This is one of the first questions that we have had our customers asking.  Hence we thought this would be a good place to start from.

For a person who wants to select tiles for any space, walking into a tile store is similar to a child getting lost in Candyland. The sheer number of choices can lead to confusion and indecisiveness.  There are so many terms that we use while buying tiles but also start getting lost in the jargon seldom knowing what will be most suitable for us.  This is a brief introduction on the various types of tiles along with their usage.

Types of Tiles 

Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic tiles are durable and affordable but are also prone to chipping or cracking.  They are divided into 5 groups and it is recommended to usually go for groups 4 and 5 for longevity in areas that need to handle light and medium traffic.

Ceramic tiles have both glazed and unglazed finishes.

Application/Usage areas: walls and floors, home interiors, commercial interior walls, low foot traffic areas. These tiles can be used indoors.   

Porcelain Tiles

Porcelain tiles are denser and stronger than ceramic tiles.  They are also scratch and stain resistant.  0.5% of water and are thus less porous.

Application/Usage areas: floors, walls depending on weight, commercial properties such as hotels, retail outlets, offices, high moisture areas, outside. These tiles can also be used outdoors.

Vitrified Tiles

Vitrified tiles are strong, durable, stain and moisture resistant with very low porosity. There are four types of vitrified tiles: Soluble salt (Single charge), Double charge, full body and Glazed (GVT). 

Double charge Vitrified Tiles: These tiles have a double layer and are a little thicker than other types of tiles (by 3-4 mm).  They do not have complex patterns but do have a long wearing tile surface that is suitable for heavy traffic.

Full body Vitrified tiles have pigment through the thickness of the tiles.  This makes chips and scratches less noticeable thereby making it suitable for areas with high traffic. 

Soluble Salt Vitrified Tiles (Single charge): These tiles are screen printed and polished and are suitable for areas with low traffic.

Glazed Vitrified Tiles: These tiles have a glazed surface with an additional shine thereby making them aesthetically pleasing.  They also boast of a wide variety of designs with different surface textures. However, these tiles are not suitable for high traffic areas.

Parking Tiles: These tiles are heavy duty tiles and boast a thickness of a minimum of 10mm.  They are made to withstand extreme climatic conditions.  Along with being strong and moisture resistant, these tiles are also acid resistant.