(Updated on 31-Jan-2023 by Nitin – founder of Contractorbhai)

There are wall tiles,floor tiles,elevation tiles and tiles used in parking area which are checkered floor tile, block tiles, paver floor tiles & cobalt tiles. Wall tiles can be fixed on kitchen platform, bathroom, passage, toilet & above or near the basin. These tiles comes in different sizes. Their size is mentioned in inches.

Wall Tiles:- 08-12, 13-10, 18-12, 24-12, 36-12
Floor Tiles:- 12-12, 16-16, 20-20. 24-24. 32-32. 1m-1m

In flooring there are two types of tiles: Ceramic tiles & vitrified tiles.

Vitrified tiles always come in bigger sizes.24-24,32-32 and 1m-1m . Ceramic tiles come in smaller size. Branded tiles like Johnson & Johnson, Somany Ceramics, Kazaria Ceramics & Asian Tiles are very good & preferred by all Indian Home Owners.

Also check Kajaria page with products recommended by Contractorbhai.com team here

Difference between Vitrified tile & Ceramic tile

Ceramic tile is fired & there is glaze over it. In vitrified tile the base material that is sand is different. Upper surface is polished as we polish marble & kota. On ceramic tile the layer of depth is of 1mm while the depth for vitrified tile is 6-7mm. In vitrified tile specific colours like blue, yellow or brown they are made of one material(full body)

Tile Selection

Tile selection is an overwhelming process. Before you head out to Tile showroom, you have to do some homework. You have to understand what kind of tiles will fit your design & budget. You have to take help from your contractor/designer to understand the cost involved. quantity required etc..

Below are a few tips which can make your tile selection process easier…

Measurements
Your contractor has to take measurements of each room individually. You have to work with a contractor to decide what size of tiles you will use in which room, this will give an idea on what quantity of tiles you have to buy.

Tile size
For efficient use of budget, go for bigger tiles in the living room & passage. However in inner rooms you may have usual medium size tiles. Bigger the tiles, the more the cost of tiles. Even contractors charge more for flooring if tiles are bigger.

Internet
All big brands of tiles have their website with online catalogs. You can do some study about what kind of tiles are available, you can study their features. Have a look at designs.

Shop visits
You can easily visit two shops in one trip. Do not visit more shops. More shops, more confusion & more time waste. If you work during the rainy season, it will be a hassle to travel but otherwise any day is fine.

Finish & colour
Wet area matt tiles work better. Living room glossy tiles work better. Bright/Easy colours on the floor look good. In the balcony or bedroom if you want to create a laid back / comfy feel, darker wooden shades can be used.. Imagine Starbucks ambience, it is usually on a darker side, it creates a comforting laid back ambience. Whereas fast food restaurants are bright, they want you to quickly finish food & leave.

Wastage
Every project incurs some amount of tile wastage. Some corners are cut, some edges are cut. Half tile gets cut. Contractor will plan & accordingly try his best to avoid wastage as much as possible, but some amount of wastage you cannot avoid. Prepare for it. Selection of tile size decides how much wastage will happen,

Change in lot
Always buy 10% or more extra tiles compared to the required quantity. SOem will go in wastage, some will remain as extra spare. But you have to do this, because if you buy less & after a month go again to buy one more box, chances are the shade will slightly change.

The Tile making process is like the baking process. Everytime baking takes place there are slight chances of shade variation.

Grout
Every shade of tile requires matching grout. Grout is cement like powder but it matches the colour of your tiles, it is used to fill gaps between tiles. Grout makes the surface look flawless and continuous with edges. Either your contractor or tile shop owner has to help in finding matching grout.

Brand Display
Big brands in all metro cities have their own display center. These are huge collections, you get to see very big collection range. There are company representatives available who can answer your questions. These brand display rooms are not meant for selling purpose, however they can connect you to some nearby authorised dealer who can supply you with the same product.

In the last few years we did find a few brand/company owned displays also getting into selling. It beats the purpose of the company display center, however if they are themself selling tiles, do ask for the best price. A reputable tile brand will not sell, they will connect you to dealer.

Less non-brand availability
If you visit a showroom which has branded & less known branded tiles, the sales person will show you both. In case you liked a tile which is not from a big brand, first confirm with the salesperson if the required quantity of product is available. Many times you like some tile, wasting a lot of time & later the shop keeper will tell you that he is not able to provide the required quantity.

Price of Box doesn’t matter
Do not go by the number of tiles, cross check the square feet area. Boxes may have 2 or 4 or more tiles. However for you what matters is what is cost per square feet & how much square feet comes in a box.

Anti Skid tiles for wet area
Bathroom & utility areas require anti-skid tiles.

Small areas avoid bigger tiles
Bigger sized tiles are costly. Small area will cause a lot of wastage. Hence for small rooms avoid bigger tiles.

Photography not allowed
Most showrooms will not allow you to take pictures of tiles. Because many customers take pictures & then circulate images to multiple shops to get the best price.

However if you are taking pictures for your reference purpose, explain it to the shop owner, take permission before taking pictures.

Residence do not need Full-body tiles
There are full body tiles which are way more studdier but costlier. These are used in commercial places where there is traffic of 1000s of people walking daily. In a residence it will be an unnecessary cost addition.