Choosing Between Ceramic and Porcelain Tile For Your Home

What are your recommendations for tiling my house? Porcelain or Ceramic?

When it comes to what floor tile to install for your wall, floor or patio, individuals tend to get confused. Customers appreciate it when a person explains what tile to use for their design projects.Helping somebody make a decision that will put their mind at ease and knowing they have got a good selection of ceramic tiles for their property is an extremely rewarding experience. If you're looking for a wide selection of tiles in Orange County, contact your nearest professional.

Porcelain tiles have been the "in thing" over the past couple of years. If a floor tile isn't made of porcelain, it is a ceramic tile. That assumption is correct.Ceramic tiles are mostly manufactured from red clay and some are manufactured from white clay. Red body tiles are easy to identify, whereas white body tiles are nearly impossible to tell if it is a porcelain floor tile or not.

Here is where the word of the floor tile manufacturer comes into play. Reputable floor tile manufacturers mark floor tile boxes as "porcelain" if they're porcelain.The better ones, for example Dal-tile(R), Marazzi(R), Crossville(R), Porcelanosa(R), Emser(R) to name a few, label their porcelain tiles as "porcelain",and "ceramic" for ceramic tiles/floor tiles, if the floor tile is non-porcelain.Porcelain tiles have a lower water absorption rate than a ceramic tiles. This is mainly because they are extremely dense.Through body procelains have the exact same color from front to back, thus a chip is not going to show as much as a floor tile that only has a surface coloring. Porcelain tiles can be installed outside in climates where the temperatures go below 32 degrees. They are known as as frost resistent tiles.The density of a porcelain floor tile makes it suitable for residental and light commercial use. It's wonderful to install on a patio that is definitely exposed outsdie elements. Water will not damage it.

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are "wear rated" by the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI)

They're as follows:

PEI 1 Rating (Not strong enough to walk on) Use these tiles on walls only.

PEI 2 Rating (Light movement) Use on wall and bathroom floors only. A word of caution. The larger the tile, on the floor, the easier it might crack with prolonged foot movement.

PEI 3 Rating (Light to moderate movement) Use on kitchen and bath countertops, walls and floors where foot traffic isn't hefty. (Residental)

PEI 4 Rating (Moderate to hefty traffic) Use in residental, medium commercial and light institutional.

PEI 5 Rating (Hefty to incredibly heavy activity) Use in all residential places plus large commercial locations (malls, airports) and institutional applications (correctional facilities).

Porcelain tiles, that have a PEI five score indicates that they are quite resistant to chipping or cracking.

Value is added to your house when Ceramic floor tiles are added.Installing ceramic or porcelain floor tiles in a house to yourresidence making it much easier to sell. For home-owners in Orange County, tiles from a professional contracter could make the job of selling your easier.

One of the greatest advantages for any homeowner is definitely the low cost of maintaining tile floors. Ease of care with floor tiles assures a homeowner of a relaxed lifestyle.


By: Sara Mel-Jane, From: Articlealley.com

in reference to:

"Choosing Between Ceramic and Porcelain Tile For Your Home"
- http://www.tkceramics.com/event-detail/581.html (view on Google Sidewiki)