Ceramic tiles are the widely used floor finish because of their durability, moisture proof, easy to clean and maintain and availability of many unique and beautiful varieties of designs, sizes and colors.
We have Porcelain tiles, vitreous tiles and ceramic tiles in the market. In general they are all referred to as ceramic tiles.

Below are the  common types of Ceramic Tiles,

Ceramic tiles. The beauty of the traditional ceramic tiles is the wide variety of colors and patterns to choose from. They are commonly used in residential areas or where the traffic is not very heavy. It’s also from these ceramic tiles that we get tiles that have very good slip resistant surface, making them ideal for wet areas like bathrooms.

Vitreous tiles.Can be used to beautify a wall as A wall coverings. They are very colorful, aesthetically-pleasing to the eye. They are not commonly known but they are in market. They are harder than traditional ceramic tiles. It’s also ideal for heavy traffic and exposed areas.

Porcelain tile is both harder and denser than the other traditional ceramic tile products. Porcelain and traditional ceramic tiles are commonly used in both private and public buildings. You can always depend on ceramic tiles for long life span and unique visual appeal

 Factors to Consider Before Buying Ceramic Tiles.

Budget. How much are you willing to spend on the floor/wall finish? With the help of a skilled tiler you can take the square area of the surface and get the quantity of tiles, adhesive, edges, grout etc, which may be needed to successfully cover the area targeted. With these quantities you can visit different shops selling tiles and compare the prices and varieties on offer. You should buy what you like and can afford. Different ceramic tiles have different prices. Porcelain tiles are general more costly than traditional ceramic tiles.

Use of the Room. Wet rooms like bathroom, laundry, and kitchen require non slip tiles. Consider the traffic of the room, if the there is heavy traffic in the room then porcelain tiles are handy because they can endure heavy continuous traffic. Porcelain is strong and long lasting. It’s ideal for public places and residential house because it’s appealing.

Bonding Adhesive. This is a very important factor, because it is directly related to the workmanship and durability of the entire tile work. Some floor tiles especially ceramic tiles will bond well with ordinary cement. But for porcelain or vitreous tiles if you use ordinary cement, they will not bond well and may come off after a few months or years. Porcelain and vitreous tiles have special tile adhesive material that bond well with the tiles and floor surface. This tile adhesive is sold by the same outlets selling the tiles.

The pattern to use. Will the tiles be laid in a straight pattern or diagonal pattern? Diagonal pattern has a lot of wastage, because of the many cuttings. Diagonal pattern comes in handy when the shape of the room doesn’t have square i.e. when the corners of the room are not 90degrees.Diagonal pattern can be recommended for big and rectangles or square shaped rooms.

The spacing between the tiles. Will the surface have zero joints? Spacers are used to get specific joints of specific thickness. Spacers are cross- like plastics made of certain thickness. The spacers come in various sizes, 2mm and 3mm, 5mm thickness etc. They help in maintaining a certain uniform thickness throughout the tiled surface. It’s this space that is normally filled with grout. Grout is a cement based adhesive. It basically joins the tiles together. Grout is waterproof and also enhances the beauty of the tile finish.

Tiling Contractor. Hire a skilled person to fixing the tiles, he must be experienced and professional, he must get the job done right the first time. There is no need of spending a lot of time and money to buy the ceramic tiles and then you get unqualified tiler. Ask to see his previous work,and talk previous  clients ,to get a clear picture of his character and workmanship.