Structural Glazed Tile Vs. Porcelain Tile

Structural Glazed Tiles

• Structural glazed tiles are ceramic glazed tiles used for interior and exterior projects, but more commonly used outdoors. They are fired and glazed to make them impervious to fading, fire, impact, graffiti and abrasion. SGTs are popular for commercial applications such as the exterior façade of retail and institutional buildings. They give interior and exterior surfaces a distinctive look and provide a cost-effective alternative to painted, bricked, wood or siding-clad exteriors, which require more attention and maintenance. SGT exteriors only require periodic steam cleaning or hand washing.

Porcelain

• Porcelain tiles begin with a clay base, which is pressed with dust and fired under extreme heat. In the United States, tiles classified as porcelain must be dense, impervious, fine grained and smooth. A true porcelain tile is water and frost resistant. This is why porcelain tiles are popular choices for both indoor and outdoor use. They are commonly used for residential applications such as tiling bathroom shower stalls and for kitchen backsplashes. They are also sturdy material choices for outdoor applications such as tiling swimming pools. Old-fashioned subway tiles are an example of how glazed porcelain tiles are used for outdoor commercial and institutional applications.

ANSI Ratings

• The American National Standards Institute rates tiles for their resistance to moisture. All SGT tiles are categorized as “impervious,” meaning they are suitable for any type of indoor or outdoor application. Impervious tiles have water absorption ratings of 0.5 percent or less, which is what homeowners, designers and builders look for to decide whether a tile can be used outdoors. In addition to being impervious, porcelain tiles can be semi-vitreous or vitreous. A semi-vitreous tile is one that has a water absorption rating between 3 and 7 percent, making it suitable for applications such as kitchen backsplashes that get wet occasionally but never have to endure standing water. Vitreous tiles have ratings between 0.5 and 3 percent, which means they are suitable for indoor applications including floors and shower walls, and for outdoor walls and floors in areas that do not freeze.

Similarities

• SGTs and porcelain tiles are similar in that both can be used for outdoor applications such as facings for exterior walls. This makes them both suitable choices for commercial businesses and institutional building purposes in addition to residential use. SGTs and glazed porcelain tiles are coated with liquid glass, which is baked into the surface of the clay. The glazing makes the tiles impervious to moisture and durable enough to withstand variable outdoor climatic conditions.

Differences

• Structural glazed tiles are used for outdoor applications and for exterior walls, such as facades for banks, retail businesses, hospitals and museums. Structural glazed tiles are less frequently used for residential purposes. SGTs are large and would dwarf the size of most residential homes. Porcelain tiles, on the other hand, are more commonly used for residences. Unlike SGTs, porcelain tiles are available in glazed and unglazed formats.