Porcelain tile

Historically, porcelain was not the usual material for tiles, which were much more often made of earthenware (terracotta) or stoneware.

In Europe, palaces also occasionally featured a few rooms with walls decorated in porcelain plaques, often with forms in high relief.

Historically, porcelain was too expensive for most tiling purposes, but it is now much cheaper (especially in the form of bone china), and is now widely used.

Large-scale production of porcelain tile is undertaken in many countries, with the major producers being China, Italy, Morbi India, Spain and Turkey.

Porcelain is much harder than ordinary ceramic tiles and is often selected, despite its higher price, for its hard-wearing nature.

Being harder, it is more difficult to cut and drill and requires specialist tools, which can hamper fitting and increase costs.

Porcelain, being denser and heavier than ordinary ceramic tiles, needs a stronger adhesive to hold the weight on walls.

Vitrified porcelain tiles are created by combining clay with other elements such as quartz, silica, or feldspar under incredibly high temperatures.