Why choose a porcelain tile?

Here at Topps Tiles we pride ourselves on good quality product, not only do we work closely with high spec manufacturers around the world to develop the latest designs, we also use the best technology available to provide the greatest quality product for your investment in your home.

Porcelain tiles have taken over in popularity over the last few years, as we move to more open plan living, indoor to outdoor spaces and of course better technology, porcelain tiles provide a real practical surface with lots of added benefits such as slip resistance, low porosity and stain resistance.

The differing level of quality within porcelain as a material is often evident when comparing different samples, in this article, we take you through the different types of porcelain and the benefits that a better quality porcelain will bring to your home.

Why porcelain over ceramic tiles?

Porcelain is a type of ceramic, but is fired at a higher temperature, absorbing less than 0.5% of the water in their environment. This makes porcelain tiles extremely strong and hardwearing, denser than ceramic and less porous making them frost resistant, ideal for outdoor use. A versatile option then, working for both walls and floors, whereas ceramic is predominately suited to wall tiling.

Porcelain tiles are typically larger than ceramic tiles, often starting from 30x60cm and going beyond 120x120cm, ranging in thickness from 3mm to 20mm.

As porcelain can be both glazed and unglazed, you can get a larger variety of textures and patterns in porcelain than in ceramic.

A PEI rating

The Porcelain Enamel Institute rating (PEI rating for short) is an independent rating system to classify ceramic and porcelain tiles according to their strength and durability. This is the measurement of how much wear and tear a tile can take over time.

Ranging from 0-5, the most common PEI porcelain available is PEI 3, suitable for low traffic domestic areas such as the bathroom, living room and hallway floors. At Topps Tiles, we don’t sell any porcelain below a grade 3 so we can ensure the best longevity for the tiles in your home, whatever their use.

You can see the full rating system below:

• PEI 0 – Very little abrasion resistance. Recommended only for use on residential walls.
• PEI 1 – Little abrasion, recommended mainly for use on residential and commercial walls.
• PEI 2 – Recommended mainly for use on walls and some residential rooms such as bathrooms.
• PEI 3 – Can be used on low traffic areas such as residential bathroom, living room, kitchens and hallway floors.
• PEI 4 – To be used on walls and medium to higher traffic areas such as all residential areas and some commercial areas.
• PEI 5 – Can be used on all residential areas and most Commercial high traffic areas. This is the most durable tile.

The different types of porcelain

The material makeup of porcelain can differ to achieve different characteristics in the tile, making some more suitable for particular tiling projects over others. Not only can the material ingredients of the base change but the glaze can also make a huge difference to the performance of the tile and its suitability.

Glazed porcelain

A thin layer of liquid glaze (often coloured) is applied to a single layer tile base and this can then be printed to achieve a decorative design. The glaze is applied to the tile before it enters the kiln and fuses to the body of the tile as it enters the firing process.

Glazed porcelain doesn’t require sealing and can be rectified (cut exactly to size) for a uniformed and straight edge finish whilst retaining its hardwearing properties.

Polished glazed porcelain

These are produced in a similar way to glazed porcelain, but the glaze has a special formulation which enables it to be polished. These glazes are generally transparent and can be highly polished to give a high sheen reflective surface.