Abrasion resistance (PEI)
PEI class measures surface wear. Yorkshore turns it into a traffic rating for every porcelain floor tile: Light commercial, Commercial or Heavy commercial.
The PEI scale rates how well a glazed tile surface resists visible wear from foot traffic and grit. Tiles are tested with a rotating abrasive load and classed from 1 to 5. The class describes surface wear only; it says nothing about slip resistance, breaking strength or water absorption, which are separate tests.
Yorkshore uses the PEI class to set a traffic rating on every porcelain floor tile:
- Light commercial (PEI 3): offices, meeting rooms, guest rooms and other interior floors with regular foot traffic and little abrasive dirt.
- Commercial (PEI 4): corridors, retail sales floors, hospitality common areas and most public interiors.
- Heavy commercial (PEI 5): lobbies, concourses, cafeterias, education corridors and any floor that takes grit, carts and crowds all day.
Only floor tile carries a traffic rating. Wall tile is not tested for abrasion and is listed without a PEI class; it should not be specified for floors. Mosaics are also outside the rating.
Choose the traffic rating from the busiest part of the floor, not the average. A corridor that feeds a lobby is specified to the lobby. Through-body and full-body porcelain can show less visible wear than the class alone suggests, so review the technical data sheet for construction as well as the PEI value.
How to evaluate options
- PEI 3 minimum for any commercial floor; PEI 4 for corridors and retail; PEI 5 for lobbies and concourses
- Rate the floor to its busiest zone
- Wall tile and mosaics carry no PEI class and are not floor products
- PEI is wear only: check DCOF and construction separately
- Confirm the class on the current technical data sheet
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