PORCELAIN TILES

What are Porcelain & Ceramic Tiles?

Porcelain and ceramic tiles present some of the most popular choices to cover walls and floors. Some people refer to them interchangeably, but they are not the same. 

In construction, both Porcelain and Ceramic tiles start with similar materials. Ceramic tiles are made from red, brown or white clay. While Porcelain tiles are made from more of a mixture of white clay, sand and feldspar. Then while Ceramic tiles are fired between 1162-1240℃, Porcelain tiles are fired much higher at temperatures, between 1305℃ and 1346℃. 

The denser materials and higher temperatures produce a much harder and denser finish in Porcelain. As a result, porcelain tiles and pavers make an exceptional solution for both walls and floors. 

Porcelain Tile Uses

• Walls and floors
• Outdoor floors
• Bathroom floors
• Kitchen floors
• High-foot traffic flooring
• Commercial floors (such as flooring for hotels, offices and retail outlets)

Benefits of Porcelain

Great for flooring

Porcelain is a stronger, denser material than ceramic and is made to withstand greater impact allowing them to be used on floors. The surface glazes are also different when the tile is designed to be used on floors, with added texture to assist with a non-slip grip.

Porcelain can be made to imitate natural stone

Porcelain tiles can mimic the colours and patterns of stone providing an alternative where a lower cost is required, or textured surfaces are required for external use. This is possible through a process of serial printing with advanced digital inkjet technology which produces prints with a premium level of detail for incredible designs. 

Ceramic Tile Uses

• Walls
• Bathroom walls
• Kitchen walls
• Splashback tiles 
  

Benefits of Ceramic

Excellent for Walls

Ceramic tiles are often fired with colourful glazes which make them ideal for wall applications, providing a range of colours and patterns to decorate a space.  These glazes are not suitable for floor traffic, and the lower density of ceramic makes them easier to adhere to walls.

Porcelain Tiles for Bathrooms, Splashbacks and Floor Applications

Porcelain paving for the outdoors

Porcelain pavers are porcelain tiles that are made thicker with a finish and cut shape that is designed for outdoor installations. Outdoor porcelain tiles can easily withstand wet weather, hot sun and heavy foot traffic, making them the ideal choice for gardens, patios and even driveways. Our porcelain patio tiles are available in a range of wood, stone and concrete-look patterns to give you a wide range of design possibilities for your outdoor entertaining space.

Timber look porcelain tiles 

Timber’s romantic and woodsy look has captured the heart of many homeowners today. The problem is natural timber does not work well in moisture-rich environments such as kitchens and bathrooms, and takes more time and cost in maintenance and installations. Wood-look porcelain tiles mimic the natural allure of timber, making it a great choice to install alongside your natural stone for an overall beautiful and natural finish. 

Marble look porcelain tiles

Marble has always exuded elegance and luxury. For those who love the sophistication of marble but not the price of natural marble tiles, you can opt for porcelain tiles that emulate a stunning marble look. Carrara Porcelain tiles are a popular application for marble-look floors at a more economical rate.

Travertine look porcelain tiles

Travertine has become a popular choice in natural stone. If you are looking for a tile to complement your use of travertine in another area of your home, travertine-look porcelain tiles make a great selection. Travertine-look porcelain tiles are designed to showcase the rough and gentle stone-like patterns beloved in the stone to add a more textured look to elevate your spaces. 

Limestone look porcelain tiles

Porcelain tiles can also be made to imitate the beautiful soft and gently rolling textures found in natural limestone. With limestone-look porcelain tiles, you can find an alternative to elevate a bathroom or kitchen with a warm beige stone look or cool coastal rock-like feeling.

Porcelain Tiles Pricing

Porcelain tiles are priced cheaper than natural stone but are more expensive than ceramic tiles. When looking for a ‘natural stone’ option to elevate interiors or exteriors, porcelain tiles can offer a more affordable alternative. However, porcelain tiles can never fully emulate all the qualities and uniqueness of true natural stone. 

Unlike natural stone for example, stone-look porcelain tiles will have patterns that will repeat every few meters. Lower-cost tiles through to premium Italian tiles can both have patterns that repeat at every 30 meters.

Explore all the Possibilities in Porcelain Tiles

With the range of Porcelain floor tiles on the market today, the design possibilities with what you can do with tiles are endless. While stone may be the hero of a project, the careful application of these tiles can enhance and complement your stone and provide a splash of colour or a cost-saving option for other spaces in your interiors that are not as prominent.

Contact Us Today or Visit Our Sydney Showroom 

Our porcelain tiles make for high-quality kitchen and bathroom flooring and wall covers. Contact our experts or visit our showroom in Sydney to get a quote today. 

We’ll give you a guided tour and information session around your favourite porcelain tiles in our collection.