Porcelain vs Ceramic Tile?
If you are a new home owner or a new contractor starting in the field, you
must wonder what are the differences in tiles when it comes to updating
and renovating your homes. So let’s take a look at the two man made types
of tiles that are in our market today and see what fits your needs.
What is Porcelain ?
- Porcelain tile is a dense natural clay ( Kaolin which is purer than
ceramic clays ) mixed with quartz and feldspar, then fired at 2200 –
2500 degrees fahrenheit.
Types of Porcelain Tile
- Homogeneous : Tiles that are unglazed in other words “Matt Finish
Tiles” - Full Coloured – Body : The inside of the tiles are solid coloured the
top layer uses predominated pigments. - Speckled – Body : Whatever color is on the top of the tile will follow
through the whole tile inside, in other words the color is infused within
the clay of the tile. - Double Loading : This type of tile is fabricated differently by firing one
layer of kaolin and the second layer will be speckled – body and then
fired again which makes it more durable for the long run.
What is Ceramic?
- Ceramic tile is clay, talc, and sand that are all compounded in even
ratios, then fired at 2200 degrees fahrenheit.
Now that we know the differences between the tiles, let’s talk about which
is the better buy and a better pick for the long run. - Any porcelain tile can be used for the floors and walls
- Ceramic tile can be used only for walls never the floors
- Porcelain tiles are great to use in heavy traffic areas in your
home, an example would be a powder room on the floors or
main bathroom upstairs inside the showers on the walls and on
the floors outside the shower, another option is in the kitchen on
the floor. - Ceramic tiles are best to be used in kitchens like backsplash,
bathroom vanity splash or even inside a shower niche.
To sum up this article, your best option for using porcelain tiles are for the floors and walls in high traffic flow and ceramic tiles are best to be used anywhere on the walls like a kitchen.