The Difference Between Porcelain and Ceramic Tile. What is it? Well, porcelain is actually a type of ceramic tile, so it can be a confusing distinction to make. Most ceramic tiles, including porcelain, are made from clay that is kiln-fired to approximately 1400 degrees. So, what is the difference between the two?
To explain this, we will refer to all non-porcelain ceramic tiles as simply “ceramic tile” and porcelain ceramic tile as “porcelain tile”. The main differences between the two are in hardness, water-resistance, durability, and cost.
Ceramic tile is usually made from a mixture of red and/or white clay that is then glazed. Ceramic tiles are best used for walls and light or moderate traffic floors areas, as they can be prone to chipping.
Porcelain tile, on the other hand, is made from porcelain clay. The porcelain clay creates a harder, more durable tile than other ceramic tiles. Porcelain tiles work much better for heavy traffic areas, and their superior water-resistance makes them an excellent choice for bathroom and kitchen floors.
Generally speaking, you can expect to spend about 10% more for porcelain tile than you would for ceramic tile. For most uses, ceramic tile is the best choice for cost-effectiveness, as well as general performance.
But if you decide to invest in the porcelain, you will want to be certain that you are getting actual porcelain, as there are times when regular ceramic tile can be mislabeled or casually referred to as “porcelain tile”.
Whichever type of tile you choose, installing new tile can be a great way to update and personalize your home!
by See Jane Drill, Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved
Leah, When I went tile shopping for our laundry room and found a tile color I loved the store told me to make sure it was approved by my installer before purchase because it was porcelain tile and would require a wet saw to cut the edge pieces to size. It was a go and I have been very happy with the finished job over the last 25 years. Another difference that makes a big difference in my opinion is the color consistency throughout the entire piece. I am renting a vacation property in Florida at the moment that has ceramic tile throughout the entire home. The chips here are very obvious since the color is only on the glazed surface of the tile. Our porcelain tile color at home goes all the way through. We haven’t had any chips in our own laundry room (though it is the main entrance to the home through the garage and has had VERY heavy use) over all these years) but even if we had, the tile color would be the same below the chip so it would be much less noticeable.