Ceramic and Porcelain tiles are two of the most popular floor and wall tiles for both residential and commercial construction.
Due to their similarities, a lot of people confuse the two and use them interchangeably without even ever noticing.
So what’s the difference in relation to composition, durability, and cost?
What’s the difference between Ceramic and Porcelain Floor Tiles
The major difference between Ceramic and Porcelain tiles is the mode of preparation. Both are made from clay and heated in a Kiln, but Porcelain tiles are made from more refined clay and heated at higher temperatures, which makes them more durable as compared to Ceramic tiles.
| Ceramic Floor Tiles | Porcelain Floor Tiles |
| Made from a mixture of clay, minerals, and water | Made from a mixture of clay, Sand, and Feldspar |
| Heated to temperatures between 1800-2000 °F | Heated to temperatures up to 2300 °F |
| Has a PEI Rating of 0-3. (PEI Rating-Hardness of the top glaze and traffic level that flooring can endure) | Has a PEI Rating of 3-5 |
| Should therefore be used in light-traffic areas | Should therefore be used in heavy-traffic areas |
| Lighter and less dense | Heavy and denser |
| Less Durable | Durable |
| Easy to cut | Difficult to cut |
| Has a water absorption rate between 2-2% | Has a water absorption rate of 0.05% Almost impervious to water |
| Works better indoors | Can be used indoors and outdoors |
| Performs best in residential areas. | Can be used in both commercial and residential areas. |
| Cheaper | A little bit costly. |
With the rise in improved technology, however, it is becoming hard to tell the difference between the two. You might find some high-end ceramics that are even denser, and more expensive than Porcelain and that can be used both outdoors and indoors.
However, no matter the pick, both tiles are Inert, non-toxic, and do not contain harmful chemicals. In case of accidents that make the tiles break, one should be very careful because both tiles are very sharp and can badly make deep cuts.
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