In Pakistan; Marble has been the only choice for flooring for quite some time now, but this trend is changing. In the past 10-15 years, tiles are gradually gaining attention of more and more house builders. They are not only cost effective but also give you a wide range of colors, textures and designs to choose from.
Tiles are not always a good alternative to marble. In some cases, its better to use marble. This hugely depends upon the use case scenario. Sometimes it is a wise choice to have a marble flooring for long term usage. A combination of tiles will result in a flooring that not only looks beautiful, but also is reliable and cost effective.
Let’s discuss some of the most famous types of tiles in Pakistan.
Porcelain Tiles
These tiles absorb very less moisture, which make them ideal candidate for indoor or outdoor flooring. Porcelain tiles are baked at a very high temperature. As a result, they are significantly less porous, stains repellent and very durable. For indoors like bathrooms, using porcelain tiles is a wise choice.
They come in a variety of colors and designs, and also finish. Matt finish is a normal tile with nice shine. While glazed finish give them extra shine and transparency. Popular opinion is that glazed finish is suitable for room flooring and matt finish is suitable for washrooms.
Ceramic Tiles
These tiles are made up of clay. Ceramic tiles are baked slowly at a lower temperature (compared to the Porcelain tiles) which makes them ideal for harsh conditions. They can resist extreme summers and winters very easily.
Clay tile is heated in a fire and once it is strong enough, a thin layer of texture or color is applied over it. This type of tile is called Glazed ceramic tile. Un-glazed or matt ceramic tiles are much more scratch resistant then the glazed ones, so they are suitable for wet areas, i.e. bathrooms.
Marble Tiles
Yes, apart from clay tiles (as discussed above), marble stone is also available in the shape of tiles and is still extensively used. Marble tiles are available in different colors and textures. Like clay tiles, marble tiles can also have a glazed or matt finish.
Marble tiles are more durable then the clay tiles, but they also cost more. In the long run, there isn’t much difference in durability, so it all depends on your budget.
Granite Tiles
These tiles are used in the areas more prone to scratches. Whether the scratches are from foot traffic on staircases, or sliding the utensils on counter-tops in kitchen, granite is a wise choice. The strength of Granite tiles comes with a price. They cost way more then the clay or marble tiles, so they are used only when its absolutely necessary.
There are some other sub-categories of tiles too, but they aren’t that famous. Generally, these 3 categories of tiles are widely used and each has its own benefits and shortcomings. At the end, it depends upon your requirements and budget.
Now that our grey structure is finished, next step will be the tile selection. We are analyzing our options and trying to chose the best options by remaining within the budget too. Most likely, we are going to use a combination of all three type of tiles.
More on that later…
