Guest Blog Post by: Metropolitan Ceramics
Flooring specifiers have a range of choices when selecting products for challenging commercial environments. Quarry tile, however, is the superior choice when durability and performance are critical, and Metropolitan Ceramics’ XA-Abrasive™ – with TWO slip-resisting additives in one product – sets itself apart as the preferable option.
What is Quarry Tile?
An unglazed product, quarry tile is valued for its durable and vitreous nature as well as its natural slip resistance. Time and again, designers and other specifiers choose this vanguard in commercial flooring for harsh environments.
While many tile manufacturers use presses to produce stamped quarry tiles, the highest quality tiles are manufactured using an extrusion process similar to brick-making. As it does for bricks, extrusion creates a highly tight, dense, and vitreous tile body, surpassing other manufacturing methods. The strength of quarry tile also comes in its firing process. Once dried, quarry tiles are fired at temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, making them highly resistant to moisture.
What sets XA-Abrasive™ apart?
Metropolitan Ceramics XA-Abrasive features silicon carbide embedded in the surface combined with a metallic additive through the body, making it a one-of-a-kind slip-resisting ceramic quarry tile. It has a dynamic coefficient of friction ≥.70 – which is well above the industry guideline of .42. Most extreme environments, like fast-paced restaurant kitchen floors, demand a product that is not only durable but slip-resistant.
The Metropolitan Ceramics Difference
Metropolitan Ceramics is part of Ironrock, a fifth-generation, family-owned company with more than 150 years of experience in brick and tile manufacturing. A testament to its consistency and reliability, millions of square feet of Metropolitan Ceramics quarry tile have been installed throughout the United States.
Metropolitan Ceramics manufactures its tile through an extrusion process for lasting performance. As a result, it outperforms pressed tile options when it comes to strength, durability, and resistance to moisture and stains. The extrusion process also produces a ribbed back for superior mortar adhesion. Metropolitan quarry tiles offer a long lifespan for long-term cost savings.
Balancing durability and aesthetics, Metropolitan Ceramics’ five lines of quarry tile are the high-performing, attractive option for demanding commercial projects. These lines include QuarryBasics® Ironspot, QuarryBasics® Clear Tones, Down-to-Earth, & Metro Tread®. Reach out to Metropolitan Ceramics for more information.
For more information about Metropolitan Ceramics and their products, visit metroceramics.com
