Question from Marilyn
I’ve been trying to verify content of tiles for a shower remodel. It took several days, but Daltile sent me an SDS for their 4″x4″ glossy white tile in the Restore line. I’ve been unable to get any SDS for the 4″ white Daltile tile sold at Home Depot. Neither company seems to offer it.
In the meantime, I’ve been impressed by Florida Tile’s longstanding eco efforts, their GreenGuard and GreenSquared certifications, and their philanthropy in both Appalachia and in Haiti. I’m wondering if your site has reviewed their products at all.
I emailed Florida Tile about their 4″ square arctic white matte tile. The SDS says: “Hazardous constituents: N/A.” Quoted from email I received from Chris Dobbs
Director of Quality and Technical Services at Florida Tile…
“There is no lead, barium, chromium, cobalt, or nickel in these products. There is Zinc Oxide and Magnesium Oxide, but not Zinc or Magnesium as anything other than a compound. If the tiles it would not be releasing the individual components but it would be releasing ceramic dust which can cause some issues if proper PPE and cutting methods are not utilized. Ceramic dust is still uniquely ceramic and not some portion of its individual components.”
And:
“Ceramic tile is considered a single component as a result of the vitrification process that occurs during the kiln at extremely high heat. Once the tiles have been fired, no individual components are made available from the finished product.”
Lisa’s Answer
I was not able to open the file you sent but in general tile is safe to use. There are concerns about cutting the tile as the dust can be harmful. Lead is a particular element of concern from cutting, however, most will have trace amounts due to contamination and not as an added ingredient. Once the tile is cut, lead will not emit into the air. Cutting tile outdoors is advised. Read more here for additional information.
