Short Answer
The main tile choices are non-porcelain ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass, cement and terrazzo. Start with glazed ceramic for decorative walls, compare floor-rated porcelain for a stone or wood look with straightforward routine care, and consider natural stone when its individual variation is worth the extra care. Glass, cement and terrazzo offer different ways to introduce colour, pattern and texture.
Choose the material first, then the format and finish. For floors, showers and exterior areas, the selected product must also meet the use conditions described below.
Compare the Main Types of Tile
Porcelain belongs to the ceramic family. The six categories below follow common buying terminology, with non-porcelain ceramic listed separately. This overview covers hard tile for walls and floors; vinyl, rubber and carpet tiles belong to different flooring systems.
| Material | Start here when you want | Main trade-off | Care and cost considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-porcelain ceramic | Glazed colour and decorative shapes for a backsplash or wall | Wall-only products cannot double as floor tile | Standard glazed formats are worth pricing for a limited budget; handmade finishes and special trims change the cost |
| Porcelain | A manufactured stone, wood or concrete look, including floor-rated options | The same design may have different wall, floor and exterior approvals | Glazed surfaces simplify routine care; large formats, difficult cuts and substrate preparation can add installation cost |
| Natural stone | Individual veins, mineral texture and variation between pieces | Stone selection and finish affect both appearance and care | Allow for any specified sealing, suitable cleaners and selection of pieces; marble needs protection from acidic cleaners |
| Glass | Translucency, reflected light or a coloured decorative wall | Backing and adhesive can affect the visible result | Include compatible setting materials, edge details and careful sheet alignment in the installation scope |
| Cement | A coloured cement face and patterned composition | Surface variation and ageing are part of the material choice | Budget for the product's sealing process and ongoing care; compare a patterned porcelain alternative if care is the priority |
| Terrazzo | Visible aggregate chips in a cement or resin binder | Chip size, binder and finish change the result | Check the tile's care instructions and installation scope; terrazzo-look porcelain is a separate material option |
What Each Tile Material Offers
Non-porcelain ceramic tile
Ceramic tile is formed from mineral raw materials, including clay, and fired. Glazed decorative wall tile, terracotta and quarry tile sit within the wider ceramic family. Their surfaces and maintenance needs differ: a glazed backsplash and an unglazed terracotta floor should not receive one generic care instruction.
Choose glazed ceramic when colour, shape and wall detail are your main priorities. For a straightforward backsplash, compare standard sizes and available edge trims before paying for a more complex format. If the design continues onto the floor, select a floor-rated companion product rather than assuming the wall tile can do both jobs.
Porcelain tile
Porcelain is a ceramic tile with water absorption of 0.5% or less under ASTM C373, as explained by the Tile Council of North America. It is available glazed or unglazed, with plain colours and stone, wood or concrete designs.
Start with glazed porcelain if you want a manufactured stone look and prefer routine cleaning over a stone-specific care programme. Check the instructions for polished and other specially treated finishes. Daltile's care guidance separates tile, grout and surface treatments; they do not necessarily need the same cleaner or sealer.
Porcelain is not automatically the better purchase for a decorative wall, where an appropriate glazed ceramic may already meet the brief. Compare the selected products and their installed cost in our ceramic versus porcelain comparison.
Natural stone tile
Natural stone tiles are cut from quarried stone. Marble, limestone, travertine, granite and slate differ in mineral composition, texture and response to cleaning. Choose natural stone when variation between pieces is part of the design you want. Approve several pieces together, including both quiet and strongly marked examples.
Marble, limestone and travertine contain acid-sensitive carbonate minerals. Acidic cleaners can etch their finish. The Natural Stone Institute explains that an impregnating sealer improves stain resistance without making stone stain-proof. Sealing does not remove the need for a suitable cleaner or make every stone require the same resealing schedule.
If you want the veined appearance but do not want this care routine, compare a marble-look porcelain sample alongside the stone. Examine the full pattern and its repetition as well as the small sample.
Glass tile
Choose glass for a backsplash or feature wall when translucency or reflected light is part of the effect. Glass can be clear, opaque or backed with colour. With translucent pieces, the background and adhesive layer can influence the finished appearance, so a small installed mock-up is more informative than a loose tile held in the hand.
Include the manufacturer's adhesive, grout and backing requirements in the installation scope. For a pool or shower floor, use a product explicitly approved for that application; a glass wall mosaic is not sufficient evidence of suitability.
Cement tile
Choose cement tile when you want its coloured decorative face and accept the specified sealing and care. Patterned cement tiles can create a repeated floor composition, while natural variations in tone become visible across multiple pieces.
For example, clé's Robusto cement tile instructions call for sealing both the tile surface and grout in dry and wet applications. Include those operations in the price comparison. If the pattern matters more than the cement material, compare a similar porcelain design and its maintenance requirements.
Terrazzo tile
Terrazzo contains aggregate chips in a cement or resin binder. The National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association describes the combination of chips and binder that creates its visible surface. Choose terrazzo when the aggregate itself is a defining part of the design. Larger chips create a different visual scale from a fine, closely packed mix.
Ask whether the sample is actual terrazzo or terrazzo-look porcelain, then use the maintenance instructions for that material. Precast terrazzo tiles also need a joint layout; a poured-in-place terrazzo installation is a different system and should be quoted separately.
Separate Material, Format, Look and Finish
Mosaic describes small pieces arranged into a larger composition. Subway describes a familiar rectangular format or style. Both can be made from different materials. Marble look describes the design; matte, glossy and polished describe aspects of the surface finish.
A description such as “matte marble-look porcelain mosaic” therefore answers four questions: finish, look, material and format. It calls for porcelain care and mosaic installation guidance. A photograph of the veining cannot establish that the material is marble.
For mesh-backed mosaics, lay two sheets beside each other before approval. The gap between sheets should continue the spacing within the pattern; otherwise the sheet outline can remain visible across the finished surface.
Choose Tile for the Wall or Floor
Use the application to narrow the material list before choosing a colour. For a decorative kitchen backsplash, begin with glazed ceramic or porcelain and add glass if you want reflected light. For a kitchen floor, start with floor-rated porcelain or ceramic and compare stone, cement or terrazzo when their appearance justifies the associated care.
| Location | First options to compare | What changes the decision |
|---|---|---|
| Backsplash or dry feature wall | Glazed ceramic or porcelain; glass for a light-reflecting effect | Visible edges, splash cleaning, outlet cuts and appliance heat clearances |
| Living room or kitchen floor | Floor-rated porcelain or ceramic; stone, cement or terrazzo for a specific material effect | Traffic, cleaning routine, substrate preparation and total installed cost |
| Shower wall | Wet-area-approved ceramic, porcelain or glass; selected natural stone | Waterproofing system, adhesive compatibility and cleaner suitability |
| Shower floor | A product explicitly approved for wet barefoot use, often in a smaller format | Drain position, slope geometry, surface classification and maintenance |
| Patio or exposed entrance | Exterior-approved porcelain or selected natural stone | Wet slip evidence, frost exposure, drainage and installation system |
For a coordinated bathroom, one practical starting point is a larger wall tile, a floor-rated tile outside the shower and a compatible smaller format around a point drain. The colours can match while the formats and finishes differ.
Keep waterproofing and slip resistance separate
A low-absorption tile does not waterproof a shower. The waterproofing layer, substrate, seams, corners and drain connections form the water-management system. TCNA's shower guidance explains why the membrane and backing must work as a compatible assembly.
For floor selection, request the use classification or applicable test evidence for the exact finish. ANSI A326.3 guidance addresses slip testing and product use classifications; a matte label or extra grout joints cannot establish suitability on their own. Our anti-slip tile guide explains the evidence in more detail.
Check Samples, Size and the Full Layout
Use a small sample to compare colour and touch the finish, then look at full tiles or full-unit images to judge pattern scale. A room layout reveals cuts and joints that neither view can show. With natural stone, include the agreed range of pieces; with printed designs, look for repeated faces across the proposed area.
For example, a quiet corner of a marble-look sample may suit the cabinetry, while the full tile contains a strong diagonal vein. Once repeated across the floor, that vein becomes a major feature. Approving the full pattern before ordering resolves this difference before installation.
Larger pieces reduce joint frequency but make handling, cut placement and substrate preparation more demanding. Smaller mosaics can follow some changes in plane more readily and introduce more joints to clean. Compare formats against the doorway, wall ends and drain, using our tile sizes and layout guide for dimensional examples.
View finishes under daylight and the planned artificial lighting. Glossy surfaces show sharper reflections; textured surfaces change how dirt and cleaning residue are visible. Ask to see a representative cleaned sample where maintenance is a deciding factor.
Compare Installed Cost and Order Quantities
For a limited budget, first price standard glazed ceramic and porcelain formats with available trims. A handmade ceramic, intricate mosaic or demanding slab layout can cost more than its material category suggests. Compare the same installed scope: tile, preparation, waterproofing where needed, adhesive, grout, trims, cutting, delivery, labour and any sealing.
Two quotations are not comparable if one includes substrate levelling and sealing while the other lists tile supply alone. Ask each supplier or installer to separate those items before choosing the lower total.
Order area = measured area × (1 + allowance), rounded up to full packs. For a 20 m² floor with an assumed 10% allowance, the calculation is 20 × 1.10 = 22 m². If each pack covers 1.44 m², 22 ÷ 1.44 = 15.28 packs, so the order becomes 16 packs, or 23.04 m². Set the allowance from the cut plan, pattern matching and spare-piece requirement.
Keep the product reference, material, finish, nominal and manufacturing dimensions, thickness, edge type and intended location with the approved sample. Record the shade or batch reference where supplied, and retain replacements from the order.
When to Compare Sintered Stone Slabs
Compare sintered stone slabs when broad panels and fewer joints are important to the design, such as a large interior feature wall. Include access, handling, cutting and support in the comparison; fewer pieces do not automatically mean a simpler installation.
Our porcelain slab explanation covers terminology at this larger scale. For a floor, confirm the finish and installation-system requirements before selection. Browse Funtek's sintered stone slab library to identify a look, then send the application, approximate dimensions and selected product with your sample enquiry.
Compare Sintered Stone Options
Share the application, approximate dimensions and preferred look. Funtek can confirm format, finish and sample options for a selected sintered stone product.