Differentiating: Porcelain vs Ceramic

For those who don’t know: porcelain tile and ceramic tile are different in various aspects serving different purposes.

Definitions

Ceramic tile is a mixture of clay and other natural materials. The special clay are mined from the earth, shaped, colored and than fired in kilns. Traditional ceramic tile can be naturally colored and left unglazed like terra cotta, or they can feature colored or highly designed surfaces which can be glazed (finished with a glass surface) either in a high gloss or matte finish. Most ceramic tile has either a white or red body coloration underneath the glazed, colored top layer.

Porcelain tile is made in the same way except with porcelain clay heated at much higher temperatures so that the result is much more dense and less water porous. It comes in glazed, unglazed, and rectified.

What this means for you!

Porcelain is comparatively better for high traffic areas and/ or moist/wet areas; essentially, it’s more weatherproof than other materials.

What keeps ceramic tiles around then? Ceramic tiles are much more malleable meaning it’s easier to make precise cuts. Also, it’s generally much cheaper than porcelain.

Some other links to look at for reference:

Porcelain vs. Ceramic Tile  – houzz.com

Understanding the Difference – homerenovations.about.com

 

Decision processes

Hi, as an introduction:

I’d like to tell you a little about floor tiles. It’s something you barely think about and honestly unless you’re in the business or an interior designer, you probably barely notice most of the time. But the type of floors you have in any particular room set up the mood of the room. Just like the color of your walls, the color of the floor change how each room feels. Dark colors can make the room feel cooler. Light color floors can make the room seem bigger than it actually is. Choosing the right floors is sometimes overwhelming .

So, here are some helpful links to help you get started!

This site has a nice step by step on how to choose the right floor.

For those who do not like long articles: this one is a lot shorter than the first one but also helpful!

I always love to read the comments on thisoldhouse.com! It’s a great place to find some profession help on the internet!

Tootles~ We haven’t decided how often we will blog but we’ll keep you updated!