Tile & Stone
Ceramic Tile
A clay-based tile fired at a lower temperature than porcelain, easier to cut and generally cheaper, best suited to walls and light-traffic floors.
Best for
- Kitchen and bathroom wall tiling
- Backsplashes
- Budget floor tiling in dry, low-traffic rooms
Avoid when
- Exterior use or unheated spaces prone to freezing
- Heavy-traffic commercial-style floors
Walls play to its strengths
Because ceramic wall tile doesn't bear foot traffic, its lower hardness compared with porcelain is largely irrelevant — you get an easier cut and a lower price with no real downside indoors.
Higher water absorption than porcelain
Ceramic typically absorbs more water than porcelain, which is fine behind grout and sealant on a wall but a real risk outdoors where freeze-thaw cycling can crack it.
Put this into practice
- Tile and Grout CalculatorHow many tiles, and how much adhesive and grout?