All Surface Types

Agglomerates    (see also - Terrazzo further down.)

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

Silestone and Ceasarstone are in this agglomerate category because they are over 90% quartz chips and dust with a polymer resin binder.

Terrazzo tile is a cement binder, not polymer resin - see below

Bluestone

Varies from dense (almost slate like) to very absorbent sandstone texture. It has tones of blue, green, and purple. The "Pennsylvania Bluestone" variety is typically uniform blue/gray and highly absorbent.

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Brick - Clay     (see also "Pavers" below)

Standard or "Common" brick
Face Brick - light and white colors
Flashed Brick - heat generated color patterns
Thin Brick Veneer
Mfg. or Replica Used Brick - new brick that is tumbled and colored
Used Brick - reclaimed from old buildings i.e. "Old Chicago" brick
Historic Old Brick - soft and erodes from weather, sealing fixes
Embossed Brick - a pattern is pressed in the face

 

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Brick - Concrete    (Paving - see also "Pavers" below)

Wall or Paving Brick. Solid or Cored. Many colors and finishes. Many are similar in appearance to the clay bricks.

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Concrete Block    (also known as CMU's)

Precision Block | Cinder Block | Dry stack | Retaining | Split Block
Slump Block | Burnished Block | Shot Blast | Pavers (see below)

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Concrete Slab Treatments

Driveways | Garages | Pathways | Storage Facilities
Colored with iron oxide pigments or acid reactive stains
Stamped | Textured | Machine trowel polished | All finishes

Exposed Aggregate Concrete

Stamped Pattern Slabs

Acid Coloration Treatments

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Concrete Tile

Concrete (cement) body. Some are known as "Encaustic Tile". They are approx. 3/4" thick with many shapes, colors, and sizes. They can be Wet and dry molded, or Extruded. A concrete tile can look like any kind of clay tile, but must be treated much differently.

2"+ thick Pavers - see "Pavers" below
Not installed, but already sealed? - see "Factory Sealed below"

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Factory Sealed Surfaces - ( Also known as "Pre-sealed")

For tabletops - see "Tabletops" below

Picture shows a Mexican tile as received from the distributor with a sealer already applied. It now has unique installation and treatment requirements.

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Glass Tile

   

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Flagstone (sandstone)

Flagstone is a generic name usually referring to sandstone, but can mean an installation design that applies to other stone.
Some have crystal deposits that vary the porosity across the surface.

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Granite

Honed or Flamed   |  Polished
Some kinds of granite do not need to be sealed. Other kinds do need to be sealed to keep staining liquids out of micro-fissures. Granite comes in counter top slabs, tiles, monuments, etc.

For granite tabletops - see "Tabletops" below

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Grout or Mortar

("Grout" and "Mortar" are the same thing and treated the same way)
Discusses standard cement and sand grout, as well as unsanded, additive modified (latex, acrylic) and specialty grouts (epoxy)
For tabletop grout issues - see "Tabletops"

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Limestone & Marble

Tiles | Paver Slabs | Trim and Accent Pieces | All finishes

Polished      Honed      Travertine

Tumbled    Shell Stone    Sawn Face

Convert polished to honed

For tabletops of these stones - see "Tabletops" below

   

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Metal Tile

This page is for true metal pieces, not a metallic "glaze". See Tile, Ceramic (clay) - Glazed for the discussion of metallic glazes.

   
 

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Mexican Tile

Saltillo | Super Saltillo | Tecate

In the family of terracotta tile, but more rustic

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

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Mosaic Tile

Not glazed
Same hard fired material and color all through the body
Same characteristics as Porcelain tile & Glass tile
Small - square, hex, rectangle - usually with a mesh backing for easier installations.

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Pavers, Driveway type

Concrete or Clay - 2 " or more in thickness
Usually sand joints, but not always
Harder than clay or concrete wall brick
Not the thinner, more absorbent clay or concrete tile also called "pavers".

   

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Porcelain Tile

Same hard fired material and color all through the body. Some are zero absorption and stain proof, but that is no longer true of all as new colors and textures have developed. If it darkens from a water drop, it will stain and needs to be sealed. Discussion includes "Stone Look" tile.

Pictures are top and bottom of the same tile
 

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Quarry Tile

Not glazed. Same hard fired material and color all through the body.

For tile tabletops - see "Tabletops"

         Wood pattern      Slip resistant tread
     

Standard Quarry Tile

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Sandstone

There are many kinds of the sandstone family of stone. The name is not as important as recognizing the characteristics discussed. The name "flagstone" is many times referring to a sandstone.

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Slate

All slate types: Indian | Chinese | Brazilian | Vermont
Many types and colors. Some slates require the sealer to provide reinforcement of soft and/or flaking areas.

For slate tabletops - see "Tabletops" below

         

   

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Statuary, carvings, murals and other artwork
Discussion of artworks made from all kinds of tile and stone.

  

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Stone, Manufactured - molded concrete, not quarried

Cement and sand body . Duplicates the look of all the natural stones. Does need to be sealed to prevent fading and etching from acidic liquids.

Familiar names: Cultured Stone | Architectural Stone | Precast Stone | Stucco Stone | Coronado Stone

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Stone, Natural
Bluestone      Flagstone      Slate

Quartzite      River Rock     Sandstone

For stone tabletops - see "Tabletops"
A tile that looks like slate or stone? See "Stone Look" Tile above

 
 

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Tabletops by all manufacturers

Some of the patio furniture manufacturers using Aldon products in their production are shown here. Click their logo for their table care information. 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.
See Video for the easy refinishing process.

  
- By Erwin & Sons

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Terracotta Tile

Typically an even, light beige color. These are treated differently than Mexican Tile, but both are in the terracotta family. Many come from France and Brazil.

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Terrazzo

Terrazzo can be a tile, or poured in place in large sections and machine ground to a polished finish. It has a shiny, polished finish and can look like Agglomerate (see above). They both use marble or quartz dust & chips, but Terrazzo uses a cement binder and Agglomerate tile uses a resin binder.

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Tile, Ceramic (clay) - Glazed

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.

For tile tabletops - see "Tabletops"

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

 

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Tile, Ceramic (clay) Unglazed

Clay body - Fired - Not glazed or coated.
Each of these tiles is a category by itself - see above.
Mexican Tile - Saltillo | Mosaic Tile | Porcelain Tile
Quarry Tile | Terracotta Tile | & More

For tile tabletops - see "Tabletops"

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