used in the wrong places. Kitchens, bathrooms or entrance ways with them may look good and be easy to clean but if water or oil splashes onto them, they become slippery and could cause injury and in the case of a public work-space, potential lawsuits.
The cause of this is that they aren't porous thus cannot drain enough moisture to provide grip. Tile stores may not always be there to help you with your selection as they may not have inspected the area you intend to lay them. This leads to you purchasing the wrong type. Higher gloss tiles are best for areas less prone to moisture like sitting areas.
For areas prone to getting wet, it is important to make sure your tiles are non-slip. A simple way to test wet-grip on tile you plan on getting is by pouring a small amount of water on the tile and checking if the tile absorb any of it with a little rubbing with a finger. If it seeps in, the tile is less likely to be slippery, if it remains on the surface however, that will cause slip. The result should give you a basic idea of which one is right for you.
If you already have slippery tile floors, worry not, a non-slip coating can be applied on them. Acid etching is one of the alternative methods used to make the tiles more porous but it may not be recommend for expensive tiles as it removes a layer of the tile to create small pits that promote grip. Over time, these pits disintegrate and change the tiles appearance.
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