Re: roofing materials

what is the best brand

Re: ceramic vs granite vs. porcelain

cost: low to high. ceramic, porcelain, granite

durability: good to not so good. porcelain & granite, ceramic

beauty: best to good. porcelain, granite, ceramic

Re: ceramic vs granite vs. porcelain

Ceramic Tile Flooring

Ceramic is the most common tile found in homes today. Ceramic floor tile wears well, provides good traction, is essentially water and stain proof and easy to maintain using almost any cleaning chemical. As such, it can be installed in any room without any particular concerns.

Nearly unlimited color and pattern choices are available making ceramic a versatile tile flooring, although it can look a bit "manufactured" or "plastic."

Porcelain
Porcelain tile flooring is becoming a very popular alternative to stone and ceramic. It is harder and more durable than ceramic... almost like stone. Porcelain also provides a better imitation of marble, travertine or other stone patterns, colors and textures with plenty of choices to match any design.

Like ceramic, porcelain tile is nearly impossible to stain, scratch resistant and easy to maintain

Granite Tile

If you choose the right variety, granite tile flooring is essentially indestructible and can be used in any room without worry including an outdoor patio or entry.

Granite tiles do not etch like marble, travertine and limestone can and staining is generally not an issue. You also have thousands of gorgeous and unique patterns and colors to choose from.

For the most part granite has simple maintenance requirements although polished granite (like any polished stone floor) may require periodic re-polishing depending on the degree of use and wear.

Some granite tiles may need a granite sealer applied to help diminish staining and although not absolutely critical, it's best to use made specifically for stone.

Just my two cents

Re: ceramic vs granite vs. porcelain

Nice cobra.

Mr. Olats,

Just be very careful po sa pagbili kasi me mga brands ng tiles (mapa ceramics man) na made in china- low quality po sya. Mura nga sya pero sa katagalan...say 1 year...lalabas po yung problema. Just my opinion as per my experience po.

If CERAMICS po, where can I buy good quality tiles?

Ceramic will be better.

Interceramic is just another Mexican tile. It is a pretty large company rather than a mill out in the Mexican desert with a kiln. Interceramic is an upgrade over Mexican ceramic but it's still ceramic and doesn't wear well. If it chips, and it will, you'll see the dark red core. Considering where you live, I'd suggest looking in the Yellow Pages for a Royal Tile dealer in your area (Austin). If they don't have one there, consider making the trip to San Antonio. Royal Tile sells wholesale to builders and remodelers. As long as you're buying more than just a box, they'll cut you a deal. I put porcelain in a house last year that I paid $3.06 sq ft where Lowes carries the same tile as a special order at $5.28 sq ft. If at all possible, I always recommend a tumbled edge. It cuts down on the edge chips. You will have to pick it up though. I doubt they deliver to the Austin area.
Royal Tile providing San Antonio with Ceramic tile, Porcelain, Marble, Granite, Travertine, Natural Stone, Mosaics, Saltillo, slate, thinset, grout, laminate and wood flooring to McAllen and Edinburg