Floor tiles come in a plethora of options. They have great qualities: they are durable, easy to install, cost effective, low maintenance and easy to clean. All this makes them a popular choice for use in the home over conventional marble, natural stone slabs and hardwood floors. With so many varieties of tiles on offer, such as stone, porcelain, vitrified tiles for flooring, the question is, which ones are best suited for your home? Let us look in to the types of tiles perfect for Indian Floors.
- Ceramic tiles
The primary ingredients of ceramic tiles are natural clay and minerals, which are mixed together with water, chemical additives and colour pigments. The mixture is crafted into the required tile shapes and heated to high temperatures. These tiles are available in numerous finishes like gloss, semi-matte (also known as lapatto) and matte.Glazed ceramic might become slippery – you’ll get better safety if you go for matte-finish tiles and cement or epoxy grouts.
Ceramic tiles are cheap, cost-effective and readily available, so we suggest them as a possible flooring material for Indian homes – otherwise, porcelain tiles are a better option. The main drawback of installing ceramic flooring is that it is fragile and prone to chipping and cracking.
2. Porcelain tiles
Porcelain tiles are a kind of ceramic tiles that are made with finer clays and extra mineral components, baked at higher temperatures. This process makes them dense, less porous and stronger than ceramic tiles. Porcelain tiles for floors are ideal in high traffic areas as they are resistant to chipping, scratching and stains. With the introduction of digital tiles,numerous design options can be achieved on any floor tile.
It is advisable to go for rectified or joint-free tiles, where the edges of the tile are cut after they are kiln-baked, to get precision in size. For a neat and seamless look, use epoxy grouting and maintain a gap of at least 2 millimetres between each tile.
- Vitrified tiles
Vitrified tiles for flooring are a popular flooring material in Indian homes because of their superlative properties like strength, non-porous nature, resistance against stains, and looks that replicate natural marble. They are commonly available in sizes of 2 x 2 feet or more; this makes installation fast and reduces the number of joints.
Vitrified tiles are manufactured by a process of vitrification (of materials like clay and quartz) at very high temperatures to form a strong glass-like shiny material. These tiles are classified as:
- Double charged vitrified tiles,which are manufactured with two colour pigments to achieve a two-tone colour on the tile.
- Full body vitrified tiles, whichhave a uniform colour right through the tile, helping make scratches invisible.
- Soluble salt vitrified tiles thatincorporate various patterns on the tile.
- Glazed body vitrified tiles, whichhave an additional shine that makes the tiles stain-resistant.
4.Terrazzo tiles
A terrazzo tile is a composite of natural marble, granite or quartz chippings that are held together by a resin or concrete base with a colour pigment added to it. It has a unique speckled look and is designed to last a lifetime.
Their manufacturing includes the process of exposing the marble or stone chips on the surface of the concrete and then polishing them till they are smooth. One advantage of terrazzo tile flooring is that if the surface gets worn out over the years, it can be refinished and polished to look like new.
Opt for pre-polished tiles, which require low maintenance and are scratch-resistant.
To know more about Terrazzo in detail click here
5.Stone tiles
These tiles are made with natural stone materials like sandstone, slate, travertine, marble and granite. Natural stone tiles add colour, texture and warmth with their unique patterns that impart elegance and richness to the space. The natural stone slabs are machine-cut to standard square or rectangular tiles. Note that stone tiles for floors need to be sealed periodically as they are very porous.
6. Cement tiles
Break away from convention and consider cement tiles for floors, also known as encaustic cement tiles. See how the bold traditional patterns of the floor in this space add life and breathe heritage into a contemporary space.
Join us in the comment to let us know about your opinions and views.Do let us know if you know any other tiles perfect for Indian floors.