Tile is the biggest visual choice in most bathroom remodels, and it's also one of the choices that affects durability most. Here is how porcelain, ceramic and natural stone compare in a wet room.
The short answer
Choose porcelain for floors and showers: it's dense, absorbs very little water and stands up to heavy use. Ceramic is fine on walls and low-traffic floors and usually costs less. Choose natural stone when you want its look and are willing to seal and maintain it.
Comparison
| Porcelain | Ceramic | Natural stone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water absorption | Very low. Classed as impervious at 0.5 percent or less. | Higher, so less suited to wet floors. | Porous, so sealing is needed. |
| Durability | Hard and dense. | Softer and easier to chip. | Varies by stone. Marble and limestone are softer. |
| Maintenance | Low. Grout needs sealing or epoxy. | Low. | Higher: sealing and gentle cleaners. |
| Best use | Floors, showers and walls. | Walls and low-traffic floors. | Where the look justifies the care. |
| Looks | Huge range, including stone and wood looks. | Many colors and finishes. | Unique natural variation. |
Porcelain
Porcelain is made from finer clay fired at higher temperatures, which makes it denser and harder than ceramic. Under the industry standard a tile that absorbs no more than 0.5 percent water is classed as impervious, a good fit for showers, floors and anywhere water collects. Many porcelain tiles are "through-body," so chips are less visible. It's available as mosaics for shower floors and as large-format panels for walls and floors.
Ceramic
Ceramic is easier to cut and usually less expensive. It works well on bathroom walls, backsplashes and low-traffic floors, and some glazes are very decorative. In wet areas, such as a shower floor, porcelain is safer because it absorbs less water and resists wear.
Natural stone
Marble, travertine, limestone, slate and granite tile each have their own look and demands. Stone is porous and needs sealing, and some, such as marble and limestone, etch from acidic cleaners. Stone floors can also be slippery when polished. If you choose stone, ask about sealing, cleaning products and the right grout, and use a honed or textured finish where it will get wet.
Size, grout and slip resistance
- Large-format tile has fewer grout lines but needs a very flat surface.
- Mosaics follow sloped shower floors and add traction through extra grout lines.
- Grout is the weak point: seal cement-based grout, or consider epoxy for stain resistance.
- Slip resistance: ask for the dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF). Under the ANSI tile standard, 0.42 or higher is the benchmark for wet interior areas.
What goes under the tile
The best tile fails if the substrate is wrong. Use cement board or a foam backer board rather than standard drywall in wet areas, and a waterproof membrane in the shower. Our guide to waterproofing a shower explains how.
For choices specific to your project, see bathroom tile and flooring and shower remodeling, or review the overall plan in bathroom remodeling in Kirkland, WA.