"What kinds of questions do I need to ask about it?"
Tile has a rating system.
1) GRADE, a rating of overall quality. You'll want a 1 or 2 for floors, 3 are suitable for wall use. Obviously, 1 is the best quality.
2) PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute) wear rating, how well the tile will wear over time. 1 and 2 are suitable for walls. 3 is suitable for residential. 4 and 4+ are even more durable, with 4+ for heavy commercial. In general, look for 3 or higher. 3)
3) WATER ABSORPTION. In general, look for less than 7% for areas that are occasionally wet like a bathroom floor, and less than 3% for areas that are constantly wet like in a shower.
The type of tile can also indicate how much water is may absorb:
Nonvitreous: High absorption, >7%, not suitable for showers or bathrooms..
Semivitreous: Moderate absorption, 3% - 7%,not suitable for outdoor use or for wet
rooms, such as bathrooms.
Vitreous: Low absorption, 0.5% - 3%, suitable for wet rooms, bathrooms, etc.
Impervious: Lowest absorption, <0.5%, suitable for all interior uses
4) COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION, CoF, slip resistance, look for greater than .6 for wet areas.
5) FROST, not an issue for your interior application
6) TONE, how the color may vary from one tile to another within the box of tiles.
Grout line width? Depends on your tiles. In general, the manufacturer should have some grout width guidelines on their website. If there are none to be found, then go by the tiles themselves. With like-sizes tiles, say all 4" by 4", stand a bunch of tiles on edge like a deck of cards. Whatever the variation is in dimension, multiply that by 3. If the tiles vary by 1/16th" from one another, Multiply that by 3 and your minimum target would be a 3/16th" wide grout line. That assures that two oversized tiles next to one another will not touch. On the flip side, two smaller tiles next to one another will have a wider grout line.
Since your tile has texture, it may hold soap residue in a shower. The residue can build up over time, holding skin cells, hair, etc, and gunk out. Just keep that in mind. Because of the texture, It may help to install a hand held shower head that can be used to wash down the walls and floors.
Good luck with your installation.
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Faucet Brand Ratings
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