A Stoneworld Group Company
All porcelain is made the same way, so the real differences come down to the print on the surface, the sizes available and how quickly you can get hold of it. Here is how our Italian and Indian ranges compare.
All porcelain is man made and made in much the same way, so the question is not really Italian against Indian. It is which porcelain suits your budget and your project.
All porcelains are made from refined natural clays, kaolin, feldspar, silica and mineral compounds, fired at high temperature to produce a dense, low porosity material. That is what makes porcelain a low maintenance, uniform option whatever the price bracket.
What differs is the print on the surface. Underneath it sits a clay base, the core. Because the print does not run through the whole tile, the cut edge of a porcelain will never match the face. That is worth knowing before you specify an exposed edge.
The thinner internal porcelains are intended for interior use rather than external paving.
Our Italian porcelains typically offer a more realistic appearance and texture, with a greater number of individual prints. More prints means more variation across the tiles, which reduces repetition and gives a more natural finish once laid.
Desert Story is a good example, at 1200 x 600 x 20mm for external use. Within most of the Italian ranges there is an internal version as well, with sizes running from small mosaics up to the same 1200 x 600 format.
Lead times do vary, because these are ordered in on an order by order basis rather than held in stock.
Our porcelains from India are a more cost effective alternative that still give a realistic look and a textured finish. The trade off is fewer print variations, which makes repeated patterns more likely across a large area.
Eshott White is our example here. It belongs to our house range, which also includes Eshott Beige, Harley Beige, Kandla Grey, Eshott Grey and Anthracite Grey Basalt. We hold these in stock at our yard, so most of the time they are readily available.
Put the two surfaces side by side and the point about print variation becomes obvious:
The headline difference is sizes and finishes. Italian ranges give you an internal and an external option, with the external laid at 1200 x 600. The Indian porcelains are 900 x 600 externally.
Both ranges do the same job well. The Italian porcelains offer more variation and a matching internal tile, while the Indian ranges offer availability and value.
Two of our Italian Story range, alongside the full Indian house range we hold in stock at the yard:
We have our own workshop, so porcelain does not have to stop at paving. We turn it into pool copings, pool corners, step treads and other bespoke pieces. It is an added extra, and it is what makes us unique and helps your final product look complete and premium.
sales@stoneworld.co.uk
01844 279274
