Porcelain or ceramic tiles: Which to choose?

Asha Bogenfuerst Asha Bogenfuerst
The Urban Retreat, ZERO9 ZERO9 ห้องครัว
Loading admin actions …

Actually porcelain and ceramic tiles are both part of the ceramic family of tiles. Therefore porcelain and ceramic are much more similar compared to other tiles such as glass tiles, natural stone or quarry tiles. However, there are some important differences between porcelain and ceramic tiles which you should know about before making a choice between the two. For example, porcelain and ceramic are composed differently so naturally they behave differently as well. Basically, the main difference between porcelain and ceramic is that porcelain is more water-resistant compared to ceramic and thus has a lower water absorption rate. Read on to find out more about porcelain and ceramic tiles so that you can make the most ideal choice for your home.

Porcelain is more water-resistant

homify ห้องน้ำ หิน

The water absorption rate is 0.5 percent lower for porcelain tiles compared to ceramic tiles. Porcelain also has fewer impurities than ceramic as it's often extruded and rectified, thus it contains more kaolin than ceramic. Essentially both porcelain and ceramic is made out of clay, feldspar and quartz fired at high temperatures, but porcelain is fired with higher temperatures for a longer duration of time compared to ceramic. Porcelain also has more feldspar than ceramic, which makes it harder and more durable.


Porcelain tile density and long-term durability

House Of Colours, Ansari Architects Ansari Architects ห้องทานข้าว

One more advantage of porcelain tiles compared to ceramic tiles is that porcelain has more tile density and is less porous than ceramic tiles. This is why porcelain tiles tend to be more durable, harder and more water-resistant than ceramic tiles. Another thing is if a ceramic tile is slightly damaged, it shows a different colour underneath the surface. Whereas if a porcelain tile is slightly damaged, the colour seen on the surface continues below in the bottom layers, thus porcelain tiles tend to look less damaged than they actually are.

Where should ceramic or porcelain tiles be used?

Tropical Spaces, Papersky Studio Papersky Studio ห้องน้ำ

As a general rule of thumb, it's best that porcelain and ceramic tiles are not used outside the house, especially ceramic tiles. This is because ceramic tiles absorb too much water, so they will not last very long if exposed to the elements such as rain. Other tiles such as slate, natural stone or marble are better suited for the outdoors compared to porcelain or ceramic tiles.


Ceramic is easier to cut

Kitchen, VIZPIXEL STUDIO VIZPIXEL STUDIO ครัวบิลท์อิน ไม้ Wood effect

While dense tiles make porcelain a better choice because of its durability, there's also a downside to dense tiles – they're much more difficult to cut. If you plan on doing your own little DIY project, it could be quite challenging to try and cut porcelain tiles into the shape you require. Ceramic tiles, on the other hand, can be easily cut manually with a tile saw or tile cutter. To cut porcelain tiles properly may require the hands of professionals.



Price differences between porcelain and ceramic

The Urban Retreat, ZERO9 ZERO9 ห้องนั่งเล่น

Generally, ceramic tiles are more affordable than porcelain tiles by a slight difference in price. This is because the manufacturing cost of ceramic tiles is higher. For ceramic tiles. the price range is from Rs 20 per sq ft to Rs 150 per sq ft, depending on colour, size and usage (for floors or walls). Porcelain tiles usually cost from Rs 25 per sq ft to Rs 250 per sq ft depending on colour, size and usage as well.






The Urban Retreat, ZERO9 ZERO9 ห้องครัว

In sum it up, porcelain is more impervious to moisture and requires more experience to cut properly. On the other hand, ceramic should not be installed outdoors, but it's easier to cut manually and is a more affordable option.

We hope this article has been informative and helpful. For more ideas like these, please have a look at this ideabook.


ต้องการความช่วยเหลือสำหรับโปรเจคของคุณ?
ติดต่อเราได้เลย

ไฮไลท์จากนิตยสารของเรา