Porcelain vs. Ceramic Tile: What’s the Difference?

What is similar between porcelain and ceramic tile?

Both ceramic and porcelain tiles are under the “ceramic” category, since they are both made from clay and then fired (baked) in a kiln (a big very hot oven). So all porcelain tile used for tile installation Chicago is ceramic, but not all ceramic tile is porcelain.

What’s the biggest difference between porcelain and ceramic tile?

Ceramic tile is normally made from red or white clays and often contains various natural materials. It is fired at a lower temperature than porcelain (~900°C / 1652°F).

On the contrary. porcelain tile is made from porcelain clay, containing kaolin, and is fired at very high temperatures (1,200 and 1,400 °C / 2,200 and 2,600 °F) causing it to vitrify – which means making it glass-like – making it automatically more impermeable to water without having to glaze it – making it a favorite of many tile contractors Chicago.

What does this mean for selecting porcelain vs. ceramic tile?

Any Chicago tile company could tell you that glazed ceramic tile is best for indoor use, where there is no freezing and harsh weather. However, ceramic tile is softer and easier to cut and shape, making it a beautiful wall or floor choice for tilers Chicago.

The glaze on ceramic and porcelain tile is ground glass.

Glaze is made by grounding up, processing, and firing glass until it can be made to flow and
bond to the clay as it hardens. Glaze is usually the same for ceramic and porcelain tiles.
Glaze can be applied in many different ways: through spray, the waterfall method, or a dry spread.

Ceramic wall tiles can only be used on walls.

Chicago tile installers can only use ceramic wall tiles for walls and countertops. This is because wall tile is generally made of a softer material – referred to as bisque – and is not made to withstand foot traffic and they won’t be up to standard for that type of wear. The good news though is our tile installers Chicago can offer a variety of shapes, colors and styles of ceramic wall tile.