What is Vitrified Tiles?

Whenever you go to the marketplace and ask for alternatives to marble and granite, one of the most common options that will be suggested is vitrified tile. Contractors, architects, and even your interior designer will recommend it.

In this article, you’ll learn the types of vitrified tiles, their pros and cons, and the reasons to consider them among the options.

 

Types of vitrified tiles

Soluble Salt Vitrified Tile: This tile is cleaned and screen printed.

Double charged Vitrified Tiles: These tiles are 3 to 4 mm thicker than the different types of tiles.

Full Body Vitrified Tile – It makes chips and scratches less noticeable. This is a perfect choice for high-traffic areas.

Coated Vitrified Tiles: CVT have a coated surface. They offer a wide variety of fine art and smooth surfaces such as wood grain, bamboo, discs, and stone.

Below are the pros and cons of vitrified tile and whom it is recommended for.

 

 

Advantages

Non-scratch

Let’s start with the most important advantage of vitrified floor tiles, which is the fact that they are extremely scratch resistant. They are as good as glass and won’t scratch as easily as marble and wood.

Durable

Additionally, vitrified tiles are extremely durable, stain-proof, and completely non-porous. You will not be able to damage your vitrified floor tile even if you pour some ink or something like that on it.

Can be customized

While vitrified tiles are also artificially manufactured, marble and granite are typically cut from natural stone. Because of this, you can’t control a lot of parameters, meaning you can’t control the shape and size perfectly. But vitrified tiles are made in factories, so you can get the exact size, shape, dimensions, and designs.

Easy to lay out

Compared to marble or granite which requires a lot of pre/post preparation after installation, vitrified tiles are very easy to install within 48 hours. You can likewise get an experienced vitrified tile installer, and he’ll get the job done in a 48-hour time.

Affordable

One of the most important parameters to consider when you’re choosing vitrified tiles is they are affordable. The vitrified tiles price ranges from £9.97m² to £14.50 per sqm in the UK. Plus, you can get various style options that are beautiful, scratch-resistant, and low cost.

In comparison with marble or granite, which sometimes go up to a dozen dollars per sqft and sqft, vitrified tile is actually affordable. This tile is generally preferred for very large commercial projects for this reason.

 

 

Disadvantages

Now let’s get into some of the disadvantages of vitrified tile

Expert advice for first-timers

You need someone with expertise if you are green in this type of flooring installation.

The installation of vitrified flooring has to be done by someone with expertise.

If you don’t get it done from someone who’s an expert or someone who has a lot of experience, chances are the flooring can be unstable, which may lead to cracks later, especially when walking on it. You cannot get it installed by someone who is just an amateur.

Pollutant

The manufacturing of vitrified tiles is not a very eco-friendly process. It uses a lot of hazardous gases like carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, which are produced while the tile is undergoing vitrification. That’s why vitrified tiles are not a great eco-friendly option.

Be careful when treading wet surfaces

Vitrified tiles get quite slippery when they’re wet. You’ll need to be careful when mopping or walking on it when it’s a bit wet. Compared to other materials, vitrified tiles get very slippery.

Soon outdated

The problem with these tiles is they might go out of style very soon because new designs keep coming up, and you don’t know if the vitrified tiles you purchased today will be in style in the years to come.

Not weight resistant

In contrast to marble or granite, vitrified tiles can break when heavy objects are placed on the flooring. They are not as weight-resistant as marble or granite slabs.

 

 

Are vitrified tiles any good?

You can use vitrified tiles for all sorts of commercial applications, like malls and shops. You can use it if you’re planning to put your property on rent because maintenance is easy.

Added to that, they are not expensive. You can use this flooring for bathrooms, as it is low maintenance. Just make sure you have anti-skid slippers.

And lastly, if you are planning to use vitrified tiles, remember that they won’t last more than 10-15 years. Unlike marble or granite, this floor starts fading and you can’t polish it. So, you will have to replace it after 10-15 years.