New Test Packages Evaluate Compliance to U.S. Standards for Ceramic Tile

CLEMSON, NC — With the continuing growth of global tile imports, IPA Laboratories is launching new ANSI A137.1 testing packages designed to evaluate compliance to U.S. standards. According to the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), many products entering the U.S. market are tested only to ISO 13006, the international ceramic tile specification, if tested at all. However, most commercial specifications in the U.S. require products to meet ANSI A137.1, which includes additional testing requirements and more rigorous criteria than that covered by ISO standards.

This can leave everyone in the supply chain (manufacturers, distributors, specifiers, retailers and contractors) liable for failures when products do not meet required U.S. standards. To help address this disconnect, IPA Laboratories is now offering ANSI A137.1 testing packages designed to evaluate the specific criteria that are missing when products are tested only to ISO standards. These packages allow everyone in the supply chain to verify compliance with U.S. requirements without duplicating any testing.

“Many manufacturers assume that testing to ISO standards automatically means their products comply with U.S. specifications, but that is not the case,” said Katelyn Simpson, director of laboratory services at IPA Laboratories. “Our ANSI testing packages are designed to identify those gaps and provide the additional testing needed to demonstrate compliance.”

In addition to these laboratory services, IPA Laboratories is providing resources on their website that explain the differences between the two standards and provide guidance for manufacturers, distributors, specifiers, retailers and contractors working in the U.S. market.

IPA Laboratories also announced upcoming improvements to the Porcelain Tile Certification Agency (PTCA) website, which will feature a new searchable database of certified porcelain tile products.

“For nearly two decades, PTCA certification has helped the industry distinguish true porcelain products from mislabeled materials claiming to be porcelain,” Simpson said.

In 2025, porcelain represented more than 70% of U.S. ceramic tile sales in dollars (Tile Council of North America; U.S. Census Bureau), making accurate product classification increasingly important for architects, designers and distributors.

The PTCA program provides independent verification that tile products meet the ANSI A137.1 definition of porcelain, which requires a water absorption of 0.5% or less.

The updated PTCA website will allow users to search certified products and view images, technical data and links to manufacturers’ websites, making it easier for specifiers to identify and select certified porcelain tile materials for their projects.

More information about IPA Laboratories testing services and resources is available at www.IPALaboratories.com.