Answers:

Q: What’s the difference between porcelain and ceramic?
A: This refers to the body of the tile. Ceramic is usually red body or white body that is fired and then is almost always fired again with a glaze that provides the surface appearance and durability. Ceramic tile is softer and easier to cut and is usually less expensive than porcelain. It also has a higher water absorption rate and is not suitable for outdoor applications where frost is a danger. Porcelain is a type of clay body that incorporates more sand in its mix and the tile is pressed at high pressure before firing. The tile is then fired at a much higher temperature – the resulting tile is substantially harder than ceramic. A majority of porcelain tiles have a surface glaze applied and re-fired, just like ceramic.

Q: What will the difference mean to me?
A: As long as the tile you purchase is from a quality manufacturer, not a lot. Porcelain was originally created for use in high traffic commercial applications and did not have a glaze – this was called a thru-body porcelain and the color of the tile ran through the body of the tile. The advantage was if the tile chipped, the body of the tile would be the same color and would not need replacing. A majority of the porcelain tile sold today has a glaze over the surface to enhance the appearance and pattern of the tile. If this glaze chips, it will be visible. In reality, as long as the tile is installed correctly there will be very little difference in the performance of the tile in a residential application.

Q: So why should I spend extra to get porcelain tile?
A: Porcelain is definitely harder and more resistant to breaking. Also, many factories are producing a lot of glazed porcelain and because it costs more, they reserve the best glaze patterns for porcelain. Luckily, Carpet Store has one of the largest selection of in stock ceramic and porcelain tile to select from, so no matter your needs we can help you for less!