What Is the Purpose of ADA Tiles?

blurred movement disabled on a city street

ADA tiles are part of a sidewalk or entry system that will help your business comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA requirements for surfaces are detailed and complex, but installing approved tiles as required will help protect your visitors from injury and your business from a lawsuit or fines for noncompliance.

Let’s discuss ADA tile systems to help you understand the requirements and choose the right tiles to upgrade your facility and achieve ADA compliance.

Why Are ADA Tiles Required?

In order to prevent discrimination and provide equal access to public places, the ADA has established criteria for sidewalks, entryways, parking spots, restrooms, counter heights, and minimum widths for walkways, aisles, and doorways. Using ADA-approved tiles or adding them after the fact ensures compliance with these requirements.

What Types of ADA Tiles Will Your Business Need?

ADA dome tiles are designed to provide a tactile warning to individuals who cross them. Those using a wheelchair or walker and the visually impaired will feel the change in surface and know that they are making a transition.  ADA tiles are required in these scenarios:

  • Leaving a sidewalk and entering a parking lot or roadway
  • Changing grades, meaning moving up a ramp or reaching the bottom
  • At sidewalk or walkway intersections under specific sets of circumstances

What Are the Features of ADA Tiles?

Most commonly used are ADA dome tiles, which are built to meet these specifications:

  • Be a durable, uniform, and recognizable color.
  • Have truncated domes arranged in a square grid pattern.
  • Domes must be 0.2” high, with a 0.9” base diameter, spaced 1.6-2.4” apart.

Selecting the Right ADA Tile for Your Application

There are several types of approved ADA tiles which can be used in combination to meet federal, state, and local guidelines for accessibility:

  • Cast In Place Replaceable Tiles are wet set into concrete at the required level or angle. These are anchored with steel bolts and washers and may be removed or replaced. These are available as square or rectangular shapes in the ADA-required widths.
  • Radius Tactile Cast In Place Tiles allow dome tiles to follow curved sidewalks, curbs, ramps, and pathways with the required dimensions of 24” x 33.25”.
  • Radius Tactile Surface Mount Tiles are cut to fit and laid on top of a concrete or other substrate. They are secured with adhesive, as well as bolts and washers set flush or below the surface, and the edges must be caulked.

Cost-Effective ADA Tile Solutions Are Available

wheelchair user at barrier free accessible overpass

As your business makes the investment in ADA tiles to comply with regulations, consider the money saved on a single lawsuit or ADA fine. Choosing a supplier for your tiles should also weigh the longevity and quality of the product to reduce replacement costs and prevent accidents caused by defective or deteriorating tiles.

At ADA Solutions, we offer superior-quality fiberglass polymer composite surface tiles, which are manufactured in a U.S.-based ISO 9002 certified facility. With rigorous quality management in place throughout the production cycle, our ADA products meet or exceed all requirements and will continue to protect your visitors and customers far into the future.

If there has been a complaint against your business regarding noncompliance, the best next step is to make improvements to become compliant. Taking voluntary action right away without admitting liability effectively protects you from court orders and additional fees. If you need help selecting the right products to achieve compliant access, contact us today for the right advice and service to smooth the road to full ADA compliance.