Marble Look Porcelain Tile: How to Choose One That Looks Real
Marble look porcelain tile is porcelain with a marble pattern printed on its surface. It gives a floor or wall the veining of Carrara, Calacatta or Statuario in a material that absorbs almost no water, needs no sealing and does not etch the way marble does. How convincing it looks depends on things you can check before you buy: how many different faces the tile has, its finish, its edges, its size and its lot.
The best of it reads as stone from across a room. The weakest repeats the same vein often enough that the eye catches it. This guide explains the difference and shows where each finish and format belongs.
What marble look porcelain is
Porcelain is a ceramic tile dense enough to absorb 0.5% of its weight in water or less. That is the definition in the American tile standard, ANSI A137.1, and it is the reason porcelain handles spills and wet rooms so easily.
The marble pattern is a digital image. The veining is developed in graphics software and printed onto the tile by inkjet. On most marble look tile, the image sits in the glazed surface and does not run through the body, so a deep chip shows the body underneath. Color-body porcelain uses a body tinted to coordinate with the surface, which helps disguise one.
Glazed porcelain does not need sealing. That, and the fact that it is not a carbonate stone, is what separates it from marble in daily use.
Four things that decide how real it looks
Faces
A face is one printed design. A tile with eight faces has eight different vein patterns before the first comes round again, and more faces mean fewer visible repeats. There is no standard number and manufacturers do not always publish it, so ask before you order. Whatever the count, the installer should pull tiles from several boxes as they set, which is what manufacturers instruct, and separate any two that match.
Shade variation
Tile is classed from V0 to V4 for how much one piece differs from the next: V1 is uniform, V2 slight, V3 moderate, and V4 substantial. Real marble varies, so a marble look with some variation is more convincing than a perfectly uniform one. Two of the examples below, Crystal White and the Statuary hexagon, are rated V2.
Vein scale and direction
Fine, soft veining is forgiving and can be laid without much planning. Bold veining needs a dry layout first, so that heavy veins do not cluster and all run the way you intend. Some manufacturers sell sequenced or book-matched sets that carry a vein from one tile to the next, and those have to be installed in the order they are packed.
Edges
Rectified tile has its edges mechanically finished to a precise size, so the joints can be narrow. Narrow joints are what let the veining read as one surface. The installation standard still sets minimums: for tile with a side longer than 15 inches laid in an offset pattern, 1/8 inch for rectified tile and 3/16 inch for non-rectified, plus an allowance for any warpage.
Narrow joints are what let the veining read as one surface.
Polished, matte, or grip
Finish changes the look and, more importantly, the footing.
Polished
Mechanically polished to a high gloss. It is the closest match to polished marble and the brightest in a room. It is also the least slip-resistant: polished tile offers little resistance to slipping once soap and water are involved. Use it on walls and in dry living areas.
Matte
A flat, low-sheen surface that reads as honed marble. It is the usual choice for kitchen and bathroom floors.
Grip
A textured surface made for wet floors, often labeled R10 or R11. The R number comes from a German ramp test, DIN 51130. It is a different test from the American DCOF measurement, so an R rating does not tell you a tile's DCOF.
Finish names describe the surface. A rating tells you how it performs.
The number to ask for. In the United States, slip resistance is measured as DCOF under ANSI A326.3. The standard sets a minimum of 0.42 wet for level interior floors expected to be walked on wet, and it says that value should not be the only factor in choosing a floor. For wetter or exterior areas, the manufacturer declares what the tile is suited to.
Sealing. Glazed porcelain needs none. Polished unglazed porcelain is a partial exception: polishing can open microscopic pores, and some factories treat the surface for it, so ask whether a polished tile needs a sealer. Cement grout is worth sealing unless its maker says otherwise.
Examples from our range
Five examples, chosen to show the spread of color, finish and format. The full range is in our porcelain tile collection, and the stone look collection gathers the marble, travertine and limestone looks.
Crystal White 24x48
Polished · white with gray veining
Crystal White is a large-format white marble look with silver-gray veining and a polished surface. It is listed for interior walls and dry floors, and is not recommended for wet floors.
Best forFeature walls, living areas, and bedrooms where a bright, reflective surface is the point.
Marmi Imperiali Aurelia
Matte · light with subtle veining
Marmi Imperiali Aurelia is a matte tile from the Italian manufacturer Tagina, with a light ground and subtle veining. It comes in 24x24 and 12x12.
Best forBathroom and kitchen floors that want a quiet, honed-marble look.
Marmi Imperiali Zenobia
Matte · gray
Zenobia is a companion to Aurelia in the same series: a gray marble design in a matte finish, in 24x24 and 12x12.
Best forFloors under white walls, or a two-tone scheme with Aurelia.
Amani Grey
Polished, matte or grip · gray with white veining
Amani Grey is an Italian gray stone look from Florim with soft tonal veining. It comes in 12x24 in polished, matte, and an R11 grip surface, and in 24x48 in polished and matte, so walls and floors can share one design. The 12x24 polished tile is rectified.
Best forProjects that need the same look in more than one finish.
Statuary 8x9 Hexagon
Polished · Statuary look
The Statuary hexagon puts a white-and-gray Statuary marble look into an 8x9 inch hexagon with a polished surface. It is listed for interior floors and walls.
Best forBacksplashes, feature walls and dry-area floors where the shape does as much work as the veining.
Size, format and what large tile needs
Marble look porcelain is most often sold in 12x24, 24x24 and 24x48 inch tiles. Larger tile means fewer joints, and fewer joints make a printed marble more believable. It also asks more of the installation.
- A flat substrate. For tile with any side longer than 15 inches, the floor or wall should be flat to within 1/8 inch in 10 feet and 1/16 inch in 24 inches.
- A limited offset. In a brick or running-bond layout, offset large tile by no more than a third of its length unless the manufacturer allows more.
- The right mortar and coverage. The mortar the tile maker specifies for large tile, with at least 80% contact in most interior areas and 95% in wet areas and outdoors. Some makers ask for more.
- Diamond tooling. Porcelain is harder to cut than ordinary ceramic tile and needs diamond blades, preferably on a wet saw.
For shower floors, look at marble looks among the porcelain mosaics. Small pieces follow the slope to the drain where a large tile cannot.
Where it works
| Location | Finish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Living areas and bedrooms | Polished or matte | Either works in dry rooms |
| Kitchen floor | Matte | Spills and grit; better footing |
| Bathroom floor | Matte or grip | Ask for the slip rating |
| Shower walls | Polished or matte | Any size |
| Shower floor | Matte mosaic | Small pieces follow the slope |
| Backsplash | Polished or matte | No sealing; wipes clean |
| Fireplace surround | Polished or matte | Follow the fireplace maker's instructions |
| Outdoors | Only tile rated for exterior use | Most of our marble looks are listed for indoor use |
Outdoors deserves a second look. Porcelain is usually frost resistant but not always, and the Tile Council of North America says it knows of no tile that claims to be frost-proof. Several of our polished marble looks are listed as interior tile only. For patios and pool surrounds, see the porcelain pavers.
Indoors, tile works well over radiant floor heating when the heating maker's instructions are followed.
Marble look porcelain or real marble
Marble look porcelain
Choose it when the surface has to take water, kitchen acids and traffic without attention: busy kitchens, family bathrooms, rentals and large floors on a budget.
Real marble
Choose it when you want the depth and one-off veining of stone, and accept sealing, pH-neutral cleaners and a surface that will etch and soften with use.
Many projects use both: marble where it is seen up close, porcelain where the wear is. Our marble vs porcelain comparison goes through cost, durability, and upkeep in detail.
Care
Sweep or vacuum grit, and wash with water and a neutral cleaner. Porcelain is not a carbonate stone, so lemon juice and vinegar do not etch it the way they etch marble. Harsh acid cleaners can still attack grout, and the tile maker Supergres warns that products containing hydrofluoric acid can damage porcelain permanently, so check the label of any heavy-duty cleaner.
Four things to do first
- Order samples. Samples ship free. Look at the finish in your own light, wet and dry. How to order samples.
- Ask three questions. How many faces does the tile have, is it rectified, and what is its slip rating?
- Order once, and check the boxes. Order the full quantity together, then confirm that every box carries the same shade and caliber before any tile is set.
- Add overage. Allow 10% for a straight layout and more for diagonals. Our porcelain field tile is sold by the box, with a five-box minimum on most products at the time of writing. The tile calculator does the math.
Marble look porcelain FAQ
Does marble look porcelain look fake?
The best of it reads as stone at a normal viewing distance. What gives weaker products away is repetition, wide grout joints and a pattern that looks printed up close. Check the number of faces, choose rectified edges and look at a sample in person.
Is marble look porcelain cheaper than real marble?
Usually. In our range at the time of writing, most of the marble look porcelain shown above works out to roughly $6 to $8 per square foot, while 12x24 natural marble tile starts at about $13 and runs past $30 for the premium whites. Large-format tile takes more preparation to install, so price the whole job.
Does marble look porcelain need to be sealed?
Glazed porcelain does not. Ask about polished unglazed porcelain, which some manufacturers treat at the factory. Seal cement grout.
Is polished marble look porcelain slippery?
When wet, yes. Use polished porcelain on walls and in dry rooms, and choose a matte or grip finish with a suitable slip rating for bathrooms, showers and entries.
Can I use marble look porcelain in a shower?
Yes. Any size works on the walls. On the floor, use a marble look mosaic in a matte finish so it follows the slope, and confirm that the tile is rated for wet floors.
Can marble look porcelain go outside?
Only if the specific tile is rated for exterior use. Many polished marble looks are interior tile. For patios and pool areas, use tile or pavers that the manufacturer rates for outdoor and freeze-thaw conditions.
- Tile Council of North America, Porcelain vs. Non-Porcelain (FAQ)
- Crossville, Crossville Shares the Real Scoop on Through-Body Porcelain Tile
- Marazzi USA, How to Install
- Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, How to Prepare for Tile Shade Variation
- Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, Offsets, Grout Joints and Customer Expectations
- James Woelfel, in TileLetter, Large-format tile: know your numbers for installation success
- Rod Sigman, in TileLetter, Porcelain tile sealing and maintenance tips
- Tile Council of North America, Dynamic Coefficient of Friction: Frequently Asked Questions
- TileLetter, Tile and bath safety
- Tile Council of North America, Frost Resistance (FAQ)
- Floor Covering News, Ceramic inkjet technology expands design possibilities
- Ceramiche Keope, R10 porcelain tiles and the DIN 51130 slip test
- Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, How to Install Tile with Electrical Radiant Heating
- Supergres, Laying, Use, Cleaning and Maintenance Manual
See the finish before you commit
Order samples of the looks and finishes you are weighing and see them in your own light. Samples ship free.
Questions? Talk to a tile specialist: 855-797-8453, Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–5:00 PM PST
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