Natural Stone vs Ceramic and Porcelain

Natural stone, ceramic and porcelain are great choices for bathroom or kitchen projects. All have very different looks and feels as well as pros and cons. This post will shed some light on those differences for you.

Cost
Ceramic is the least expensive of the three (with little exception). Porcelain is the middle priced choice while natural stone is the most expensive of the three.

Quality
Natural stone can sometimes be softer and is colored in a way that it will not be easy to see if it has chipped. Porcelain relatively speaking is the hardest material of the three while ceramic is the easiest to chip and when it is chipped it will be very noticeable. Natural stone is the superior choice if you are looking or external application and some types of porcelain offer a close second but steer clear of using ceramics outdoors. 

Installation
Ceramic is by far the least expensive to install. Porcelain takes more care and and requires more expensive tools to install but stone is still the most expensive to install.

Appearance
Stone is unique and timeless and has an appealing look to it. Porcelain often is rated by how well it mimics stone. When ceramic attempts to mimic stone it fails horribly. Ceramic has its own look and is best used to look like a man made product not a natural one. Ceramic also has a large variety of artsy tiles but other than that you are limited to the most popular colors. If you are looking for variety look to porcelain, again these will be mimicking natural stone still. 

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