Difference between Porcelain & Ceramic Tile
Gorgeous black & white bathroom with porcelain floor tile used a feature wall with decorative niche – bathroom renovation by Master Bathrooms & Kitchens.
Whilst out shopping or perusing the web for inspiration for your bathroom or kitchen renovation, you are sure to come across both porcelain or ceramic tiles. Many people are often confused as to which is the better option and exactly what the difference is between the two. The terms porcelain and ceramic are at times used interchangeably, adding to the confusion.
“Ceramic” tile is used to refer to a wide range of tiles. All types of tiles that are made from clay with, or without, a mixture of different materials that are then kiln fired are considered to fall under the larger classification of “Ceramic” tiles. This classification is then broken down into Porcelain and Non-Porcelain tile.
Ceramic Tiles (non-porcelain)
The typical Ceramic non-porcelain tile has a ceramic body that is baked in a kiln, and as ceramic material is porous, most are then glazed which makes it impervious to stain and increases its water resistance. Ceramic tiles can also withstand high levels of humidity. These characteristics make these type of ceramic tiles perfect for wall tiling, particularly in the bathroom. A downside however is as its glazed surface contains the colour, design and texture of the tile, it does not go all the way through the tile. So any chips that may occur in the future, will reveal the ceramic layer making it quite noticeable. That said, chips are likely to occur only on floor tiles from drops, so ceramic is a perfect option for wall tiles.
Stunning porcelain tiles, freestanding bath with chrome floor mount bath filler, bath niche and shower recess with twin rainfall shower heads – bathroom renovation by Master Bathrooms & Kitchens
Porcelain Tiles
Porcelain tiles are also ceramic tiles, but a specific form of ceramic tile with a big difference. Porcelain tiles are made from a finer, denser clay and fired at much higher temperatures than ceramic tiles. This process results in porcelain tiles having a water absorption rate of less than 0.5% making them the ultimate option for wet areas. Unlike ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles also carry the color/design through the entire thickness of the tile. Porcelain tiles are considered the toughest flooring option available on the market. They are durable and strong making them a perfect option for high traffic areas such as hallways and kitchens.
We at Master Bathrooms & Kitchens will almost always advise our customers, if their budget allows, to use porcelain tiles on their flooring areas as they are a superior tile compared to ceramic when it comes to durability and strength. This is especially true for those first floor edition homes in the Hills District. When many of these homes were built, builders used the less expensive yellow tongue particle board flooring at $10 per square meter in upstairs bathrooms in the attempt to save their profit margins, whereas they should have used the more expensive 18mm compressed fibro flooring which retails at $60 per square meter. This may have made the job more profitable for the builder, however it allows a lot more movement and causes ordinary ceramic tiles in upstairs bathrooms to crack with this inevitable movement.
However when it comes to wall tiling, there are no benefits that the porcelain tile can provide that ceramic cannot. Porcelain tiles are usually more expensive than ceramic tiles, therefore customers can save by using ceramic tiles on walls and use the proportion of that saving to the use of porcelain tiles on the floor, of course if budget allows.
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Master Bathrooms & Kitchens is a bathroom and kitchen renovation company that has been renovating homes beautiful since 1995. We are family owned & operated and can offer advice and expertise that only comes from years of experience. Be sure to peruse our website for more renovation inspiration and advice or simply call us on (02)9899-9330 for a quotation today!
See our video below of just some of our beautiful bathroom renovations:
