Guides
PEI wear ratings
What PEI 1 to 5 means and which rating each room needs.
AC ratings for laminate
What AC1 to AC6 means, why laminate has no PEI, and which class each room needs.
Wear layer
What mil means on a vinyl plank, which grade suits which room, and why vinyl has no PEI.
Breaking strength
What the newtons mean, what the standard asks, and why a strong tile still cracks.
Slip ratings
How grip is rated and what to use around water.
Stain classes
What stain classes 1 to 5 mean and how each one cleans up.
Porcelain vs ceramic
How the two materials differ and where each one belongs.
Waterproof vs water resistant
The difference between the two terms and where each floor can go.
Shade variation
What V1 to V4 means, and why every box should come off one run.
Faces
What the face count means and why a box can hold more.
Large format
Why lippage is the risk, how flat the base has to be, and why a third offset beats a half.
Pool and wet areas
Barefoot slip classes, the frost and chemical tests, and why coping is shaped instead of cut.
How much to order
How to turn square feet into boxes, with the overage included.
Acclimation & subfloor moisture
How long the boxes rest, and how to know the slab under them is dry.
Installation basics
The steps of a tile installation and what each one requires.
Grout & trim
How grout color changes a floor and which trim piece goes where.
Trim and stairs
Which piece finishes each edge, and how to measure a staircase.
Care & maintenance
How to clean porcelain tile and which products to keep off it.
Check any floor against these guides
Every PORCEMALL product page lists its ratings in the technical data table. Open a product page and compare it against the guide you need.