1. Ceramic
When you think of tiles, it’s pretty likely that a ceramic tile springs to mind. And with good reason - they’re all around us! You’ll find examples almost anywhere you go; from antique Victorian tiles in your favourite pub, to famous metro tiles on the London Underground and the crackled wall tiles on your kitchen splashback. Ceramic tiles have been manufactured for thousands of years and essentially, the process remains the same. They have a red or white clay biscuit, with decorative glaze applied to the surface and are baked in a kiln at high temperatures to fuse the glaze to the body. In general, ceramic tiles are pretty durable and easy to clean. This makes them a great choice for splash backs and bathrooms walls where there’s likely to be splashes of soaps, shampoos and sauces. Generally, they’re smaller than other types of tile which makes them an ideal choice for a little DIY job. It’s a common misconception that you can’t use ceramic tiles on floors. Balderdash! Although porcelain tiles are becoming a more common sight these days, ceramic tiles still make a great choice for floors at home. While it’s true they’re not as hard-wearing, they come in a range of funky shapes and gorgeous styles that are at the cutting edge of design - take a look at our Seville Persian Blue or Heritage Star designs and see for yourself. Great for - Walls, splashbacks and floors at home2. Porcelain
There’s a bit of confusion when it comes to what a porcelain tile is so lets start by clearing things up. Technically speaking, a porcelain tile has a water absorption rate of 0.5% so effectively, they’re nearly waterproof. They’re produced using finer clays than ceramic tiles and they’re fired at higher temperatures which makes them incredibly dense and hard. These properties mean that porcelain tiles can be used on almost any wall or floor at home as well as busy commercial floors. Porcelain tiles tend to fit into two categories; glazed and unglazed porcelain tiles.Glazed Porcelain Tiles
In recent years, glazed porcelain tiles have exploded in popularity and they’re possibly the most popular type of tile worldwide. Similar to ceramic tiles, they consist of a porcelain body with a layer of glaze pattern applied to the surface. Thanks to recent advances in technology, it’s now possible to ‘digitally print’ almost anything onto the surface of a tile - think of your office printer, only on an industrial scale. This means it’s possible to faithfully reproduce wood, marbles and natural stones onto a tile, meaning you get all the character of the natural material married to the many benefits of porcelain. From slate-effect designs to wood-effect planks, we’ve got an incredible range of glazed porcelain tiles that have to be seen to be believed. As these are resistant to water, stains and wear and tear, they’re perfect for use anywhere in your home. Great for - Use throughout the home to combine form with functionUnglazed Porcelain Tiles
Unglazed porcelain tiles don’t contain a layer of glaze - hence the name. Instead, the entire tile is composed of natural clays so that the colour runs all the way through the tile. You might sometimes hear the phrase “full-bodied tile” - that’s another term.![Unglazed Porcelain Tiles](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0518/0601/1582/files/Unglazed-Porcelain-Tiles.jpg)