Whether you're tiling a shower for the first time or having your shower re-tiled, you should take the time to consider the right kind of tile to use. Most people are tempted by ceramic tiles because they are easy to cut and relatively inexpensive. Porcelain tiles are harder to cut and demand a higher price, but you do get what you pay for.

Here are just four reasons why porcelain floor tiles are worth the price for your shower.

1. Durability

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are actually made in the same way; a mixture of clay or silicate is kiln-fired to produce a hard surface. The difference is that porcelain tiles are made using white clay and sand, which produces a much harder surface than the red or brown clay used to create ceramic tiles. The material is a lot denser, with more layers used. As such, it's much harder to break a porcelain tile than a ceramic one.

2. Low Water Absorption Rate

Your shower tiles obviously need to put up with moisture, and porcelain is far superior in this regard. In fact, porcelain tiles need to keep below a certain water absorption rate to even be sold as porcelain tiles. Because they are so much denser than ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles resist any water penetration, so the chances of suffering any water damage from moisture leaking through to the subfloor is minimal.

3. High Stain Resistance

Shampoos, body gels and cosmetics can all be used in the shower, and many of them can potentially stain the floor tiles. Well, another great benefit of porcelain tiles is that they are highly stain resistant, especially when they are glazed. Because they aren't as dense, ceramic tiles can be stained, and they usually take on a slightly dingy appearance as the years go by.

4. Coloured All the Way Through

Have you ever seen a tile that has chipped to show a white surface below? If so, that was a ceramic tile, not a porcelain one. You see, ceramic tiles are only glazed on top, so the colour only runs a small way into them. If you chip or scratch them, you see a very noticeable white mark beneath. Luckily enough, this isn't an issue you'll need to worry about with porcelain tiles — their colours runs all the way through, so a small chip or scratch won't ruin the appearance of your shower.

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