28 September 2026 1 min read Buying guides
Both are fired clay. The difference is density — and density decides where a tile
belongs.
Porcelain
Fired hotter and pressed harder, so it absorbs under 0.5% water. That makes it suitable for
floors, wet areas and outdoors, and means the pattern often runs through the body of the tile
rather than sitting in a glaze on top. It’s harder to cut and needs a better adhesive, which is
part of why fitting costs a little more.
Use it for: floors, wet rooms, outdoor paving, anywhere taking heavy traffic.
Ceramic
Softer, lighter, cheaper and far easier to cut, with a glaze on the face. Perfectly good on walls
that stay reasonably dry.
Use it for: bathroom and kitchen walls, splashbacks, decorative features.
What the numbers on the box mean
- PEI rating — surface wear. PEI 3 is fine for domestic floors, PEI 4+ for halls and kitchens.
- Water absorption — under 0.5% is porcelain. Over 3% keep off floors and out of wet areas.
- R rating — slip resistance when wet. R10 minimum for a bathroom floor, R11 for a wet room,
R11–R12 outdoors.
The mistake we’re called out to fix
Wall ceramic laid on a kitchen floor because it was on offer. It chips at the edges within a year
and the glaze wears through in the traffic routes. The tile was cheap; lifting and relaying the
floor was not.