JASON PETTINATO TILE HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A PARTICIPANT FOR UPDATING
THE:
2011 TILE (C54) CALIFORNIA STATE EXAM
Porcelain vs Ceramic Tile
Porcelain tile has become super popular these days and is a great choice for your next tile project. Not only is porcelain more durable than ceramic by resisting chips, it can be fabricated like natural stone. This is a plus when a desired tile selection is limited to trim availability. For example, Let's say you find a great looking porcelain that you think is perfect for your shower, but doesn't offer any trim. With porcelain, that is not a problem because the edges can be fabricated into a surface bullnose shape. You don't have that option with ceramic tile.
It seems that most of the public has come to realize that porcelain is a superior material. It can be very hard to tell the difference between a natural stone like travertine and a look-a-like porcelain. In my opinion the porcelain has an upper hand when it comes to maintenance. Just seal the grout and your good for at least 2 years or more. Keep in mind that porcelain is a super dense material that absorbs very little water or moisture. This means that it is highly recommended to use a high quality modified thinset that helps bond the tile to the substrate. The modified thinset cures at a slower rate than regular dry set thinset which allows that moisture to get a bite on the porcelain before it dries.
Another ceramictilepro tip is to allow enough time for the thinset to dry before grouting. Why? Because once again, porcelain absorbs very little moisture which means that the only place for moisture to escape from the thinset is through the grout joints. It is recommended to allow approx. 24 hours before grouting to avoid any possible problems including efflorescence which is basically a whitish film that appears on the surface of the grout. It is just the salts from the water used to mix and wash the grout that rise to the surface and dry on top. This can look way more worse than what it really is and can be removed with a sulfamic acid wash with a nylon brush followed by a rinse with clean water using a sponge or mop.
