Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

HomeThangs.com Has Introduced A Guide To The Differences Between Ceramic And Porcelain Tile
  • USA - English


News provided by

HomeThangs

Jun 05, 2014, 07:00 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

Tesoro Glazed Porcelain 18X18 caramel from EARTHEN ESSENCE - EGEECA18
Tesoro Glazed Porcelain 18X18 caramel from EARTHEN ESSENCE - EGEECA18

(PRWEB) June 05, 2014 -- HomeThangs.com – the Online Home Improvement Store has made their goal to deliver the right product to the consumer. With that in mind, shopping and home design tips, as well as special product selections are being introduced.

An ANSI water penetration rating of .5% or lower is the closest thing there is to a legal definition of porcelain in the US, but this has little or nothing to do with the historical roots of the term.

Post this

When it comes to buying ceramic tile, there’s more than a little confusion of terms, particularly the distinction between ceramic and porcelain tile. There’s a reason for this: the word “porcelain” has been used to refer to many different types of tile throughout history and in different parts of the world, and manufacturers might be using any or none of those definitions for any given type of tile. HomeThangs.com has introduced a guide to understanding what the two terms really mean.

Broadly speaking, porcelain is a type of ceramic tile – both are made from roughly the same materials, but only some ceramic tile is considered to be porcelain. The problem is, “porcelain” isn’t a regulated term in the US, so any manufacturer can label any ceramic tile as porcelain, regardless of its actual quality. Since the word “porcelain” often accompanies a higher price tag, it’s important to look deeper at the qualities and certifications of the tile to see if the higher price is really worth it.

Historically, the term porcelain has been used to describe very light or white tile that’s made from clay that has a very low iron content, but this definition has become somewhat out dated for a variety of reasons. First, a light colored glaze can be placed on any type of tile; once it’s installed, the actual material the tile is made of will be invisible, meaning very dark tile can look like white porcelain. Color is obviously more important with unglazed tile, and light, unglazed tile will often be called porcelain. But the term “porcelain” is also often applied to unglazed tile that’s denser and the same color throughout. This type of “through body” porcelain tile can be any color, though, as the main selling point is that the consistent coloration makes chips and other minor damage less visible.

More recently, the term porcelain has been used to refer to ceramic tile that is of a higher quality. This claim is also a bit dubious, as again there’s no legal definition, standards, or requirements for the term. That said, tile that’s fired longer and at a higher temperature is much more durable than tile that’s fired for a shorter amount of time at a lower temperature. Higher temperatures allow the tile to undergo a more thorough vitrification, a process which makes tile harder, more dense, more durable, and much more water resistant. Highly vitrified, or vitreous tiles are often referred to as porcelain, but don’t depend on the label to tell.

The best indicator of how dense and vitrified a tile is is the ANSI rating for its resistance to water penetration. This rating is determined by weighing dry tile, then boiling and soaking it in water and re-weighing it to determine how much water the tile has absorbed. The more vitrified the tile, the more water resistant it is, and the lower this number will be. Tile with a .5% or lower water penetration rating is probably the closest thing there is to a legal definition of porcelain in this country, as the ANSI will certify these tiles as “porcelain” and allow this certification to appear on the label.

The durability of ceramic and porcelain tile is indicated by two different ratings: the PEI rating for surface wear and the Mohs rating for hardness. The packaging of any individual type of tile might have one or the other, both, or neither, depending on how the manufacturer has them tested. The PEI rating measures how well the tile holds up to everyday wear and tear, while the Mohs scale is a rating that’s used more generally to determine the relative hardness of minerals, and how easily they can be scratched. For both, higher numbers represent harder, more durable surfaces, but tiles that are called ceramic or porcelain can fall anywhere on either of these scales.

Last but not least is a tile’s slip rating, which includes how slippery tile is both when dry and when wet. All tile, regardless of labels, should have a COF (Coefficient of Friction) rating which measures how readily objects slide across the tile. The higher the number, the less slippery the tile will be, with .6 as a bare minimum for slip safety.

To find out more about the distinction between different types of tile, as well as what features to look for, check out the full article here.

HomeThangs.com is not only a home improvement superstore, it also provides expert design tips and a comprehensive shopping guide, taking the ideas from professional interior designers, and offering tips to the consumers on how to pick the products to best suit their needs.

Tanya T., HomeThangs, http://www.homethangs.com, +1 (866) 278-0880, [email protected]

Modal title

Tesoro Unglazed Porcelain 18X18 brown # 1038 from STONE LEADER - RESLBR18
Tesoro Unglazed Porcelain 18X18 brown # 1038 from STONE LEADER - RESLBR18
Mediterranea Tile: Sonoma Valley 13" x 13" - Zinfandel MED-13x13-sv-zt
Mediterranea Tile: Sonoma Valley 13" x 13" - Zinfandel MED-13x13-sv-zt
Tesoro Glazed Porcelain 18X18 gold from DOLMEN - ZIDOGO18
Tesoro Glazed Porcelain 18X18 gold from DOLMEN - ZIDOGO18
Tesoro Ceramic 17X17 gris from ECOPISO MARMOL - ALECMAGR17
Tesoro Ceramic 17X17 gris from ECOPISO MARMOL - ALECMAGR17
Jade 12" x 24" Floor and Wall Tile in White KER-8422
Jade 12" x 24" Floor and Wall Tile in White KER-8422
Tesoro Unglazed Porcelain 18X18 brown # 1038 from STONE LEADER - RESLBR18 Mediterranea Tile: Sonoma Valley 13" x 13" - Zinfandel MED-13x13-sv-zt Tesoro Glazed Porcelain 18X18 gold from DOLMEN - ZIDOGO18 Tesoro Ceramic 17X17 gris from ECOPISO MARMOL - ALECMAGR17 Jade 12" x 24" Floor and Wall Tile in White KER-8422

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.