It is the flooring which plays a major role in enhancing the beauty of the house. Flooring is the biggest surface area in your house that you are trying to cover with the good looking and durable flooring materials. Whatever flooring materials you have choose, it will have a major impact on the overall look and feel of your house. There is a vast collection of flooring materials that are available in the market like marble, ceramic tiles, terrazzo, mosaic tiles, natural stone, wood, etc. Nowadays, vitrified tiles are amongst most trending flooring material available in the market and popularly used in the house.
We can say that vitrified tiles are an evolved style of ceramic tiles. It is also a better alternative to marble and ceramic tiles flooring. It is made by a process called vitrification in which the mixture of clay, silica, quartz and feldspar are used and turned into the glass like substance by exposure to heat. It can be used as floor tiles as well as wall tiles. Vitrified tiles are used in indoor as well as outdoor areas of your house such as bedroom, living room, patio, etc. We have a huge collection of interesting blogs providing other detailed information on vitrified tiles which we keep us updating regularly.
Types of Vitrified Tiles
Vitrified tiles are available in varieties of designs, patterns, colours and sizes. It comes in different types such as double charge vitrified tiles, full body vitrified tiles, glazed vitrified tiles, soluble salt vitrified tiles, etc. So, the challenge is to use the best vitrified floor tiles depending upon where it is being used.
So, here we have present detailed information on various types of vitrified tiles.
01. Full Body Vitrified Tiles
As the name suggests, full body vitrified tiles have a uniform colour throughout the body i.e. cross section of the tiles. When you cut the tiles to fix them on junction of two walls meets at right angle, borders of tiles will be of the same colour. And this is one major benefit. They are most suitable for high traffic areas. They are available in matt and glossy finish.
Advantages:
- The scratches are less noticeable in full body vitrified tiles due to the uniform colour throughout the body of tiles.
- The design and colour of full body vitrified tiles will never fade throughout its life as it is spread out in the entire body of tiles.
- These types of vitrified tiles are easy to clean and requires very less maintenance,
Disadvantages:
- The full body vitrified tiles are more expensive as compared to double charge vitrified tiles due to the colour printing technology.
- Full body vitrified tiles are available in limited designs.
Sizes:
- Full body vitrified tiles are available in various sizes i.e. 600mm x 600mm, 800mm x 800mm, 600mm x 1200mm and so on. The size of these types of vitrified tiles may vary with the manufacturer.
Price:
- Full body vitrified tiles are more costly as compared to double charge vitrified tiles. The price of such type of vitrified tiles may vary with the manufacturer and sizes.
02. Double Charge Vitrified Tiles
Double charge vitrified tiles, too are one of the most popular types of vitrified tiles nowadays. They are fed through a press that prints the pattern with a double layer of pigment (two kinds of colours are fed into the machine). Therefore, the upper layer of tiles becomes 3 to 4 mm thicker. Double charge vitrified tiles come in glossy and matt finish.
Advantages:
- Double charge vitrified tiles are more durable as compared to other types of vitrified tiles.
- More designs and shades are possible as it is only on the surface. Hence options and varieties are huge.
- They are stain-resistant and do not collect dirt and grime easily.
- They do not need strict maintenance.
- Double charge vitrified tiles can retain their shine for a long time.
Disadvantages:
- However, double charged tiles are not available in a variety of complex design patterns due to technology limitations.
Sizes:
- The double charge vitrified tiles are available in various size like 600mm x 600 mm, 800mm x 800 mm, 800 x 1600 mm, 600 x 1200mm, etc. The size of these types of vitrified tiles may change with the different manufacturer.
Price:
- The price of double charge vitrified tiles is higher than glazed vitrified tiles but lower than full body vitrified tiles. Their price may vary with the size and manufacturer.
03. Glazed Vitrified Tiles or GVT Tiles or Digital Vitrified Tiles
Glazed vitrified tiles are popularly known as GVT tiles. Glazed Vitrified Tiles (GVT) are finished with the glazed surface. This glazed surface allows any type of design, surface textures, etc. on it. It can increase the aesthetics of the floor. In the market, it is popularly as digital vitrified tiles. They come in glossy matt, rustic, wooden and other finishes also.
Advantages:
- Due to the glaze layer on top of the GVT tiles, you can print any types of designs. Hence more options are available.
Disadvantages:
- Because of digital technology used, the cost of these types of vitrified tiles is higher.
- It is not suitable for high traffic areas.
- It is not more durable as compared to double charge and full body vitrified tiles.
- The glazing layer of tiles may fade away after some time.
- Glazed vitrified tiles are less scratch resistant.
Sizes:
- The glazed vitrified tiles are available in varieties of sizes such as 300mm x 600mm, 600mm x 600mm,800mm x 800mm, 600mm x 1200 mm, 800mm x 1200mm, etc. However, the sizes may vary with different manufacturer.
Price:
- The price of the glazed vitrified tiles is less than the double charge vitrified tiles.
04. Polished Glazed Vitrified Tiles or PGVT Tiles
Polished glazed vitrified tiles are the same as the glazed vitrified tiles with polish on top of it to make it more shining. It is popularly known as PGVT tiles. They are not that durable as compared to double charge vitrified tiles. They are more costly as compared to GVT tiles. The sizes of these types of vitrified tiles are almost similar as of GVT tiles.
05. Soluble Salt Vitrified Tiles
When vitrified tiles are printed with screen printing technology and then polished, it is called soluble salt vitrified tiles. Nowadays, this type of vitrified tiles are not widely used. The design of soluble salt vitrified tiles may fade away after a few years.
Note: Glazed vitrified tiles and full body vitrified tiles may almost look the same; hence it is essential to check the technical specifications of the vitrified tiles before you purchase them for your house.
There are different types of vitrified tiles and choosing the right one makes all the difference. Each types of vitrified tiles are best suited for particular needs and therefore knowledge about the different types of vitrified tiles can give you an idea about which vitrified tiles is best for your purpose.
Also Read:
How to Choose Tile Colour According to Your Room Colour Scheme?
Tile Grout: Know Its Functions & Types
15 Things to Know Before Installing Vinyl Flooring or PVC Flooring
