Difference between Glazed and Unglazed Porcelain Tiles

by Sarah B. Marketing Writer | Thinker | Environmentalist

Porcelain tiles are available in a wide range of colors, textures, sizes, and surface finishes. You can choose the right surface based on your project type and expectations.

The key difference between glazed and unglazed porcelain tiles lies somewhere in their manufacturing – to be specific, their firing – process. There is a difference the way both the types of tiles are fired or taken at high temperatures.

Glazed tiles are fired twice – first, to achieve hardness and second time, to add the shiny glossy finish. Unglazed tiles are fired once.

In this article, we talk about how different glazed and unglazed porcelain tiles are. Check out the following subsections –

Unglazed Tiles:

Most of the wood look and concrete look porcelain tiles are unglazed or matte finish.
Unglazed tiles are smooth, but not shiny. Though, they are not as smooth as glazed tiles. Glazed tiles offer more natural, rustic, and matte look.
It is because of that these tiles are considered ideal for creating floors in wet and watery areas such as bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room. They are also a great choice for outdoor floors and walls.
Unglazed matte finish is able to resist scratches and wear and tear.
Cleaning these tiles could be a little tricky in some conditions. However, with an active cleaning and maintenance routine, you can keep their repair and maintenance costs low.

Glazed Tiles –

Glazed tiles have a super smooth and shiny surface. They have a glass-like reflect, because of which they give your space a splash of light and create a sense of spaciousness. This glass like finish is achieved with liquid glass coating on the top of the tile.
Most of the stone look porcelain tiles are glazed finish.
Because of smooth and shiny surface, these tiles might not be a good choice flooring in for wet and outdoor areas. There will a risk of accidents caused by slippery.
These tiles can be used for creating walls in any area of your home, indoors and outdoors included.
Glazed porcelain tiles can also be installed as kitchen and bathroom counter.

Looking to buy porcelain tiles? Visit WallAndTile.com, one of the largest tile shops in US.