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Porcelain and ceramic tiles are made from clay, but porcelain tiles are fired in a kiln at a higher temperature. This makes them more durable, but it also means porcelain is more expensive than ceramic at $3 to $5 more per square foot.

Even with the higher price point, many people choose porcelain over ceramic because there are more color and design options.

Tile installation can be expensive because it requires more time and labor to install than many other materials. For example, laminate flooring can click and lock into place, and carpet comes in large rolls that you can secure to the floor. On the other hand, tiles need to be cut, laid individually, grouted, and left to cure.

Yes. You can tile over tile if the old tile is in good shape, but this will also create a thicker floor. As a result, you may have to remove and readjust baseboards and other room trimmings and potentially even raise door heights to work with the higher floors. In most projects, it’s best to remove the old tile before installing a new tile floor.

To make a bathroom look bigger, choose light-colored, medium- to large-format tiles. Light colors such as white, cream, or light gray make a space feel more open, while dark colors, busy patterns, and small tiles can make a bathroom feel smaller. It may seem counterintuitive, but small tiles can shrink a room visually due to the increased number of grout lines. Using medium- to large-format tiles creates a more seamless look. For the best effect, pair your light-colored tiles with a matching or similarly colored grout. This minimizes the grid-like pattern and gives the floor and walls a more continuous, uninterrupted appearance, helping the room feel significantly larger.