The four types, which are not interchangeable
| Type | Rate / sq ft | Wear behaviour |
|---|---|---|
| Soluble salt | ₹55–85 | Pattern is a thin surface print; wears through in traffic |
| Double-charged | ₹75–140 | 3–4 mm of pattern pressed in; excellent for floors |
| Glazed (GVT/PGVT) | ₹90–250 | Digital print under glaze; best looks, moderate wear |
| Full body | ₹150–320 | Colour right through; commercial and heavy traffic |
Laying adds ₹45–90 per sq ft with adhesive, plus skirting and grout.
Choosing by room, not by picture
Double-charged is the right default for a whole-flat floor: the pattern is millimetres deep so a scratch does not reveal a different colour underneath. Glazed vitrified gives the marble and timber looks that clients actually want, and is fine in bedrooms and living rooms, but a matte glaze in a high-traffic passage will dull. Full body belongs in an office lobby or a shop. Soluble salt belongs in a rental where the floor is a five-year item.
Slip, size and the Mumbai monsoon
- Bathrooms and balconies need an anti-skid finish — look for a wet coefficient of friction above 0.42, not just the word “matte”.
- Large formats (800 × 1600 mm, 1200 × 1800 mm) need a flat substrate and back-buttering; a hollow spot becomes a cracked tile.
- Rectified edges allow 2 mm joints, which is what makes a large-format floor read as a surface rather than a grid.
- Balcony tiles take driven rain — falls of 1:100 to the drain and epoxy grout are worth the extra.
Vitrified versus ceramic
Ceramic tile is fired at a lower temperature, absorbs 3–10% water and is softer. It is fine on walls and in light-use areas and costs half as much. It is not appropriate as a main floor in a flat, and it is not appropriate anywhere water sits. The distinction is water absorption, and any supplier can quote it. Compare against porcelain and see flooring for Mumbai homes. For laying quantities, the tile calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Are vitrified tiles better than marble?+
Cheaper, more consistent and easier to lay, with no sealing. Marble is warmer, repolishable and reads as natural. For a rental or a fast turnaround, tile. For a home you intend to keep twenty years, stone still has an argument.
Which vitrified tile is best for a living room floor?+
Double-charged in 800 × 800 mm or larger, in a mid tone. It hides Mumbai dust between cleans, carries a deep pattern that will not wear through, and costs less than glazed tiles of the same size.
Do vitrified tiles crack?+
The tile rarely fails; the bed does. Cracks almost always trace to hollow spots from poor adhesive coverage or from laying over a slab that was still moving. Full-bed coverage and back-buttering on large formats prevents it.
What joint width should vitrified tiles have?+
2 mm for rectified tiles, 3 mm for non-rectified. Butt-jointing looks tempting and is wrong — tiles and slabs move, and with nowhere to go they lip or chip at the edges.