Ceramic and porcelain tile are often confused but have important differences for Ontario renovation applications. This thread covers when to use each.
The Key Difference
Porcelain: denser, water absorption below 0.5%. Ceramic: higher absorption above 0.5%. In Ontario’s freeze-thaw climate, this matters for outdoor applications, shower floors, and basement floors.
Use Porcelain For
Any outdoor or freeze-exposed application (mandatory). Shower floors. High-traffic commercial-grade floors. Large format tiles (18 inches+) - more dimensionally consistent.
Ceramic Is Fine For
Interior bathroom wall tile. Kitchen backsplash. Interior floors in climate-controlled spaces. 20-40% less expensive than comparable porcelain.
LF Builders specifies appropriate tile for all applications: https://lfbuilders.ca
Discuss tile selection at https://home.renovation.reviews