The market is flooded with varied flooring options. From the ubiquitous tile to the opulence of marble, homeowners are faced with a plethora of choices. Discern helps you navigate the advantages and disadvantages of flooring choices.

Indian consumers want to put their best foot forward when it comes to choosing flooring for their home. With dozens of different designs, finishes, and sizes for the humble tile, and tonnes of stylish shades and grades in marble and hardwood, too much of a good thing can get quite confusing! Stylish flooring ‘lifts’ the entire complexion of the room and sets a base for furniture and fixtures. Choose from laminated wooden options to parquet, tiles, marble, and granite. When selecting flooring, keep in mind a couple of factors – besides cost and personal style preferences, take into account the amount of foot traffic expected and other elements like rough usage because of children and pets.

Here is a guide to help you create a comfortable, stylish, and efficient living space. Read on for the relative advantages and disadvantages of tiles, marble, and hardwood as flooring solutions for your home.





Tiles

Everyone’s talking about tiles! Consumers are looking beyond the conventional stone and marble as a flooring option and gravitating towards maintenance-free vitrified tiles. Marble, stone, and wood finishes are popularly replicated in ceramics, and even matte and rustic finishes are in vogue. Glazed vitrified ceramics are often a home makers first choice due to the possibilities of surface enhancement.



Ceramic tiles, especially the glazed variety, are also the most hard-wearing and impermeable of all floor materials. Today they are available in numerous colours, shades, and even shapes. (A leading manufacturer has recently introduced a jagged-edge tile for a funky, unconventional look.) Ceramic tiles, Vitrified tiles, Paving tiles, Designer Chequered tiles, Cement Terrazzo tiles…. The possibilities are endless. Decorative techniques on these tiles can transform them into masterpieces.

Tile Tactics Remember never to lay glossy tiles on the floor as they can be slippery. Opt for skid proof ones instead, and use the shinier tiles on the walls. Forget the smaller square 12”x12” tiles and opt for large format ones. With sections running in sizes like 12”x24” and even 36”x36”, there’s not only less grout to clean but also an added expansive look for your floors.



Image Courtesy - Bharat Tiles



Discern Tip: While selecting a flooring tile, make sure it doesn’t have too many undulations in which grime, dust, and mud can get stuck easily. While selecting bathroom tiles, always pour some water on the tiles and run your foot on it to check the grip. Bathroom or outdoor tiles need to have some amount of surface grip to prevent slipping.

Advantage:

Low maintenance and almost indestructible

Mass produced, so easy and inexpensive to buy

Disadvantage:

Hard on feet and slippery when wet.

Tiles come in predefined sizes, so if you are looking for a seamless look with very few joints, this would not be the best option.

Grout between tiles can be hard to clean - try and choose a dark grout between tiles to hide any stains. Sometimes, zero-joint tiles are available in the market, which would be your best bet. However more often than not, these too require cement grouts.



New Developments in the Tile Market: High-Tech Tiles

High definition tiles have taken the market by storm and are worth looking at for a number of reasons. High-definition Digital Wall Tiles have the highest level of glossiness and are printed with a 6-colour prism technology, rendering them extremely durable and stain resistant. These visually appealing tiles lend your home a sleek and classy look. The uniqueness of this product comes from the special Micro-Embedded Brightness Boosters that offer a sharper look and a cleaner finish.



The variants in size make these tiles attractive options for kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor finishes. They are available in 300 x 450 mm (Base Tiles), 300 x 450 mm (Décor), 300 x 600 mm (Base Tiles), 300 x 600 mm (Decor), 300 x 900 mm and 300 x 300 (Matching Floor). Commenting on the launch of their range of HD tiles, Mr. Vivek Talwar, MD - NITCO Ltd said, “Our new collection has been in the making for a long time to ensure that the concept, tone, and look of it are true to NITCO's aesthetic level. The collection features never before seen designs and concepts. We are very excited with what we have created.”



Advantages of High-definition (HD) Digital Tiles: Advanced digital printing technology provides enhanced high-definition reproduction of colours and objects, while providing exact impressions of stones and wood. This latest technology makes even the most minute details come alive.

3-D Technology – Three dimensional tiles with high and low relief help achieve a unique handcrafted effect for your walls.

Joint-Free Tiles - Perfectly cut tiles for a completely joint-free look.

Durable - Properly installed HD Digital Tiles will outperform and outlive nearly any other wall-covering product.

Easy care - HD Digital Tiles resists dirt accumulation and can be cleaned up with a damp mop, sponge or common household cleaners. Also see: Nitco's HD Digital Tiles in these catalogues. Make Your Own Tile An innovative service offered by Bharat Tiles gives you the opportunity to design your own tile. Bharat’s clients can share pictures or drawings of their designs and Bharat can custom design tiles to convert these designs into actual cement tiles. Samples are made for approval and then, once the custom-designed tile is approved, production begins. At the request of the client, the design can remain the client’s copyrighted property, and is not used for any other project. Fancy colonial style architecture?

Bharat’s heritage collection of tiles are present-day replicas of famous Minton (encaustic) tiles which were brought into India by the British. In 1922, as a part of India’s Swadeshi Movement, Bharat designed its own set of tiles and handcrafted them from cement in a multitude of patterns and colours. Today, floors made from Bharat’s heritage tiles offer an alternative to expensive ceramic and marble flooring. A heritage pattern is formed by a combination of four tiles, and Bharat works closely with its clients (and the clients’ architects and interior designers) to custom-design floors which reflect the mood, values, and aesthetics of the clients. What’s even more fascinating is that these heritage tiles can be used in combinations with Bharat’s own Unitinta plain tiles in subtle colours, terrazzo, or wooden flooring to create floors which are both unique and beautiful. Read our article on some of their new tile options here.



Marble

Although much pricier than other surfaces, marble has a timeless and elegant appeal that is difficult to match. Indian and Italian marble compete in the marketplace, but the latter can set you back by quite heavily. Remember to check for cracks and defects like spots and holes when selecting marble lots, as well as the thickness of the marble. A good marble slab should be a least 19 – 20 mm thick.

Prem Marbles (P) Ltd based out of Udaipur, Rajasthan (India) is a known name in the field of natural stone mining and processing. They are industry pioneers in implementing state of the art technology in marble processing. You could visit their Rajasthan (India) is a known name in the field of natural stone mining and processing. They are industry pioneers in implementing state of the art technology in marble processing. You could visit their website for more information and you can even shop for marble through an online inquiry.

Advantage:

Low maintenance and hard-wearing

Natural beauty does not deteriorate with age

Great option for a seamless and expansive look



Disadvantage:

Expensive to buy and fit, requires skilled labour

Requires a strong sub-floor as its base



Hardwood and Laminate

Traditionally the domain of luxury high-end homemakers, the colour, warmth, and grain of wood makes it a desirable (and expensive) flooring option. If you wish to splurge on hardwood flooring, a dark shade is something that's always in style. Ebony and Jacobean are popular stains along with Espresso. The deep colour of hardwood floors caters to both contemporary and classic looks and highlights light décor superbly. A word of caution - dark coloured hardwood camouflages imperfections better, but can be more difficult to clean and maintain since scratches show more easily. If you desire a wooden ‘feel’ but budgets are tight, opt for laminate flooring made from pressed, resin-impregnated papers, available in a range of colours and patterns. This flooring is durable and requires less maintenance because it never needs polishing, lacquering, or waxing. Always consider the amount of traffic in the room before deciding on laminate flooring: not all floors are meant for all uses. There are grades (abrasion class) assigned to laminate flooring that help to identify them as per the requirements and usage of the floor.

Advantage:

Easy to install

Durable and tough

Disadvantage:

Difficult to repair

Water penetration can swell and lift planks

Noisy when walked on in shoes

For more information about Bharat Tiles and their products, and how to use them in your own home, read this article.