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For some reason I missed the fact that my leading choice of zellige-look tile is ceramic and not porcelain. I thought it was porcelain. So now I’m back to square one of trying to choose a tile! 😩 it’s been the bane of my existance! I’m reading that ceramic isn’t ideal in showers bc it needs to be sealed and can absorb water right? Any tile experts here?
I am going to give you a very short answer to a very involved topic. Ceramic and porcelain are basically similar products. There are very good and very cheap versions or each product. When you go to your supplier, ask about the hardness rating. Softer cheap tile usually has a redish tint on the back side and is made from softer clay, typically in Mexico. Some of the better grades come from Turkey, Italy etc. and have hardness ratings of 5 or above and have a gray or whiteish back. Most ceramic tiles have a thinner glaze finish than Porcelain. I usually prefer a porcelain glaze on a good hard base in shower and bath applications. Rather than hitting the box stores first, go to a few tile specialty tile stores where a good knowledgeable sales person can give you a good education on the differences. If and when you feel comfortable with your knowledge about tile, find a professional flooring liquidator in your area where you may save anywhere from 40 to 80% on overages, returns or closeouts. I recently purchased 600 sq feet of Turkish porcelain grade 5 commercial tiles for 60 cents a square foot that retailed for over $8 a foot, at a local flooring liquidator. (overages from a hotel job) Huge savings.
I am a committee member of the Tile Council of North America. I would like to point out that the advantage of porcelain tile over other types of ceramic bodies is its denseness. It is 1/2 of 1 % absorptive and can be used extensively in wet areas, even exterior types of installations. The problem with some imported so called porcelain tiles today is that they do not meet the ANSI requirement of this 1/2 of 1% absorptive quality. In fact some are even as much as 8% to 9% absorptive and are being called porcelain ceramic tiles. If you were to place these in wet areas you would have some serious failure problems. Be sure whatever you buy has the certification label from the TCNA that it does meet this porcelain requirement. This is truly a much better more durable product than talc body or clay body ceramic tiles.
Thanks Captain Bay
Which are the best option?
Would love to know about durability, price difference.
And also who do you normally buy from?
Huge thanks in advance, new to all this!