Tile Facts: Porcelain tile vs. Ceramic tile

Being in the tile business both selling or installing for over 25 years in Texas and in that time, tile, types, styles, sizes and manufacturers have come and gone.

It seems like in that time there has never been a universally recognizable "brand name"....well all that has changed now.

People who know nothing else about tile know that they want "porcelain", a phenomenon brought about by the recent series of do-it-yourself television programming and misinformation dolled out at huge super home improvement centers. Customers come into my showroom specifying porcelain tile for their particular project based upon the false premise that if their tile was to chip they would not have to change the tile because the tile is the same color all the way through.

Although this may be true with some porcelain, it is not the case with most. Most porcelain tile now are a ceramic glaze over a porcelain body. The body porcelain base is white or light tan. A chip in the glaze would expose this and ca;use the need to change this tile. That is not to say porcelain and ceramic tiles are just the same. Porcelain tile does have certain installation advantages that make it a superior product.

First, and most important is that porcelain tile is "frost proof", therefore can be used in applications where the temperature drops below freezing, either outdoor applications or in refrigerated freezers.

Porcelain is hard, harder than ceramic in general. It is made of a very fine sand "slip" and fired at a very high heat to be closer to a "glass" than to a clay fired product. The hardness that makes it the long wearing, dependable product that it is, however, does have its drawbacks.

Porcelain tile needs special tools to cut and shape them, usually homeowner type tools (cutting boards, wet saws, etc.) will not work. Professional type tool equipment with special porcelain blades and bits will most times be required. Also, setting materials differ from normal ceramic tile installation. A multi purpose or latex acrylic thinset mortar is required to assure proper adhesion to this dense material make installation somewhat more expensive.

But again, its hardness make it versatile in other ways. The face of a full bodied tile can be polished like stone to a high sheen making it interchangeable with marble or granite for looks and superior in durability. The edges can also be bullnosed with a diamond profile wheel in order to be used as trim for showers, windows, tub and countertops.

With more and more manufacturers switching over to porcelain product. The choices in color, size and style are quickly coming in line with the long lived ceramic industries' hold on the market. Overall, if I were choosing a tile for an indoor application, I would choose based on what appeals to me: color, texture and size. Be it ceramic or porcelain.

- Texas Tile and Stone Distributors - endorsed by Style Tile

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

Style Tyle Articles

A Brand New Shower (Tom Tynan Newsletter)

The Art of Building a Shower (Tom Tynan Newsletter)

See Links Page for more information or contact us today