Appraisals lead to the optimum choice of tiling system for any application.
Research is being carried out to improve the life-cycle performance and safety of ceramic and stone tiling systems. Existing standards provide insufficient evidence of long-term performance requirements such as slip resistance and retained aesthetics that will be expected by the client. While it is easy to choose a new tile on the basis of its appearance, it is not always so simple to select a product that has good slip resistance, stain resistance and abrasion resistance, while also being easy to clean - all factors that will be expected by the client. At present specifiers must rely upon manufacturers' product data which is based on standards that do not always approach service requirements or client expectations. Architects need to be very careful in assessing the slip resistive qualities of ceramic tiles as most data sheets for imported tiles are based on the draft ISO standard rather than AS 3661.1.