Hicksville, N.Y.—As sales of ceramic floor tile continues to rise, so does the popularity of porcelain, which some sources currently have as being 30% to 40% of the U.S. tile market. If a survey of retailers was taken on what tile the consumer is currently buying, the largest share would probably go to porcelain.

Demand for the “other ceramic” has grown so much, factories producing only ceramic tile are fast becoming the minority, as many continue to add porcelain to their product mix. Long time porcelain producers like Crossville are being joined by companies such as Florim USA, which recently announced it will manufacture only porcelain tile.

“We are 100% committed to porcelain’s viability in the marketplace,” said Mike Rohnert, executive vice president of Florim USA. “With our full plant conversion, which took place earlier this year, we’ve honed our capabilities and raised the game for the domestic tile industry. “Now, we are in the midst of major plant renovations and updates to both increase capacity and elevate technical capabilities, all for porcelain production,” he explained.

“All our new porcelain products will be created with advanced designs, achieved through the latest sophisticated techniques.” Porcelain is almost one-third more dense than granite, making it durable enough for commercial use, and comes in many finishes, colors and sizes. After originally being developed for high traffic, commercial areas, what began as an unglazed, through-body product has become glazed, moving into residential applications.

“There a a few reasons for the growing popularity of porcelain tile,” said Don Olsen, president and CEO of Laufen Ceramic Tile Co. “It’s a new technology, a new manufacturing process, which is always an interesting approach to the market in terms of product differentiation. “I also believe, porcelain, in the consumer’s eyes, is a good product to sell in terms of features and benefits because it has high perceived value,” he added.

“It’s a denser product that gives a unique look, the right porcelain does, that exhibits depth. When I say the right porcelain, I mean that there are porcelains, and then there are porcelains on the market. “Different manufacturing processes yield different results,” explained Olsen.

“So there are some great porcelains on the market that have unique looks and depth and coloration. There are other porcelains that, through the manufacturing process, do not exhibit the same characteristics. So, depending of the dealer, the distributor, they have the opportunity to promote porcelains at different price points in the market, but there is also a commensurate different level of quality at each of those price points.

“At Laufen, we are utilizing technology that only a few companies in the world are using to make very high end porcelain,” he continued. “And that’s really done in an effort to create unique looks that can’t be obtained in other manufacturing methods and also to differentiate the high-end product from a low-end product.

“It’s a good product to sell,” said Olsen, “with a high perceived value and a different look. For all those reasons, I believe that’s why porcelain’s popularity has gained so quickly.” According to Marcio Muller, national sales manager of Brazil-based, Eliane Ceramic Tiles, there are several different factors at play when it comes to the rising interest in porcelain tile.

“I believe the consumer is attracted to the higher quality proposition of porcelain tile versus ceramic. She is also attracted to the product itself, because with the porcelain technology in the higher temperatures, you can typically make some better designs than you can on regular ceramic.

“Of course,” he explained, “it’s also a fact that the manufacturers have invested their design technology into the porcelain products. So I believe the consumer is seeing just a better looking product in the porcelain and, when you consider the installation costs are not much different, porcelain versus ceramic, it makes sense for the consumer to invest a little more money in the product and get something that she is really happy with.”

Technology-wise, by mixing more dyes into the powder, more of a stone look has been achieved, he noted, so much so that there are some products being made today that you cannot tell them from natural stone. “Because the technology has become so good, you really can’t tell the difference. And then the product itself is so much more durable and reliable than natural stone. I think that is a great combination for the consumer.”

Products such as Eliane’s Street and Neo Provence, Laufen’s Palace and Verona, and Florim USA’s Ok-oume and Truvian Stone have all enjoyed warm receptions in the marketplace. All are offered in multiple colors, sizes and finishes, and all also share the distinction of being porcelain products.

Neo Provence, part of Eliane’s Neo Collection, is a glazed porcelain tile that “reflects the radiance” of natural stone, while Street reflects a modern-urban appeal that is applicable for both interior and exterior settings. “The Street series has a highly textured surface that is perfect for commercial applications, but is still appropriate for residential use,” said Muller.

“It has a slip-resistance for floors and is beautiful for walls as well.” Okoume, a contemporary new line by Esquire, a Florim USA brand, fuses the look of wood grain and stone and is available in an array of sizes while Truvian Stone, a new porcelain product by American Florim, another Florim USA brand, features an authentic stone look created through advanced manufacturing techniques.

Laufen’s Palace, introduced earlier this year, along with Verona, is a polished, through-body porcelain featuring less than .5% water absorption. It comes in 12X24-in. and 18-in. sizes, as well as an 18-in. polished medallion. “I believe porcelain is going to continue to grow,” said Olsen.

“I believe you’ll have more adaptations of the manufacturing process that will make the product even more sophisticated than it is right now. For those reasons, and considering porcelain’s glazed aspect as well,” he added, “I believe the product will continue to grow in popularity. I think there is a continuing bright future for porcelain tile.”

“We believe, for the next three to five years, there will be continuous growth in the sales of porcelain followed by production by the manufacturers and the continued upgrading of the technology,” concluded Muller. “There will always be a place for the ceramic tile because for a certain segment of the market, lower cost will always be a consideration, but we believe the porcelain segment will continue to grow and take a little share away from natural stone and ceramic.” —Louis Iannaco