Montagna Dapple Gray 6 in. x 24 in. Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (14.53 sq. ft. / case) Set your store to see localavailability Montagna Rustic Bay 6 in. x 24 in. Glazed Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (14.53 sq. ft. / case) Montagna Saddle 6 in. x 24 in. Montagna Gunstock 6 in. x 24 in. Metro Gris 12 in. x 24 in. Glazed Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (16 sq. ft. / case) Travisano Trevi 12 in. x 12 in. Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (14.40 sq. ft. / case) Oak Grey 7 in. x 24 in. Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (19.38 sq. ft. / case) Travisano Trevi 18 in. x 18 in. Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (17.6 sq. ft. / case) VitaElegante Grigio 6 in. x 24 in. Montagna Wood Vintage Chic 6 in. x 24 in. Montagna Natural 6 in. x 24 in. Beton Concrete 24 in. x 24 in. Ardennes Cafe 6 in. x 36 in. Glazed Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (13.5 sq. ft. / case) Sardinia Azul 8 in. x 48 in. Glazed Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (7.53 sq. ft. / case) Yacht Club Topsail 6 in. x 24 in.
Glazed Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (10.69 sq. ft. / case) Arte White 9-3/4 in. x 9-3/4 in. Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (10.76 sq. ft. / case) Montagna Wood Weathered Gray 6 in. x 24 in. Cotto Grigio 12 in. x 24 in. Redwood Natural 6 in. x 24 in. Glazed Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (9.69 sq. ft. / case) VitaElegante Bianco 12 in. x 24 in. Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (15.6 sq. ft. / case) Botanica Cashew 6 in. x 24 in. Carrara 12 in. x 24 in. Glazed Polished Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (16 sq. ft. / case) VitaElegante Ardesia 12 in. x 24 in. Paradiso Cream 20 in. x 20 in. Polished Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile (19.44 sq. ft. / case) Set your store to see localavailabilityTravisano Trevi 12 in. x 12 in. x 8 mm Porcelain Mosaic Floor and Wall TileFor many, the terms "ceramic" and "porcelain" get thrown around interchangeably, as if they were the same. Tile shop salespeople often claim a vast world of difference between the two in order to justify porcelain's higher prices.
As it turns out, homeowners are closer to the truth than the tile people. Porcelain and ceramic tile are essentially the same, with one slight difference. Both are part of the larger category of tiles we can call ceramic. It is more a case of reverse-naming, whereby manufacturers take tiles that have certain qualities and then assign the ceramic or porcelain titles to them.Add a healthy dose of marketing-speak and sales pitch.Tile people often tout porcelain's storied history, evoking its Italian etymology--porcellana, which means cowrie shell. Fine porcelain-ware is white, translucent, strong, and it has a fine, dense body. They mention how fine china is made of porcelain.But none of that applies to porcelain tile. This is different ball game. It's a game of branding and certifying, and has nothing to do with fine china.(And certainly, porcelain tile and ceramic tile can be considered close cousins when discussing other, wildly different types of tile such as quarry tile, glass tile, or natural stone.)
So what are the differences? Porcelain tile has a water absorption rate of 0.5% as defined by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) C373.First, fired tile is weighed. Then it is boiled for 5 hours and let to sit in water for 24 hours.Next, it is weighed again. If the tile weighs less than half of one-percent more as a result of water absorbing into its surface, it is considered porcelain. Porcelain tile is often extruded; has fewer impurities than ceramic; and often contains more kaolin than ceramic. It is formed of quartz, clay, and feldspar that is fired at temperatures ranging from 1200-1400 degrees C.But since that also defines many ceramics, again the difference is that porcelain has that 0.5% or less water absorption rate.Due to confusion from overzealous (or dishonest) tile companies and their marketing departments, The Porcelain Tile Certification Agency (PTCA) certifies tile as being porcelain or not.So, according to PTCA, it is not simply enough for a tile to be "impervious" (a favorite tile term, meaning that it is good against water);
it has to meet those ASTM C373 standards of water absorption by sending in five tile samples for testing, paying a fee, submitting a participation agreement, and renewing certification every three years. After certification, a company may use the "Certified Porcelain Tile" branding.At last count, only 28 North American tile companies had received certification as producing authentic porcelain tile.Laying porcelain or ceramic tile outside is typically not recommended. Ceramic is usually not durable enough for exterior use because it absorbs too much water. If you live in areas which freeze, your tile would likely crack on the first freezing night. Stone is a better option.Even though conventional wisdom has been to keep porcelains/ceramics away from the outside, I'm seeing more that are for exterior use. I would still recommend buying porcelain that is expressly designated for exterior use.Porcelain clays are denser and thus less porous than ceramic clays. This makes porcelain tile harder and more impervious to moisture than ceramic tile.
Not only is porcelain tile more dense than ceramic tile, but due to its through-body composition, it is considered more durable and better suited for heavy usage than ceramic tile. Chip the ceramic tile and you find a different color underneath the top glaze. Chip the porcelain and the color keeps on going--the chip is nearly invisible.While both porcelain and ceramic are fired, porcelain is fired at higher temperatures for a longer time than ceramic. Also, porcelain has higher feldspar content, which makes it more durable.The aforementioned density has a good side and a bad side. While ceramic is less dense than porcelain, it's also a far easier material for DIY homeowners to cut--by hand, by wet tile saw, or snap tile cutter. Porcelain is more brittle and may require the experienced hand of a tile-setter to cut properly.All other factors equal, ceramic tile is cheaper than porcelain tile.Unless there is some anomaly in pricing, ceramic tile will always be cheaper than porcelain tile.