Is Ceramic Or Porcelain Tile Better For Showers

The best flooring for bathrooms is ceramic which should come as no surprise.

Is ceramic or porcelain tile better for showers.

Simply check the tile s recommended applications to see if it will work for your intended use. Porcelain tiles are the preferred choice in showers for one reason. However poorly maintained or installed shower grout notoriously falls apart or rots when exposed to water. Ceramic is a popular tile choice for many residential uses.

However there are other considerations. Ceramic tile is more porous and therefore has a higher water absorption rate. If you prefer your toes toasty warm either ceramic or porcelain are great options because both are rated for in floor heating. Porcelain tile is slightly higher at an average of 3 to 10 per square foot.

The answer is porcelain tile. For a porcelain tile shower grout is an absolute necessity to prevent water leakage. Ceramic tiles are kiln fired at a lower temperature than porcelain tiles making them less dense softer and more porous. The only way it make a difference is that porcelain is nonabsorbtive so it ll shed water much better and dry out quicker.

They can also be very slick which is why you always need to pay close attention to the surface texture and size. Ceramic tiles have been used in shower stalls for decades and they are a popular choice for flooring as well. Resistance to water is perhaps the biggest factor in the ceramic tile vs. Porcelain tile is denser heavier and more impervious to water and thus is a better choice than ceramic tile for outdoor locations although outdoor use is recommended only in mild climates.

No neither porcelain nor ceramic is inherently better than the other for bathrooms and showers. Obviously the shower is one area of your home that will frequently get damp. And because of the high volume of grout required for tile showers rotting grout only increases the likelihood of leaks. Porcelain tile has excellent resistance to heat making it a good choice for countertop surfaces.

That said there s nothing wrong with using a glazed conventional ceramic tile either. This includes all bathroom flooring showers tubs walls and backsplash areas. That price difference is offset somewhat by the fact that porcelain tends to outlast ceramic. The clay used in its composition is also less refined making it a more.

The porcelain s better but not to the point where i d look at it exclusively.