Choosing the floor tiles while renovating

While renovating that little corner, did you ever come across this question- Which tile should you buy – Vitrified/ Porcelain/ Ceramic/ Rustic and if this is not enough, do you want nano  finish, double charge or heavy duty?Not even trying to understand the terms, you leave everything to the shopkeeper, replying – You suggest.. Of course,you are saved when you are escorted by an Architect. Read on to know more…….

My Architect friends can choose to ignore. The companies ensure that we do not forget our lessons by sending their reps and latest inventions every other day. 🙂

Tiles are categorized based on finish and the basic structure. 

Based on Structure :

Homogeneous- Includes all Vitrified tiles

They are made from the same clay throughout and have the same finish on the top and the back of the tile. Type of finish and the technology used to attain that determines nano/ double charge etc.

Heterogeneous- Includes all the Ceramic and rustic tiles

They have different finishes on the surface but the same base for all tiles. In short , the finish is applied on the top of the clay for aesthetic purposes.

The Porcelain tiles are somewhere in between ceramic and vitrified. They are denser and less porous as compared to the ceramic tiles. 

  Based on Finish:

Rustic Tiles- They have rustic finishes similar to natural materials like brick, wood, stone, slate etc.Nowadays they are available both in vitrified and ceramic qualities. 

High glaze tiles- Largely vitrified and porcelain tiles with highly reflective surfaces.

Matt tiles– Vitrified or ceramic tiles with Matt, anti skid finish.

My next blog will cover  the fundamentals of using different tiles in different areas.