Which tiles should I choose for my home? Probably one of the major confusions everyone has while building their dream home. Because, the types of tiles you choose will be a significant deciding factor of how appealing your home is. Along with matching the soft furnishings, tiles will create a perfect backdrop. With that being done, you can decorate the rest of the room.
And, of course, it’s hard not to get a little overwhelmed because there are many types of flooring options – ceramic tiles, vitrified tiles, glass, cement, natural stone, wooden – to name a just a few. Additionally, not every tile works for every construction project.
Hence, for a seamless flooring experience, make sure you are choosing the flooring type which fits best for your home or a given space.
Here’s some expert tips to guide you through the most popular types of tiles.
- Ceramic tiles
- Vitrified tiles
Find out which tiles are the best for your home to ensure you will love them for years to come.
1. Ceramic tiles
It has been used for centuries and it offers more options like color, texture, and pattern. These are made using a mixture of clay, minerals, and solvents in extremely high temperatures. These ceramic tiles can again be classified into glazed and non-glazed tiles.
Advantages
- Easy maintenance is one of the perks of ceramic tiles. Some regular maintenance like sweeping or vacuuming is enough to keep the floor shine
- It is durable. It is very tough and hard to crack. With proper installation, it can last up to 10-20 years and longer if maintained. Even if a tile cracks due to heavy impact, you can replace that single tile easily
- You can use it in almost all rooms of the house like kitchen, bathrooms and high traffic areas
- It is fire resistant in nature
- You can print and match it to get the look of hardwood and natural stones
- Ceramic tiles are budget friendly as compared to other types of flooring materials
- Slipperiness is less while comparing with granite and marble
Disadvantages
- Tiles are cold in nature; which means, thermal insulation property is very less. Ceramic tiles do not hold heat very much. It gets very cold in the winter
2. Vitrified tiles
It is a tile that has undergone the process called vitrification. It is actually a mixture of 40% of clay and 60% of silica. Durability, low maintenance, and scratch-resistant properties make them the best flooring option for corporate buildings and homes.
Vitrified tiles are classified into different categories:
- Glazed Vitrified Tile (GVT)
- Polished Glazed Vitrified Tile (PGVT)
- Full body vitrified
- Single charged
- Double Charged
- Soluble Salt
Advantages
- Vitrified tiles are durable compared to ceramic tiles, marble and granite
- It is very easy to maintain
- You can use it in almost all the places including wet areas, there won’t be any damages to the tiles due to water
- It is fire resistant in nature
Disadvantages
- Vitrified tiles are slippery when wet
- It needs the assistance of an expert to get these tiles installed in your home, which makes the higher initial cost, and it is expensive compared to ceramic tiles
- It does not have sound insulation property
Well, so have you decided on one? Please share your thoughts below.