Surface Types

Alphabetical listing of all types of surfacing - from A to Z

Including pros and cons of each type

Very important! - This page will help you confirm you have the surfacing you think you have.

Often surfacing is sold under names that are confusing and misleading in relation to sealing and cleaning. This page will aid in surface identification as to type and absorption. For instance, there are "Quarry Tile", "Quarry Stone", "Quarry Stone Tile", "Stone Look Tile", "Stone Tile", "Slate Tile", and on and on. These are very different materials when it comes to sealer absorption and cleaning concerns. This page will help to determine what you really have despite it's name. Please do not order products unless you are confident.

There is no need for confusion or problems brought about by misidentification of a surface type, yet it happens all too often. If you would like to see why this is the case and how to properly identify a surfacing material ..... Click here

Here are two explanations ( with videos) to tell you how to:   Determine Absorption Determine Acid Sensitivity

Below is a listing of surfacing "types" (for example: "brick").  You will not find a "marketing name" (for example, "Acme brick-buff" or "Old Chicago Brick") for the surfacing because it does not matter and there are thousands of marketing names.  It is the "type" that determines how you care for it. If you cannot find your surfacing, see for further guidance.

Tip: any of these surface types that will darken temporarily with a drop of water will also take a stain and must be sealed for protection.  Any that are soft or flaking can be made stronger with the right sealer.

Agglomerates

Shiny - Looks like Terrazzo, but the marble/quartz chips are in a resin & marble dust binder. Also known as "composite engineered stone"

Terrazzo tile is a cement binder, not resin

• Face Brick 
       (light and white colors)
• Flashed
      (heat generated color patterns)
• Paving
     (see also "Pavers" below)
• Standard or "Common" brick
• Thin Brick Veneer
• Used Brick
     (reclaimed from old buildings)
• Very Old Brick

"Replica Used" are newly manufactured to look used

"Embossed" have a pressed pattern in the face

Brick - Concrete

• Paving - see Pavers
• Wall Brick

Solid or cored - Many colors and finishes

Many similar in appearance to the clay bricks.

Concrete Block

Dry stack Retaining Block

Split Block

Slump Block

Burnished Block

Shot Blast Block

• Regular or Colored
• Exposed Aggregate

Sidewalks - garages - pavement - driveways

Colored with pigments or acid reactive stains

Stamped, textured, all finishes

Concrete Tile

• Concrete (cement) body
• Not installed, but already sealed? - see "Factory Sealed"
• Thick Pavers - see Pavers

App. 3/4" thick

Many shapes, colors, and sizes

Extruded and cast

Factory Sealed Surfaces

For stone tabletops - see "Tabletops"

Flagstone (sandstone)

Granite

• Honed, Flamed
• Polished
• For granite tabletops - see "Tabletops"

slabs - tiles - all finishes

Some kinds of granite do not need to be sealed, and others do need to be sealed.

Grout or Mortar

For tabletop grout issues - see "Tabletops" Standard cement/sand grout

Additive modified (latex, acrylic, etc.)

Specialty grouts (epoxy)

Limestone & Marble

• Honed
• Polished
• Soft Face (sawn, not polished)
• Shell stone
• Travertine
• Tumbled
• Polished converted to
  honed or aged
• Onyx - see note below
• For tabletops of these stones - see "Tabletops"

Tiles - Paver Slabs - Trim and Accent Pieces
All finishes

Note: The name "Onyx" is a marketing name that is confusing. Here is a definition by one credible source of true Onyx used in construction: "The building stone is a form of calcite called travertine. Just to confuse things, it is often called Egyptian alabaster, alabaster and marble onyx."
Assuming this applies to your Onyx, see left column for "travertine", but test to confirm.

Metal Tile

This page is for true metal pieces, not a metallic "glaze".

See Tile, Ceramic (clay) - Glazed for the discussion of metallic glazes.

Mexican Tile

( Not installed, but already sealed? - see "Factory Sealed" )

Saltillo - Super Saltillo - Tecate

In the family of terracotta tile, but more rustic

Mosaic Tile

Not glazed

Same hard fired material and color all through the body

Same characteristics as Porcelain tile

Small - square, hex, rectangle - usually with a mesh backing for easier installations.

Pavers, Interlocking

2 1/4" high

Usually sand joints, but not always

Harder than clay or concrete wall brick

Porcelain Tile

Not glazed

Same hard fired material and color all through the body

Same characteristics as Mosaic tile

Pictures are top and bottom of the same tile

"Stone Look" has stone texture and colors pressed into the face.  See "Stone Look" for special needs.

Quarry Tile

• Standard
• Traction Finish (raised tread, grit)
• For tile tabletops - see "Tabletops"

Not glazed

Same hard fired material and color all through the body

Top is a wood pattern quarry tile

Bottom is a slip resistant tread design

Slate

Many types and colors

Top is a green Vermont type. Also red and black.

Center is an import from *India

Bottom is an import from Brazil. Many different colors and patterns.

Some slates require the sealer to provide reinforcement of soft and/or flaking areas.
A crate of Indian or Chinese slate can contain both very hard and very soft stones. The sealer can even out the finish and hardness characteristics.

" Stone Look" Tile

Duplicates the look of a natural stone

Mfg. in glazed, porcelain, mosaic and concrete types

If concrete - see also Concrete Tile

Stone, Manufactured - man made

cement body

Duplicates the look of all the natural stones

Flat back and used as veneer only.

• Bluestone
• Flagstone
• Quartzite - natural and honed
• River Rock
• Sandstone
• Slate
• For stone tabletops - see "Tabletops"
• A tile that looks like slate or stone? See "Stone Look" Tile above

Tabletops

Furniture manufacturers using Aldon products are listed right column. Click their logo for their table care information.

Note: If your stone tabletop is not made by one of these, it can still be refinished and protected as discussed on each of these manufacturer's pages. Refinishing process video

Thinking of purchasing a patio table? Consider how easy it is to wipe off a stone tabletop compared to the cleaning of glass (top and underneath, streaks and spots) and the crevices between glass and frame.  10 seconds vs. 10 minutes?

 
Erwin & Sons

Terracotta Tile

Typically an even, light beige color

Not the same as a Mexican Tile

Terrazzo

Tile, Ceramic (clay) - Glazed

• Glazed (fired) in a high temperature kiln
• Stone Look -slate or other finishes
• For tile tabletops - see "Tabletops"
• Metallic Glazed (fired) (see above for pure metal tiles).

Colors, textures, shapes are in the thousands.

Although considered to need almost no care or protection, the new and unique glazed tiles available today do have some characteristics that should be known before installation.

Tile, Ceramic (clay) Unglazed

Clay body - Fired - Not glazed or coated

• Mexican Tile - Saltillo
• Mosaic Tile
• Porcelain Tile
• Quarry Tile
• Terracotta Tile
• For tile tabletops - see "Tabletops"