Tiles for the healthcare sector: 6-zone selection guide

By Osman Orman · Tile and technical specialist at Tegelmonsters

Tiles for the healthcare sector are selected per zone based on five requirements: slip resistance, wear resistance, cleanability, disinfection resistance, and accessibility. A hospital corridor requires something different than a wet disinfection room or a patient room.

For architects and healthcare real estate, the choice begins with the function of the space, not the appearance. A tile that meets the standard per zone is technically sound before color and size are determined.

Requirements & technology

What requirements do tiles for the healthcare sector place on a floor?

A healthcare application relies on five technical pillars. The first is skid resistance, defined in the German standard DIN 51130 from 2014. This standard assigns R-values ​​from R9 to R13 based on an incline test with safety shoes and a thin oil film. The R-value indicates how skid-resistant the surface is under those conditions, with R9 being the least skid-resistant and R13 the most skid-resistant. In healthcare areas where people walk barefoot, the barefoot classification A, B, or C from DIN 51097 also applies.

The second pillar is wear resistance. The ISO 10545-7 standard tests the glaze surface for wear and assigns a PEI class between 0 and 5. For healthcare floors with heavy traffic, PEI 4 is considered a practical lower limit, and PEI 5 a safe choice in corridors and halls. The third pillar is cleanability: a closed glaze and a narrow joint limit the build-up of organic material. The fourth pillar is resistance to disinfectants, acids, and alkalis, which provides a dense porcelain stoneware standard. Porcelain stoneware is a fully ceramic, fired stoneware tile with a water absorption of less than 0,5 percent according to EN 14411.

The fifth pillar is accessibility. A healthcare building must have low thresholds and be wheelchair-friendly, which places demands on flatness and the transitions between spaces. These five pillars are reflected in every zone specification. You can read how ceramic tiles perform in broader projects in our background article on the various applications of ceramic tiles . The design team determines which combination suits a specific healthcare zone based on usage and the cleaning regime.

Anti slip

What anti-slip value applies per care zone?

The DIN 51130 scale links each R-value to an angle at which the test subject begins to slide. R9 corresponds to an angle between 6 and 10 degrees, R10 between 10 and 19 degrees, and R11 between 19 and 27 degrees. The higher the number, the rougher the surface. This roughness translates into grip in wet conditions, but also into dirt absorption in the texture and, consequently, the intensity of the cleaning.

In a healthcare building, traffic is divided into dry and wet zones. A dry corridor or treatment room suffices with R9 to R10, because the floor is rarely wet and wheelchairs navigate a smoother surface more comfortably. Sanitary areas and patient bathrooms are assigned R10 due to occasional splashing. In a wet disinfection room, a dishwashing area, or a hydrotherapy department, water is permanently present on the floor, making R11 the standard choice. The full scale and test method are described in the NEN standard for anti-slip classification and in our explanation regarding the anti-slip value of tiles.

For barefoot areas, DIN 51097 applies. This standard tests with water and bare feet and assigns three classes: A between 12 and 18 degrees, B between 18 and 24 degrees, and C above 24 degrees. Shower rooms and rehabilitation pools require a minimum of B, while sloping edges around a therapy pool require C. We further elaborate on the connection between footwear and barefoot requirements in the article on anti-slip values ​​in bathrooms and shower rooms.

Hygiene

How does a tiled floor remain hygienic and disinfection-resistant?

Hygiene in healthcare revolves around a surface that can be fully cleaned and disinfected. Low water absorption is the basis for this. A tile with absorption below 0,5 percent has a vitrified body that does not allow water, blood, or iodine to penetrate. The measurement method is specified in ISO 10545-3, using vacuum immersion to reliably determine absorption. The lower the value, the denser the tile and the easier it is to clean, as we explain in our guide on the water absorption of ceramic tiles.

Chemical resistance is the second layer. Disinfection in healthcare facilities uses alcohols, chlorine compounds, and quaternary ammonium compounds that stress floors daily. ISO 10545-13 tests resistance to household and weak chemicals, while ISO 10545-14 tests stain resistance against iodine and organic stains, among others. Porcelain stoneware scores favorably on both tests: the dense body and closed glaze prevent penetration. As a result, the surface remains intact after hundreds of cleaning cycles.

The grout deserves just as much attention as the tile itself. A cement-based grout is more porous and can trap dirt and moisture in a disinfection zone. An epoxy grout, a waterproof and chemically resistant resin-based grout, completely seals the joint. How to clean a tiled floor in a hygienic environment without damaging the surface is explained in our article on cleaning tiles . The combination of dense tile and epoxy grout forms the hygienic standard for food and healthcare zones.

Accessibility

What does accessibility mean for tile selection in healthcare?

In healthcare, accessibility is not an add-on, but a design principle. Patients, residents, and visitors move around using wheelchairs, walkers, or beds, and this places demands on the flooring. Transitions between spaces must be level; the floor must be sufficiently non-slip to prevent sliding while remaining smooth enough for easy movement. This balance falls within R9 to R10 for most indoor zones, where grip and riding comfort are in equilibrium.

The legal basis lies in the Buildings and Living Environment Decree, which limits the threshold height to 20 millimeters and recommends a rounded finish. The performance requirements for skid resistance and thresholds can be found on Bouwbesluit Online . Since 2025, NEN 9120 has supplemented these requirements with practical dimensions for unobstructed passage, turning circles of 1,5 meters, and skid resistance, tailored to wheelchair and walker use. For a tiled floor, this means that transitions between rooms are executed with a flat profile strip instead of a raised edge.

The size of the tile plays a role in flatness. A large-format tile has fewer grout lines and creates a calm, continuous look that is comfortable for wheelchairs. However, large formats do require a flat surface to prevent height differences between tiles. We explain the difference between wall and floor applications, and why the requirements differ per surface, in the article on wall versus floor tiles.

Processing

How do you install seamless tiles in wet care zones?

The grout width partly determines how hygienic a tiled floor is. Rectified tiles have clean-ground edges that are exactly perpendicular. As a result, you can lay them with a narrow grout of 2 to 3 millimeters, instead of the 4 to 6 millimeters required by a non-rectified tile. Less grout surface means less space for dirt and moisture to accumulate, and a calmer appearance in long hallways. The background on this edge treatment can be found in our article on rectified tiles.

In wet care zones, joint filling is the key. An epoxy joint is waterproof and chemically resistant, and completely seals the seam against cleaning agents and organic material. The transition between floor and wall is executed with a coving, a hollow skirting board where the floor runs into the wall in a smooth curve. This curve prevents a right angle where grease, moisture, and dirt can accumulate, and complies with the hygiene requirements that also apply in food preparation.

A fair nuance is required here. A ceramic tile floor has joints, whereas a seamless cast floor or a welded vinyl floor does not. Each system has its own strengths: a seamless floor has no grout lines, while ceramics score on scratch resistance, chemical resistance, and a lifespan of decades. With rectified tiles, an epoxy grout, and a coving connection, ceramics approach the cleanability of a seamless system while retaining the hardness and appearance of natural material. The design team determines which system is suitable for each zone and each operational plan.

Atmosphere & comfort

Which tiles suit comfort and appearance in healthcare spaces?

Not every care zone is a corridor or a disinfection room. In a patient room, a waiting area, or a communal living room, the experience counts just as much as the technology. Research into the healing environment points to the influence of natural materials and warm colors on the well-being of residents and patients. A floor that looks like wood or soft stone lowers the barrier between care and living, while the ceramic body provides the wear resistance and hygiene required by the care sector.

The PEI value is the guiding principle here. The PEI value indicates the wear resistance of the glaze on a scale of 0 to 5, tested according to ISO 10545-7. For a patient room with limited traffic, PEI 4 is sufficient; for a common area requiring walker traffic, choose PEI 5. Which class corresponds to which room is stated in our selection guide on PEI values ​​per room and in the background section on the wear resistance of ceramic tiles.

Sample package

How do you put together a sample package for a healthcare project?

A healthcare project comprises multiple zones with different requirements, and a sample package reflects this structure. For dry corridors and treatment rooms, you gather tiles in R9 to R10 with a PEI of 4 or 5. For sanitary facilities and bathrooms, you prepare R10 candidates, and for wet disinfection zones, R11. The experience zones feature a wood look or natural stone look in a warm shade. By filtering per zone, a traceable package is created that the client, architect, and contractor can assess together.

On the tiles page , you can filter for free by size, classification, and finish, and put together a set per zone. Using the Sample Map , you bundle these samples per project so that all zones are displayed in a single overview. What project managers often tell us: the initial filtering takes place online, followed by a physical assessment in our showroom in Utrecht, which is open to professionals by appointment only.

Our manufacturers from Spain and Portugal supply technical datasheets with R-value, PEI class, and absorption per collection, enabling the architect to complete the specification block directly from the delivery documents. The most frequently asked question our healthcare projects team receives is: which collection covers the hallway, sanitary facilities, and room together in a visual family? A zone-specific sample package answers this question fastest, because the client and design team then have the same tiles in their hands.

Frequently asked questions