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Trends

The two most popular varieties in the market when it comes to tiles are ceramic and vitrified tiles. Vitrified tiles are the shiny big ones tiles you might have seen in houses and shops. This is made by mixing silica and clay to form a non porous tile with a glassy texture. Ceramic tiles are those made from clay tiles and topped with a ceramic glaze.

The basic difference is that vitrified tiles are actually one kind of ceramic tile. But these are made after the vitrification process and go through a high level of refining, generating a glassy effect, while ceramic tiles are made of natural biodegradable and recyclable materials.

But then there has always been this long-standing debate on vitrified tiles vs ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles have been the popular choice for counter tops, walls, floors and even in home roofing. Vitrified tiles, on the other hand, have a layer of coloured glass.
The composition of vitrified tiles is homogenous in nature. To achieve a glossy look, vitrified tiles are manually polished. Ceramic tiles have a glaze applied over them.

However, most glazes are not that durable or scratch resistant and over time, it yellows, it cracks and it chips. Aisha Siddiqui from Delhi has recently done up her house with a range of tiles. “I’ve used a lot of ceramic in the bathroom and the balcony for the warm and elegant texture it renders to the room. My living room is all vitrified tiles as we wanted to give it a spacious look,” she says. Big-sized vitrified tiles are smooth and easy to clean apart from adding to the spacious look of the room. Vitrified tiles have a demand in countries like India, UK and USA.

When you compare the varieties, you realise that ceramic tiles are actually more cost-effective. However, both ceramic and vitrified tiles are available in a range of prices, colours, patterns and sizes. Talk of durability and vitrified tiles are sure winners. Vitrified tiles are much stronger than natural granite, which is one of the most durable products for modern homes. Vitrified tiles win over ceramic tiles on factors such as strength, ability to resist scratches and acids, alkalis, and chemicals without being damaged.

Full tiling with vitrified tiles cost a bit more than vitrified flooring and therefore ceramics are preferred by many as an economical choice. But for those who prefer a chic and glamorous look, vitrified tiles are definitely going to rule the flooring market in the near future.

Maintenance

Both vitrified and ceramic tiles are difficult to stain because of their non-porous properties. However, the grout that places them intact is more likely to be stained. When it comes to maintenance, there is not much of a difference between vitrified and ceramic tiles. Both have nearly similar ways of maintenance and cleaning. Both vitrified and ceramic tiles don’t need any special maintenance ritual after installation. Cleaning both types of tiles is also not so difficult. Both can be cleaned using a damp cloth. However, if the going gets tough, the tough gets rougher. If your tiles are really greasy, you could use strong cleaning chemicals such as detergents and bleach. It is safe to use these chemicals on any type of vitrified tiles or ceramic tiles. The non-porous surface of both tiles makes it impossible for mold and mildew to occur. That is why it is best for pools, bathrooms and kitchens.

Brands on offer

Somany Ceramics offers Duragres VC tiles, a premium floor and wall tile range. This full body glazed vitrified tile range is available in a plethora of beautiful colours, designs and textures suitable for all surfaces, especially floors. These products come in silky smooth, satin and matt finishes in sizes - 300x600 and 300x450 mm.

Nitco has a large variety of designs and colour patterns in their ceramic tiles range starting from Rs 50 per square feet. They are best for use in kitchen and bathroom and offer variety in colours and shades.

Nitco also offers Mosaico tiles - art of creating designs with small pieces of various materials like ceramic and vitrified tiles, stones, marble or any other material. Choose from their mosaico tiles, wall cladding, carpets and medallions.

Nitco has design studios called the Le Studio where consultants help you explore options and choose and create the perfect mosaic combos for your home. Other brands to explore are Value Line TOTO, Kajaria and Hindware. 

Quick facts

*“Ceramic” comes from the Greek term Keramos, meaning "a potter" or "pottery”.

*For the creation of all ceramic materials, one needs to bake a mixture of clays at a very high temperature. A ceramic tile, therefore, is the  resulting product, after a mixture of clays have been treated appropriately, pressed, fired at a high temperature and cut to size.

*A ceramic tile consists of two parts: the body, which is called the “bisque” and the surface, which is called the “glaze”.  Popular sizes available are 150x600mm, 445x445mm, 300x600mm and 300x300mm.

*Roto colour technology is an advanced printing technology and is used by all European manufacturers of premium tiles to develop ceramic tiles.

Tile designs are pressed onto the tiles by using large rollers that print different designs onto each tile, as the tile moves underneath the roller.

The gradual sideways movement of the roller ensures that each and every tile has its own unique pattern. Nitco from India used this technology of manufacturing way back when the kind was not introduced to the country.

*Screen printing is a procedure where a screen is placed above each ceramic tile, after which, paint is pressed through the pores of the screen and onto the tile.

Here the tiles of the same shade or series look the same, because they use the same screen.

*Vitrified tiles are extremely strong and durable and processed in such a way that they allow for very little water absorption.

Vitrified tiles have water absorption of

*Vitrified tiles allow for a “full body” tile, which means that the design is not merely on the surface of the tile, but runs throughout the entire tile. The advantage of this is that the tiles become incredibly strong.

*Sizes available are 600 x 600 mm, 800 x 800 mm and 1000 x 1000mm