Tile FAQs

What is the difference between floor and wall tiles?

Wall tiles are not load bearing and are typically thinner than floor tiles. Floor tiles can be applied to walls as long as the walls are strong enough to support their weight and proper ceramic tile installation methods are used. However, it is not recommended to use wall tiles on floors.

What is the difference between ceramic and porcelain tile?

Ceramic tiles are typically have a white or red clay with glaze over the top. Porcelain tiles are much harder and more dense than ceramic tiles and usually cost more. Porcelain tiles to be made in very large formats that would be impossible to achieve in a ceramic tile. Porcelain tiles will also often have a colored inside that matches the surface glaze, or have a color that extends all the way through the tile. Therefore, porcelain tiles avoid the common problem with ceramics in which the glaze gets chipped and exposes the red clay underneath.

What is the difference between glazed and unglazed tiles?

Glazed tiles have a glass wear layer fused to its surface. The glaze provides a wide variety of colors and designs and protects the tile from staining.

Unglazed tiles are very similar to glazed tile, except that their surface is not coated. Unglazed ceramic tiles do not show wear because their color extends throughout the tile, making them well suited for commercial applications.