Vitrified Tiles – Are They a Better Alternative to Hardwood Floors?

Elegant and charming, hardwood floors are a wonderful addition to any house. However, they are quite fragile, as is the case with many things that are so lovely. Maintaining the appearance of hardwood floors requires a significant amount of time and effort. For those who are unable to devote sufficient time to their upkeep, vitrified tiles might be an excellent alternative.

In addition, vitrified tiles are a beautiful option. Unlike hardwood floors, they are very durable – they are considerably tougher than genuine stones, and pools of water will not harm them in the least…. in comparison to hardwood flooring.

What are vitrified tiles, and how do they differ from other types of tiles?

Using a technique called vitrification, vitrified tiles are created by mixing 40% clay and 60% silica in the correct proportions. Hardness and non-porousness are a huge benefit over real stones like marble, which are porous and need a lot of maintenance.

In addition to being nearly maintenance-free, vitrified tiles also offer excellent abrasion resistance, making them an excellent choice for use in high-traffic households.

There is still another significant benefit that vitrified tiles offer over most other types of flooring. A soluble salt is used to print the patterns on vitrified tiles. Soluble salts are basically penetrating pigments, and they may penetrate as deep as 2 to 3 mm under the surface of the tile. Due to the vitrified tiles’ great strength and wear resistance, the design is almost indestructible. Some flooring waxes, on the other hand, are applied directly to the flooring’s surface and have limited resistance to abrasion.

Genuine stone tiles come in a wide range of hues; however vitrified tiles don’t have as many hues available as real stone tiles.

Vitrified tiles provide a number of benefits

Unlike other flooring such as wood, vitrified tiles do not expand or contract as the humidity and temperature fluctuate. This implies that they may be utilized in a combined application without restriction. It may, however, be preferable to establish regular gaps between tiles by attaching them together with spacers and then filling the gaps with grout, rather than employing a joint-free application method. Tiles subjected to severe temperatures, such as hot or cold, should be protected with this kind of coating.

Compared to other types of tiles, vitrified tiles need less care. A broom will enough to clean them most of the time. However, it is preferable to take a few precautions to guarantee that they continue to look wonderful for many years.

How to clean and care for vitrified tiles

It would be beneficial to place a floor mat at the doorways to reduce the amount of abrasive dust brought in by visitors. It doesn’t matter whether your floor is stone or wood; this is true for both.

Cleaning the floor with cleansers containing toxic materials is something you should avoid if at all possible. Due to the great hardness and lack of pores in vitrified tiles, a slightly dampened mop will be sufficient to clean the flooring (discover a great wet mop here.)

Additionally, you may choose to clean the joints of the grout on a biannual basis. Additionally, maintaining the joints of the grout in excellent condition by scraping away broken, powdery, or loose joints and replacing them on a periodic basis is a smart idea.

As long as proper care and maintenance are given to vitrified tiles, they have the potential to endure a lifetime.