Porcelain vs Ceramic Tiles: What's the Difference?
The short answer
What's the difference between porcelain and ceramic tiles?
Porcelain is a denser, harder kind of ceramic tile that soaks up almost no water: 0.5% of its weight or less. That makes it the tile for floors and outdoors. Ordinary ceramic is lighter, softer and easier to cut, and it's ideal on walls. Our Brescia floor tiles are porcelain, from $42.08 a m², and our Chroma wall tiles are ceramic, at $38 a m².
Here's how they compare, which of our tiles is which, and how to choose for each room.
Porcelain vs ceramic at a glance
| Porcelain | Ceramic | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Fine, dense clay fired at over 1,200°C | Coarser clay fired cooler, usually glazed |
| Water it soaks up | 0.5% or less | More than 0.5%; wall tiles often over 10% |
| Strength | Very hard and hardwearing | Softer; chips more easily |
| Best for | Floors, bathrooms, kitchens, outdoors | Walls, splashbacks, light-traffic floors |
| Outdoors | Yes, with the right slip rating | Rarely: few are made for it |
| Cutting | Harder: needs a good cutter or wet saw | Easy with a basic tile cutter |
| Weight | About 23 kg a m² (Brescia) | About 14 kg a m² (Chroma) |
| Our price | $42.08 to $53.08 a m² | $38 a m² |
Which of our tiles are porcelain, and which are ceramic?
Our floor tiles are porcelain and our wall tiles are ceramic. Here's every range we stock, with the box you buy.
| Tile | Material | Use | Box | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brescia Earth, 600 x 600 mm matt | Porcelain | Floors and walls; P3 slip rating | 4 tiles, 1.44 m², 32.5 kg | $60.60 a box ($42.08 a m²) |
| Brescia Iconic, 600 x 1200 mm honed | Porcelain | Floors and walls; dry areas | 2 tiles, 1.44 m², 33.5 kg | $76.44 a box ($53.08 a m²) |
| Chroma, 52 x 160 mm, gloss or matt | Ceramic | Walls only | 1 m², 14 kg | $38 a box ($38 a m²) |
| Chroma, 100 x 100 mm, gloss or matt | Ceramic | Walls only | 100 tiles, 1 m², 14 kg | $38 a box ($38 a m²) |
Brescia comes in Ivory, Beige, Grigio and Grafite, in both sizes. See them all on our terrazzo look tiles page. Chroma comes in eight colours and two sizes, each tile with its own handmade look. See them on zellige look tiles and subway tiles.
Porcelain or ceramic for floors?
Porcelain. It's harder, it soaks up almost no water and it takes years of foot traffic. On a floor, check the slip rating too. In Australia it's a P rating from P0 to P5: the higher the number, the better the grip when wet. Standards Australia's guide suggests P3 for entries that get wet, P4 for verandas, balconies and courtyards, and P5 for steep outdoor ramps. It doesn't list home bathrooms, so choose P3 or higher there.
Our Brescia Earth is rated P3. Brescia Iconic has a smooth honed face and no stated wet rating, so keep it to dry floors like living areas and halls.
Porcelain or ceramic for walls and splashbacks?
Either works on a wall, and ceramic is often the better choice. It's lighter, easier to cut around taps and power points, and cheaper. A wall doesn't get walked on, so porcelain's extra hardness isn't needed there. A shower wall is fine with ceramic too: in a shower, the wet-area membrane behind the tiles keeps the water out.
Our Chroma wall tiles are glazed ceramic with a handmade look, at $38 a m². See them on a kitchen wall in our splashback ideas.
How to tell porcelain from ceramic
- Read the box or the spec sheet. Porcelain is group BIa, with a water absorption of 0.5% or less. The box should say.
- Don't go by looks. Glazed porcelain and glazed ceramic can look the same, and even tile labs find tiles sold as porcelain that aren't. Ask for the water absorption figure.
- Feel the weight. Porcelain is heavier. Our Brescia weighs about 23 kg a m², and our Chroma about 14 kg.
Laying porcelain and ceramic
Both go down with tile adhesive and grout, but porcelain is fussier. Because it soaks up so little water, it needs a polymer-modified tile adhesive to grip: a plain cement adhesive won't hold it. It's also harder to cut, so tilers use a heavy-duty cutter or a wet saw. Ceramic cuts cleanly with a basic tile cutter, which is why it's the easier tile for DIY.
Work out tiles, adhesive and grout on our tile calculator, see the steps in how to grout tiles, and what a whole job costs in the cost to tile a bathroom.
Porcelain vs ceramic: common questions
Is porcelain better than ceramic?
For floors and wet areas, yes: it's harder and soaks up almost no water. For walls, ceramic does the job for less, and it's easier to cut and lighter to hang.
Is porcelain more expensive than ceramic?
Usually, yes. Our porcelain floor tiles cost $42.08 to $53.08 a m², and our ceramic wall tiles $38 a m². It can cost more to lay too, because it's harder to cut.
Can you use ceramic tiles on a floor?
Only ones made for floors. Check the PEI wear rating on the box: PEI 3 suits most rooms, and PEI 4 kitchens and entries. Many ceramic tiles, including our Chroma, are for walls only.
What are the downsides of porcelain tiles?
They're heavier, harder to cut and drill, and cost more to buy and lay. Like any tile, they're also hard underfoot and cool to the touch.
