Are you looking for a tile solution for your home or projects that will enhance its look? If so, understanding the difference between vitrified and ceramic tiles is vital to making the right choice.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at both kinds of tiles so you can make an informed decision.
We’ll discuss the following:
What are vitrified tiles, their advantages, what types are available, and whether they are suitable for flooring? Finally, we’ll compare ceramic tiles and vitrified ones to help you decide which best meets your needs.
So, let’s start now!
What Is Vitrified Tile?
Vitrified tile is a kind of ceramic tile which with extremely low porosity and low water absorption.
It combines natural clay with other materials like silica, quartz, and feldspar. And then undergoes a high-temperature process in a kiln; this makes vitrified tiles very strong, non-porous, and highly resistant to staining and scratches as they have a low absorb water rate (less than 0.5%).
What’s The Advantage Of Vitrified Tiles?
Vitrified tiles offer many benefits over other types of flooring options. It’s highly wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and has good strength. It’s widely used for the floor, especially in heavy traffic areas such as supermarkets, hospitals, airports, and the hotel lobby. Since its good decorative tiling, price affordable, and been used in large quantity, it’s called the “king of floor tiles.”
Additionally, because its low porous, the water absorption rate is very low, and mostly it has a smooth surface. It is easy to clean and maintain, which saves time and money on upkeep.
What Are The Types Of Vitrified Tiles?
Vitrified tiles come in three main types – Full Body Vitrified Tiles, Polished Double Loading Vitrified Tiles, and Glazed Vitrified Tiles.
Full Body Vitrified Tiles
Full-body vitrified tiles have a consistent color and texture throughout the tile body and the surface. Mostly water absorption is less than 0.1%, making them more durable than glazed ceramic tiles. Meanwhile， because the surface and the back of the tiles are of the same material and colour, they are also known as homogeneous tiles.
The tile surface is typically divided into polished, matt, leathered, flamed, tumbled, and bush-hammered surfaces.
Most full-body tiles design tends to be plain and imitate a natural stone or granite look. Since its excellent durability and slip resistance, slight color difference, and renewable, it’s widely used in halls, aisles, and outdoor areas such as external walls, walkways, and squares.
Polished Double Loading Vitrified Tiles
Double loading is a type of vitrified tile composed of two layers, also called “double charge tile.” The top layer comprises porcelain and the bottom layer consists of a mixture of earthen clay, silica, quartz, and feldspar.
This type of tile is highly durable and resistant to scratches. In addition, it has a glossy look that makes it look beautiful when applied in any space.
Since the surface of the double-loading polished tile needs to be polished, the closed pores inside the tiles will become open after polishing, causing two problems: absorb stains and poor gloss.
Therefore, on the one hand, by improving and crushing the particles of raw materials, the size of these pores can be greatly reduced, and even when the pore size is small enough, the dirt is not easy to adhere to the surface of the tiles, which is called micro-powder double loading tiles.
Meanwhile, the “super clean & bright” technology was developed. That is, a nano-scale protective layer was formed on the tile’s surface to improve the polished tile’s anti-stain performance. Therefore, this is also the source of” nano-tiles.”
Glazed Vitrified Tiles
Glazed Vitrified Tiles are tiles with a glaze layer applied to the surface. This glaze makes the tiles have high resistant to stains and scratches.
According to the difference between gloss, glazed vitrified tiles can be divided into two categories: glazed polished tiles and matte glazed tiles.
Compared with unglazed tiles, glazed vitrified tiles have more colors, textures, shapes, and patterns. Patterns come in marble, sandstone, terrazzo, slate, wood, cement, etc.; you can easily choose the style you like for your projects.
Is Vitrified Tile Good for Floors?
Yes, vitrified tile is an ideal choice for flooring as it is highly durable and easy to maintain.
Additionally, it is available in various colors, sizes, and shapes, so you can find the perfect tile to fit your indoor or outdoor space. It is also slip-resistant, so it is safe to install in wet areas such as bathroom floors, kitchen floors, balconies, and gardens. The matt and grip finish is the most excellent choice to anti-slip.
What’s The Difference Between Vitrified and Ceramic Tiles?
Ceramic and vitrified tiles are popular for floors and walls in residential and commercial projects. While they may look similar at first glance, there are distinct differences between the two that can make one a better fit for specific applications.
The main difference between vitrified tiles and ceramic tiles lies in their production. The manufacturing process is similar, but the raw materials and firing temperature are different, resulting in differences in the hardness and absorbing water rate of the finished products.
Most raw ceramics materials are clay with low silicon, low aluminum, and high iron. So you can see ceramic tiles, especially ceramic wall tile; the tile body is not as white as vitrified porcelain; it looks a bit beige or red. This is because its iron level is much higher. The firing temperature is generally below 1000 ℃, and the water absorption is high.
Vitrified tiles are made of high silicon, aluminum, and low iron kaolin clay, fired at a very high temperature above 1200 degrees Celsius, resulting in higher vitrification, harder, stronger, stain-resistant, and water-resistant tile.
Water Absorption
One of the most significant differences between ceramic and vitrified tiles is the absorbed water rate. Vitrified tiles have a much lower water absorption rate than ceramic tiles; typically, vitrified tiles absorb only 0.05% to 0.5% of their weight, whereas ceramic tiles can absorb more than 0.5%, some even higher than 15%. This makes vitrified tiles an excellent choice for areas prone to moisture, such as bathroom and kitchen flooring, as it is far less likely to warp or crack from prolonged exposure to water.
You can easily identify ceramic and vitrified tiles from the above two pictures about the absorbing water test. If the water has been absorbed very soon, you can identify it as ceramics. If the tile is water resistant, then it is vitrified porcelain tile.
Abrasion Resistance & Strength
Regarding abrasion resistance, vitrified tiles are far superior to ceramic tiles. Vitrified tiles have twice the abrasive Strength of standard ceramic tiles, making them far less prone to wear and tear. Even after being used for a long time, it still looks new. As a result, vitrified tiles are widely used for flooring and in high-traffic areas.
In accordance with ISO 13006: 2012, vitrified tiles should have an average breaking strength equal to or greater than 1300 Newtons. It has an average breaking strength two times stronger than regular ceramic tiles. Therefore, vitrified tiles are highly suitable for wet floors and exterior use, such as pavements and driveways. The higher the Strength of the tiles, the better the resistance to high pressure. It means the tiles are not easily cracked when hit.
Hardness & Stain Resistant
The hardness of ceramic tiles is generally lower than that of vitrified tiles due to the different manufacturing materials and the fire temperatures. Ceramics are mainly composed of clay, fired at temperatures up to 1000°C. This temperature is not enough to give the clay a high level of vitrification – meaning it retains its natural properties, such as high porosity and softness.
While the vitrified tiles, are fired at extremely high temperatures of up to 1200°C or higher. This temperature is to a point where much higher levels of vitrification occur, and harder surfaces are created. The porosity levels in these tiles can be reduced by up to 80%, which makes them more resistant to wear from foot traffic or objects being dragged across them.
This also helps make vitrified tiles dirt-resistant compared to ceramic tiles. The higher level of vitrification also makes vitrified tiles much denser than ceramic tiles, the harder for dirt and liquids to penetrate them. And the weight of vitrified tiles is also heavy than the ceramics.
Size
The size of ceramic and vitrified tiles is one of the major differences between them. Ceramic tiles are typically available in smaller sizes ranging from 4″x4″ to 24″x24″, while vitrified tiles generally come in larger sizes such as 16″x16″, 24″x24″, 32″x32″ and bigger sizes.
Therefore, if you are looking for a tile with a large size, then vitrified tiles are your best choice.
Price
The ceramic tiles’ price usually is lower than vitrified tiles in the same specification due to the differences in manufacturing materials and processes.
Installation
When installing vitrified tiles, it is essential to ensure the surface is clean and dust-free. This can be accomplished by wiping the surface with a clean damp cloth or mop before installation. Additionally, for best results, use a tile adhesive specially formulated for vitrified tiles, as these are designed to provide an extra secure bond and help prevent cracking.
On the other hand, ceramic tiles need to be soaked in water before installation. After the tiles absorb enough water, when the cement is affixed to the wall, the ceramics will no longer absorb the moisture in the glue and stick it more firmly to avoid falling off. Moreover, the shade difference caused by unequal water absorption is greatly reduced.
When installing ceramic tiles, it is important to check that the underlayment base is level and even. This will prevent any slippage of the tiles, which can lead to breakage or cracking. Use a tile adhesive specifically designed for ceramic tiles to further ensure a secure fit.
In conclusion
There are many factors to consider when choosing between vitrified and ceramic tiles. Both of them have their advantages and disadvantages, and both of them are affordable flooring options.
Vitrified tiles have higher breaking Strength, superior hardness, and stain resistance but come at a higher price than ceramics. Ceramic tiling is more affordable, with easier installation processes that require pre-soaking the tiles in water before affixing them to the wall or floor.
Ultimately, whether you choose vitrified or ceramic tiles depends on your individual needs for cost efficiency and durability. With careful consideration of all these factors when making a tile selection, you can make an informed decision that best meets your specific requirements for any project.
