Porcelain vs. Ceramic
Ceramic tile is a mixture of clays and other natural
materials. The special clays are mined from the earth, shaped, colored
and than fired in kilns. Traditional ceramic tile can be naturally
colored and left unglazed like terra cotta, or they can feature colored
or highly designed surfaces which can be glazed (finished with a glass
surface) either in a high gloss or matte finish. Most ceramic tile has
either a white or red body coloration underneath the glazed, colored
top layer.
Porcelain tile is a newer form of ceramic tile and extremly popular among homeowners. Porcelain tiles are composed of fine porcelain
clays and fired at much higher temperatures than ceramic tiles. This
process makes porcelain tile more dense, less porous, much harder and
less prone to moisture and stain absorption than ceramic tiles. For
these reasons, most porcelain tiles are suitable for both indoor and outdoor installations. Porcelain tiles are also harder to cut due to their density and hardness