Ceramic Tile Compared To Porcelain Tile

Ceramic tiles come in far more colors and sizes than porcelain ranging from inch mosaic to 16 inch or larger tiles.

Ceramic tile compared to porcelain tile.

Ceramic tile is fired at lower temperatures generally no more than 1 650 degrees fahrenheit. Ceramic tiles are made with red brown or white clay while porcelain tiles are almost exclusively made with refined and purified white clay. The major difference between porcelain tile and ceramic tile is how it s made. Porcelain comes in mosaics but usually starts at 2 inches in size skips up to 6 or 8 inches then 12 inches.

Ceramic tiles are kiln fired at a lower temperature than porcelain tiles making them less dense softer and more porous. According to the astm standards porcelain must have a water absorption rate of 0 5 percent or lower. Porcelain tile is almost impervious to water compared to ceramic tile. It may eventually reach square sizes of 36 or 48 inches.

Ceramic tiles are more porous and often have a higher water absorption rate. The clays used in porcelain tend to have fewer impurities than clays used in ceramic tiles and have more kaolin and feldspar. Ceramic tile can be slightly more prone to water infiltration than is porcelain tile though these differences are fairly minimal if the ceramic tile is glazed.