Porcelain is somewhat harder with a rating ranging from 3 to 5 pie.
Disadvantages of porcelain tile flooring.
Some porcelain floor tile is made to look like stone and while it might hold up just as well it will cost less.
Porcelain is designed for say airports says dave gobis executive director of the ceramic tile education foundation.
Depending on the traffic and level of risk for the floor in your home choose a value that suits the situation.
Ceramic tiles and porcelain tiles are both excellent tile flooring options but you need to consider the benefits and drawbacks of both to help you select the best option for your own needs.
Porcelain tile is made from clay and other natural materials blended together and fired in a furnace.
In high traffic areas porcelain floor tile is an excellent choice and will out perform other tiles in both long term appearance and durability.
Porcelain tile achieves this by using clays with finer particles fired at a higher temperature which creates a harder less porous surface than can be achieved by standard ceramic tiles this inherent versatility gives ceramic tile the ability to provide a number of benefits as a flooring such as durability and design flexibility.
It s fired at a higher temperature than ceramic tile and needs to meet strict requirements to be classified as porcelain.
When evaluating the pros and cons of porcelain tile and ceramic tile consider your taste in decor your budget and the needs of the rooms to be decorated.
Here s more on the pros cons and costs.
Ceramic tile can be one of the more affordable flooring materials starting at well below 5 per square foot for budget tile and diy installation however as you move into better looking tile and professional installation tile flooring can easily cost as much or more than quality hardwood flooring.
Cleaning porcelain tile is a breeze.
Porcelain bears a perception of high quality but for residential applications its particular toughness is unnecessary.
The pei scale is used to give a measure of how hard a tile flooring is.
Choosing between ceramic or porcelain tiles can mean prioritizing durability water resistance and the tiles overall appearance.
Before getting into the benefits and drawbacks of porcelain tile it makes sense to go over what it actually is.
These tiles have a distinct look and are ideal for areas where moisture is a concern.
Ceramic tile being softer has a hardness value that ranges between 3 and 4.
Porcelain porcelain tiles also come from the clay family but manufacturers use feldspar and other minerals in the mixture.
Plain ceramic tile is all you need for residential uses.