The tiles are waterproof, right? This is a question most people ask themselves when faced with the possibility of having to replace the surface of a house tile due to flood damage. However, even the best tiles are not completely impermeable to floods, as evidenced by the inhabitants of Sarasota’s coastal floodplains.
First, many consumers misunderstand that all tiles are designed the same, but this cannot be far from the truth. If you are in the new tile market and expect the location of the tile to be exposed to large amounts of water, ask the tile supplier if the tile is glassy or waterproof. If the tile is classified only as semi-glassy, or worse, non-glassy, it is not suitable for excessive water exposure. For example, porcelain stone tiles are classified as impermeable because the density of these tiles almost completely prevents moisture absorption (0.001% to 0.5% water absorption).