Types of Tiles Explained: A Practical Guide for Perth Homes

Spend five minutes in a tile showroom and the labels pile up: ceramic, porcelain, mosaic, stone-look, floor tile, matte and rectified. These labels do not all mean the same thing. Some describe the material. Others describe shape, finish, appearance or intended use.

That distinction matters. We have helped Perth renovators choose tiles for more than 50 years. Plenty arrive with a style in mind but are unsure whether it belongs on a bathroom wall, busy floor or outdoor area. The best choice is rarely made from the name alone.

In this guide, I will explain the different types of tiles, separate materials from formats and looks, and show you how application, finish and product ratings affect the decision. By the end, you will understand the labels and know which details to check before choosing tiles for your home.

What Are the Main Types of Tiles?

The main types of tiles used in homes are ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass and terrazzo. Mosaic describes a tile format rather than one material, while timber-look, stone-look and concrete-look describe designs. The right choice depends on the product’s intended wall, floor, wet-area or outdoor application.

That is why questions about which type of tile to choose can produce very different lists. One guide might count five materials, while another includes formats, finishes and applications and arrives at 15 or more. Neither approach is especially helpful if you do not know what each label describes.

Before comparing individual products, I find it more useful to separate the terms you will see while shopping.

Label Seen While Shopping	Correct Category	What It Tells You	Example
Ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass and terrazzo	Material	What the tile is made from or how its body is produced	Porcelain floor tile
Mosaic, subway, kit kat, hexagon, plank and large-format	Format or shape	The tile’s size, form or arrangement	Glass mosaic sheet
Timber-look, stone-look, marble-look and concrete-look	Design	The appearance reproduced on the tile	Timber-look porcelain
Matte, gloss, polished, grip, glazed and unglazed	Surface or finish	How the surface looks and may perform	Matte porcelain tile
Wall, floor, bathroom, splashback and outdoor	Application	Where the individual product is intended to be used	Outdoor porcelain tile

The material is the starting point, but it cannot answer the whole question. Individual products can still vary considerably. Two porcelain tiles may have different surfaces, ratings and approved uses, just as two ceramic tiles may be made for entirely different applications. Always check the individual product rather than relying on the broad category alone.

With those labels untangled, we can look more closely at the materials themselves and what separates ceramic, porcelain, stone, glass and terrazzo.

Tile Materials Explained

A tile’s material affects water absorption, weight, maintenance and manufacturing consistency. However, the material alone does not tell you whether a tile is suitable for a particular wall, floor, wet area or outdoor space. The individual product’s specifications and intended application still need to be checked.

Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are manufactured from clay and other natural materials, which are shaped and fired at high temperatures. It is a broad family rather than one uniform product, so the tile body, glaze, density and intended use can differ considerably.

The various types of ceramic tiles include products made specifically for walls as well as options rated for floors. Our ceramic range contains both, which is why we recommend checking the product details instead of assuming ceramic automatically means wall-only. Ceramic wall tiles are often lighter and easier to cut, making them a practical choice for bathroom walls, kitchen splashbacks and feature areas.

Porcelain Tiles

Porcelain is a class of ceramic tile manufactured to achieve a dense, low-absorption body. AS 13006:2020 classifies porcelain by water absorption of 0.5% or less.

That density helps explain why porcelain is common across floor, wet-area and external tile ranges. It can also be manufactured in larger formats and with convincing timber, stone, marble and concrete designs.

We regularly meet customers who begin by asking whether porcelain is always better than ceramic. The more useful question is where the tile will be installed and what the individual product is rated to handle. Porcelain does not automatically make a tile suitable for a shower floor, pool area or outdoor setting. Its surface, slip classification and manufacturer-stated applications still matter.

Our guide to porcelain versus ceramic tiles explores the differences in more detail.

Natural Stone Tiles

Natural stone tiles are cut from quarried materials such as marble, travertine, granite, limestone and slate. Each piece can carry natural variations in colour, veining and texture, giving stone much of its appeal.

Porosity, finish and maintenance requirements differ between stone varieties. Some products may require sealing during installation and resealing over time, while particular cleaners can damage acid-sensitive stone. As natural stone is not a major part of our tile range, we recommend following specialist supplier and installer guidance for the exact product.

Glass Tiles

Glass tiles are most commonly seen in mosaics, splashbacks, borders and decorative features. Their colour, reflectivity and compact formats can add detail without dominating a room.

Suitability needs to be checked product by product. The glass, backing, sheet mounting and adhesive requirements can all affect where it may be installed. A glass mosaic designed for a splashback should not be treated as suitable for a floor unless its specifications expressly approve that use.

Genuine Terrazzo Tiles

Genuine terrazzo is a composite tile material made by setting pieces of marble, stone, quartz or glass into a cementitious or resin binder. The surface is then finished to expose the aggregate and create terrazzo’s distinctive pattern.

It should not be confused with terrazzo-look ceramic or porcelain, which reproduces that appearance on a manufactured tile body. Genuine terrazzo may have different sealing, installation and maintenance needs, while terrazzo-look tiles follow the specifications of their underlying ceramic or porcelain construction.

These are the principal tile materials, but plenty of familiar tile names do not describe materials at all. Mosaic is one of the clearest examples, so we will look next at how tile formats and shapes are classified.

Where Do Mosaic and Feature Tiles Fit?

Some familiar tile names describe how pieces are sized, arranged or used rather than what they are made from. Mosaic and feature tiles can therefore include several different materials, which is why neither term belongs alongside ceramic or porcelain as a single material category.

Mosaic Tiles Are a Format, Not One Material

Mosaic tiles are small pieces commonly supplied on mesh-backed sheets to make handling and installation more practical. They may be made from ceramic, porcelain, glass, natural stone, metal or a mixture of materials. Hexagon mosaics, herringbone mosaics, finger mosaics and kit kat tiles are all examples of shapes or arrangements rather than material types.

Their compact size can make mosaics useful for decorative details, curved surfaces and some shower floors where the tiled surface needs to follow the required falls. However, that does not make every mosaic suitable for those locations. The individual product must still be approved for its intended wall, floor or wet-area application.

Sheet-mounted tiles also tend to create more grout lines than larger tiles. Those extra joints contribute to the finished pattern, but they can affect cleaning and make careful installation particularly important. The mesh alignment, spacing, tile material and grout choice all need to suit the project.

Feature Tiles Describe Their Role

A feature tile is named for the visual role it plays in a room. It might be a patterned ceramic tile, a textured wall tile, a glass mosaic or another decorative product used to draw attention to a particular area.

The types of wall tiles used for features range from patterned ceramic tiles to glass mosaics and textured designs. Their appearance may be the reason they catch your eye, but their base material, surface and approved application still determine where they can be installed.

Mosaic and feature are not the only labels based on format or appearance. Timber-look, stone-look and concrete-look tiles create the same kind of confusion because their names describe what you see, not what the tile is made from.

Tile Looks Explained: Timber, Stone, Marble, Concrete and Terrazzo

Modern manufacturing allows ceramic and porcelain tiles to reproduce timber, stone and other finishes with impressive detail. These names usually describe the tile’s appearance, not its material. You still need to identify the tile body and check whether the individual product suits your intended application.

Timber-Look Tiles

Timber-look tiles reproduce natural grain, knots and colour variation, often in long plank proportions. Most are made from porcelain or ceramic rather than timber.

Better designs use several different tile faces so the grain does not repeat too obviously across the floor. I recommend opening a few boxes during installation and mixing the faces before laying begins. This creates a more natural result and helps prevent matching patterns from sitting beside each other.

Stone, Marble and Travertine-Look Tiles

Stone-look, marble-look and travertine-look tiles recreate the veining, movement and colour found in quarried stone. The design sits on a manufactured ceramic or porcelain body, so these tiles should not be confused with genuine natural stone.

This distinction matters because natural stone and stone-look tiles can have different sealing, cleaning and installation requirements. A stone-look porcelain tile may give you the appearance you want without the maintenance associated with some natural materials, but its suitability still depends on the exact product.

Our guide to stone-look tiles versus natural stone provides a more detailed comparison.

Concrete, Terrazzo and Encaustic-Look Tiles

Concrete-look tiles recreate the understated colour and surface variation of concrete. Terrazzo-look tiles reproduce the familiar scattered-chip appearance, while encaustic-look tiles generally use decorative patterns and repeated motifs.

These products may be ceramic or porcelain. A terrazzo-look porcelain tile, for example, is different from genuine terrazzo even though the finished appearance may be similar.

Design labels are helpful when comparing types of tiles for home interiors because they let you narrow the colour, pattern and overall style. They do not confirm where a tile can be installed. Once you find a look you like, the next step is checking whether that particular product suits your floor, wall, wet area or outdoor space.

Which Tile Types Suit Floors, Walls and Outdoor Areas?

Floor, wall and outdoor tiles are application categories. The same tile material may appear in more than one category, but that does not mean every product can be used everywhere. You need to check the approved applications, surface and technical information for the exact tile.

Floor Tiles

Floor tiles must be manufactured and rated for foot traffic in their intended environment. Porcelain is common because of its dense body and low water absorption, but some ceramic products are also suitable for floors.

The different types of floor tiles include products intended for living areas, bathrooms, commercial spaces and outdoor settings. Each area places different demands on the surface. A tile that suits a dry bedroom floor may not have the slip performance needed for an exposed outdoor area.

If you are comparing tiles for a floor, do not choose from the material name alone. Check the product’s approved use, surface classification and maintenance needs. Our floor tile buying guide covers the wider selection process in more detail.

We often meet customers who have found two similar-looking floor tile types and assume they will perform the same way. Once we check the product information, the differences can be quite important. One may suit an internal living area, while the other is made for a wet or external location.

Wall and Splashback Tiles

Wall-only tiles are generally made and tested for vertical applications. They may be lighter, easier to cut or finished with a surface that would not withstand regular foot traffic.

A wall-only tile must never be installed on a floor unless its supplier documentation expressly approves floor use. Floor-rated tiles can sometimes be installed on walls, but their weight, size, substrate and fixing system must be assessed by the relevant installer.

Wall tiles also give you more freedom to use gloss surfaces, strong patterns and decorative formats in areas where slip resistance is not a concern. This makes them popular for kitchen splashbacks, shower walls, niches and vanity features.

Outdoor and Wet-Area Tiles

The types of outdoor tiles suitable for a project depend on the precise location, weather exposure, slip resistance and installation requirements. Low water absorption can be helpful, but it does not make every porcelain tile suitable for an alfresco area, pool surround or exposed path.

AS 4586:2013, including Amendment 1:2017, sets out the Australian slip-resistance classifications for new pedestrian surfaces. A tile described as matte, textured or grip does not automatically carry a particular classification. Always check the technical information for the individual product and seek professional advice for the application.

Wet-area tiles require the same care. Tiles and grout provide the finished surface in a bathroom, but they do not replace the waterproofing system beneath or behind them.

Once you have confirmed where a tile can be used, you can compare how its finish, edge, size and ratings will affect the final result.

How Do Finish, Edge, Size and Ratings Affect Your Choice?

Choosing the tile material does not complete the decision. The finish, edge, size and product ratings can affect cleaning, grout lines, installation and suitability. This is why two porcelain tiles, or two ceramic tiles, can look and perform very differently.

Finish. Glazed tiles have a surface layer applied before firing, while unglazed tiles expose the tile body itself. Common finish descriptions include matte, gloss, polished and grip. These terms help describe the appearance and feel, but they do not confirm slip resistance. A matte finish may still become slippery when wet, and a product called grip should still have its documented classification checked. Our guide to tile finishes explains the main options and their practical differences.

Edge. Pressed and rectified tile edges describe how the edges are produced and how consistent the finished dimensions are. Pressed tiles retain edges formed during manufacturing, while rectified tiles are mechanically cut after firing to create more precise dimensions. This can influence the appearance of grout joints and the installer’s planning, but it does not change whether the tile body is ceramic or porcelain. You can compare pressed and rectified tile edges in our dedicated guide.

Size. Small mosaics, standard tile formats, large-format tiles and planks each change the scale of a room and the amount of visible grout. Size also affects cuts, handling, substrate preparation and the ability to form required floor falls. Large tiles can work beautifully in a small room, so I would never rely on the old rule that small rooms always need small tiles. The layout and proportions matter more. Our tile size guide covers these decisions in greater detail.

Ratings and product data. Abrasion ratings, slip classifications, water absorption and approved applications answer different questions. One figure does not provide a complete measure of tile quality, and a higher number is not automatically better across every rating system. Check the individual product documentation and tell the supplier and installer exactly where the tile will be used.

These checks matter throughout the home, but they become particularly important for outdoor areas exposed to Perth’s summer sun and winter rain. The tile must suit the location as well as the look you have in mind.

What Should Perth Homeowners Check for Wet and Outdoor Areas?

Perth’s hot summers, winter rain and indoor-outdoor living make product suitability particularly important in wet and exposed areas. The installation location matters as much as the design, so check the exact product before buying.

• Exact application: Confirm whether the tile is approved for the intended wall, floor, shower, splashback, alfresco or outdoor area. Do not assume that a material or design name confirms suitability.
• Slip information: Check the documented slip classification where people may walk on a wet surface. Matte, textured and grip descriptions do not replace tested product information. Our guide to tile ratings and grades explains what the different classifications mean.
• Exposure and colour: Consider direct sun, winter rain and whether a dark surface could become uncomfortable underfoot in an exposed outdoor area.
• Installation requirements: Ask an appropriate professional to assess the substrate, drainage, falls, movement accommodation, adhesive and installation method. AS 3958:2023 is the current Australian standard for ceramic and stone tile installation.
• Maintenance: Think about surface texture, grout quantity and material-specific care. A heavily textured finish or mosaic with many grout lines may require more cleaning than a smoother, larger tile.

Bathrooms and showers also need a compliant waterproofing system. Current WA waterproofing guidance identifies the waterproofing membrane as the primary moisture barrier and refers to AS 3740:2021 as one applicable pathway. Tiles and grout form part of the finished surface, but they are not the waterproofing membrane.

In our Guildford showroom, two tiles can look almost identical from the front while carrying different application or surface information. That is why we ask where the tile is going before recommending one on appearance alone.

A few common questions still come up regularly, so I have answered those next.

Frequently Asked Questions

These answers cover the terminology and suitability questions we hear most often from customers comparing tiles.

Which Type of Tile Is Right for Your Home?

Start by identifying what the tile is made from. Then separate any format or design label, confirm that the product suits its intended location, and check the finish and technical information.

Ceramic can be a practical choice across suitable wall and floor products. Porcelain is common in demanding floor applications because of its dense, low-absorption body. Mosaics, timber-look tiles and other decorative designs should always be judged by their underlying material and approved use rather than their appearance alone.

The best choice among the main types of tiles is the one that suits your room, performs as required and gives you a finish you will enjoy living with. A label can help narrow the search, but the individual product information should make the final decision.

You can compare our full tile range online or visit our Guildford showroom. Our team can help you understand the labels, compare suitable products and narrow the options for your project.