Ceramic and porcelain tiles are ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, and other areas prone to moisture. They are both durable, easy to clean, as well as resistant to stains, water, and daily wear. These materials work well on floors and walls. They come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and patterns. If you are deciding between ceramic and porcelain tiles, you must know the differences between them. This guide will walk you through the major considerations when picking the best kind of tile for your space.
Kinds of Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles
Although all tiles feel hard, some kinds are harder than others. A tile’s body is produced to meet a certain need, like lining a kitchen backsplash or covering a bathroom floor. The strength of a tile is determined by its thickness, composition, as well as temperature and duration of firing. To determine whether the ceramic or porcelain tile you want to buy is appropriate for a certain location, check the rating of the tile. This rating is determined by the Porcelain Enamel Institute.
Choosing Ceramic or Porcelain Tiles
If you want a tile for wet areas or in flooring applications, look for Club Ceramic tiles with a high coefficient of friction or COF. It is measured on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the most resistant to slip. Generally, honed finishes provide more traction than glossy surfaces.
If you prefer to use porcelain tiles, get one with “through the body color” for the highest quality. You can find some tiles with only a ceramic glaze fired over the body. When the body is chipped, you will see the white-, tan-, or red-clay base.
Moreover, porcelain provides strong benefits in terms of design. Because of its strong nature, a lot of sizes are available from a small mosaic 1×1 to big slabs of 24×48. You can also find unusual sizes in between these sizes. Porcelain tiles can also be cut to a specific size so every tile is identical, letting the tile contractor set very tight grout joints. But, some factors make porcelain tile installation a harder DIY project. Because of its density and hardness, it requires a wet saw with a porcelain diamond blade.
The lasting beauty of porcelain tiles makes them well worth the installation requirements. Surface finishes, patterns, textures, and color variations are quite stylized and lend to the appeal of porcelain.
