Difference Between Ceramic And Porcelain Tiles For Your Home

Choosing the right flooring solution is a headache for many Michigan homeowners. You want to create a dream home but have a difficult time choosing between ceramic or porcelain tile. Ceramic and porcelain tiles look similar. However, they have many noticeable differences. Durability is an important consideration when evaluating which type of tile to use for your residential home. Below are the major differences between the two that will help you make up your mind with ease.

 

Density

Ceramic tiles are less denser and more porous than porcelain tiles. The physical property makes porcelain tiles an ideal solution for outdoor and indoor use including hard wearing. The density is because of how the manufacturing took place.

Although ceramic tiles are usually permitted for interior floors and walls, porcelain tiles are better particularly in areas with heavy traffic. Porcelain tiles are ideal for places like commercial applications, hallways, and kitchen floors. Porcelain tiles have a higher resistance to chipping and scratching than ceramic tiles. The high density of porcelain tiles makes it impervious to moisture.

 

Water absorption

Porcelain tiles have a 0.5 percent water absorption rate. The tile has fewer impurities than ceramic tiles. The major impurity is kaolin. Ceramic tiles have a higher water absorption rate or 3 percent. Therefore, they are not recommendable for outdoor use as they absorb a lot of water. Consequently, ceramic tiles can freeze making them crack on a cold night. It is better to use porcelain designed for outdoor use.

 

Durability

Porcelain tiles are more durable than ceramic tiles and a better option for heavy usage. If you chip a ceramic tile, you will find a different color below the top layer. If you chip the porcelain tile, you get the same color over an over which makes the chip nearly invisible. During the manufacturing process, both tiles are fired at high temperatures.

However, porcelain tiles are fired at a temperature much higher than that of ceramic tile and for a longer time. Porcelain has more feldspar content than ceramic which makes it more durable.

 

Cutting

Cutting a ceramic tile is easier than cutting a porcelain tile. Density plays a big role in cutting. High density tiles are difficult to cut while low density tiles are easy to cut. In this case, ceramic tiles have a low density which makes them the easier tile to cut during home renovation or DIY projects as you can just use a wet tile saw. Porcelain tiles are brittle and require experience if you want to cut it properly.

Affordability

The cost for each tile is relatively the same. However, porcelain tiles are more costly than ceramic tiles.

 

PEI rating

The PEI rating for ceramic tiles is lower than porcelain tile.

 

Stain resistance

Porcelain tiles have a higher stain resistance than ceramic tiles.
It means that the tile can repel liquid penetration making it difficult for other staining agents to penetrate the tile.
The feature makes it difficult for stains to discolor your floor surfaces.

 

Fireproof

Porcelain tiles do not burn under normal circumstances. In fact, the floor tile restricts the spread of the flame in case of a fire outbreak. It is a good choice if you want to increase fire protection to your home as the fire outbreak can be arrested on time with minimal damage to your property. Ceramic tiles do hot have a better fire resistance like porcelain.

 

Liquid resistance

The high density of porcelain tiles makes it a high resistance to any liquid penetration. You can improve the liquid resistance by using melted glass glaze as it makes the surface more impervious to water. The liquid resistance of ceramic tiles is low, and even stains can easily penetrate the tile. Therefore, if you use different liquid agents in your home, it is better to go for a tile that has better resistance to prevent staining and penetration than can affect your floor.

 

Best areas of application

You can use ceramic tiles in light traffic areas in your home like guest bath. The tiles are not designed for areas that have more abrasion activity like the stairwells, kitchens, and hallways. Use porcelain tiles in high traffic areas like the kitchen and bathrooms as they have scratch resistance and good water resistance ability.

To protect your ceramic tiles from chipping, install it on a sub-floor with firm support. Broken tiles are irreparable. Just replace the tiles when they creak. Seal tile grouts to make cleaning work easy. Consult the experts if you have trouble choosing the ideal tile for certain areas of your Michigan home.