Porcelain is the homeowners' go-to choice for tile

Pam Starr

Andrea and Malay Sheth ripped out the pink ceramic tile in the kitchen of their Peters Township colonial last year and replaced it with a deep gray porcelain tile.

It took a few months of renovation and a lot of money, but the couple believes it was well worth the time and expense. They also replaced the cabinetry, countertops and appliances at the same time.

"We wanted the look of slate without the care of slate," explains Andrea Sheth, who went to Ceramiche Tile & Stone Inc. in the West End for the porcelain tile. "I was open to either porcelain or ceramic, but I had ceramic before. What I love about the porcelain is the matte finish. Overall, we're very pleased but somewhat remorseful we waited this long to do it."

Porcelain tile has become very popular in the past couple of years, according to manufacturers and interior designers.

Eric Dietrich, regional sales manager for Crossville Inc., a tile manufacturer based in Tennessee, says it's difficult to beat porcelain tile for durability and beauty.

"Porcelain tile is the most durable type of flooring there is, period," he says. Dietrich was in town last week to speak at the American Society of Interior Designers' seminar about porcelain tile. "It's harder than stone or granite and is easy to clean. It's very low-maintenance.

"It used to be primarily used for commercial purposes, but it's so attractive now it's filling so many niches," he adds.

Porcelain tile has no volatile organic compounds, like other kinds of tile, says Dietrich, so it's "very green" for the environment. It's made of specialty types of clay and feldspar and is fired at extremely high temperatures. Porcelain is fired at a temperature of 2,200 degrees while ceramic tile is fired at 1,800 degrees. That means porcelain has a lower rate of water absorption than ceramic tile.

"It's great for walls, backsplashes and countertops, too," Dietrich says. "Porcelain is easier to care for than Corian. It doesn't scratch, you can put hot pans on them -- it's very versatile."

Homeowners can expect to pay between $8 to $12 a square foot for installed porcelain tile, Dietrich says. He thinks it's money well spent, considering that porcelain tile has a 50-year life expectancy.

At Best Tile in McCandless, sales associate Laura Nagy says that 80 percent of their products are porcelain.

"Porcelain has definitely come a long way," she says. "It's frost-proof, so it's better for outdoors. Everyone comes in asking for porcelain tile. I call it the new and improved ceramic tile. It's gaining in popularity as the years go by."

Caralyn Birkahn of Bellevue had her bathrooms done in earth-tone porcelain tile from Best Tile after talking to interior designer Melodie Schooley a few months ago. The floors and shower walls are porcelain, as well as the walls around the Jacuzzi tub.

"The colors and textures are beautiful, and I really liked the overall look," says Birkahn, who moved into the Grant School Lofts in November of last year. "We put some unique cuts in there and used glass blocks for accents, which I think make the bathrooms even cooler."

Schooley agrees.

"It's usually what people like -- it's more of a natural stone," Schooley says. "The nice thing about porcelain is that the color goes all the way through it."

Tina Krashna, owner of Ceramiche Tile & Stone, which also has offices in the Strip District, says porcelain is now the main component of floor tile.

"Almost all my samples are porcelain, but many are glazed on top of porcelain," Krashna says. "Manufacturers developed those to be more attractive to homeowners. It's great for outdoor use -- it has a more skid-resistant surface.

"Most manufacturers have gone to a porcelain body because it's harder," she adds. "It's been more of a trend of the manufacturers."

Tom and Kim Mangan of Friendship selected porcelain tile for a master bath renovation in their 120-year-old Victorian because they wanted a period look. They went to Ceramiche Tile & Stone and were astounded at the various types of porcelain tile available.

"We knew right off what we were looking for, but we didn't know there was so much (porcelain tile) around," Tom Mangan says. "We chose subway tiles because of the way it looks, which is a white tile with a black pattern."

Maybe the best thing about switching to porcelain tile is the comfort of their canine companions. The Mangans have a Bernese Mountain dog and a German Shepherd mix.

"The dogs love it," Tom Mangan says with a laugh. "It's nice and cool for them."