Ceramic vs Porcelain Tiles: How are they different?

Ceramic vs Porcelain Tiles – what’s the story?

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are a brilliant way to add a splash of colour and interesting patterns to your floors and walls, but which type of tiles do you choose? Is one type of tile better than the other? Well that depends on the look you want to create, your budget and how long you want them to last.

A fabulous choice of colours and patterns

Both ceramic and porcelain tiles come in a range of beautiful colours and patterns. Just take a look at the Intuition Soft Aquamarine Light and the Torino Noce Dark ceramic tiles. But porcelain tiles offer you a greater choice, so if you are looking for something different or something that has all the benefits of tiles but looks like marble or wood, then take a look at the wonderful range of porcelain tiles such as the Palatine Marble Matt, the Nordic Light which looks likes wood, and the Imotion Inox which has a stunning metallic finish. You’d be hard pushed to tell them apart from the real thing, and you’ll definitely find some tiles that are perfect for your home!

Easy to maintain

Both ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles are very easy to clean and maintain as any dirt and spills can be cleaned up quickly and easily with a cloth. Stains and odours have no chance of sticking to them! This makes both ceramic and porcelain tiles a fantastic way to keep the kitchen, bathroom and hallway beautifully clean and sparkling.

Both are durable

With care and proper maintenance, both ceramic and porcelain tiles will look good and last for years, but porcelain tiles will last longer. Porcelain tiles are made from a finer, denser type of clay and they are baked at a higher temperature. This makes them much harder than ceramic tiles, so they don’t chip and scratch so easily. Also, colour is added to porcelain tiles all the way through (whereas the colour is added only to the surface of a ceramic tile), so you are unlikely to notice any chips and scratches if they do occur – perfect if you’ve got lots of kids and pets running around!

Are you a DIYer?

Getting a professional to lay the tiles will naturally add to the total cost. This may be a consideration for you when it comes to your budget, so you may want to try laying them yourself. If you’re new to laying tiles, then ceramic tiles may be better for you as they are easier to work with. Porcelain tiles can be slippery and brittle making them harder to handle and cut. You’ll need a lot of patience, but you can minimize these issues by choosing porcelain tiles with a textured or matt finish, like the City Range.

What can you afford?

Ceramic tiles are great if you’re on a really tight budget. However, although porcelain tiles tend to be a little more expensive, in the longer term they’ll give you much greater value for money in terms of longevity and being less easily damaged.

If you’ve still got questions on ceramic vs porcelain tiles why not pop in store and have a chat with one of our Tiling Experts? We look forward to welcoming you.