Porcelain and natural stone look similar in a showroom and behave very differently in a home. We install both, and we will tell you honestly which suits the room.
Porcelain
Water absorption of 0.5 percent or less, no sealing, freeze-thaw safe. The right answer for entries, showers, basements and anywhere that sees salt, water or heavy traffic. Stone-look and marble-look porcelain now give the appearance of stone without the maintenance.
Natural stone
Marble, travertine, limestone and slate are porous. They need sealing on installation and every one to three years, and marble will etch if anything acidic sits on it. They also need a stiffer floor — L/720 deflection rather than L/360 for ceramic — and white or light stone needs white mortar so it does not stain through.
Installation compared
| Material | Install effort | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| Porcelain | Standard | None |
| Large format porcelain | Higher — flat floor, back-buttering, two people | None |
| Natural stone | Higher — stiffer floor, white mortar, sealing | Seal every 1–3 years |
Full comparison in our tile materials guide, or try the tile cost calculator.