Ceramic and vitrified tiles make floor décor easy for any space. All you need is to choose from a pile of a thousand designs and order a few boxes of your favourite tiles. Installing tiles is also easy. In fact, covering the floor of your house with tiles could be a lot easier and pocket friendly than even a cement floor.
Floor tile prices in India can range from Rs 30 per square foot to Rs 300 per square foot. Compared to other flooring options, ceramic and vitrified tiles land somewhere in the middle range of the cost spectrum. While not as cheap as cement floor tiles offer a wide range of solutions. So, you can mix and match beautifully designed tiles on the floor of your house for a price you are comfortable with.
What determines Floor Tile Price?
Several factors drive the price of the tiles. Many of these factors have to do with their quality, features, and ratings. In short, the following factors will affect the tile price:
- Material
- Tile Thickness
- Body Strength
- Surface Finish
- Surface Durability
- Design (print) Quality
Generally, wall tiles which are thinner and lighter than the floor tiles (in the same category) are also cheaper. However, several factors drive the prices of tiles and thinner tiles may not always be cheaper than the heavier tiles.
For example, vitrified tiles (prepared at 1200 degrees) are generally more expensive than ceramic tiles (prepped at 800 degrees) regardless of the thickness and weight.
Digitally printed and polished vitrified tiles are more expensive than double-charged vitrified tiles, because of the depth of the pattern and close resemblance to natural materials.
Full-body vitrified tiles which feature a natural stone-like uniform colour pigment throughout their structure, can be more costly than digitally printed tiles. That is due to their usual thickness, and material mix.
So, if you are looking for floor tiles within your budget, you may want to search for them in the following order.
Porcelain Tiles
Image: Johnson Tiles Polished 60x120cm GVTs
Porcelain or Glazed Vitrified Tiles (GVTs) are digitally printed vitrified tiles. These tiles feature some of the most mesmerising and expensive designs among the floor tiles. Leading tile manufacturers in India, like H&R Johnson, use the most modern digital printing technology, creating deep and natural-looking designs on the tiles.
Porcelain tiles present several nature-inspired designs such as marble, sandstone, granite, limestone, etc. The most popular porcelain tile design is, perhaps, the wood plank pattern with a wood finish surface. The tile imitates the natural wood texture, and you can choose from several types of woods like maple, deodar, pinewood, walnut, etc.
Porcelain floor tile price can range from Rs 60 per square foot to Rs 500 per square foot. The price usually varies depending on the design and surface finish of the tile. The vitrified tile receives a glaze and is then printed digitally. The tiles can receive polish after glazing and print to achieve a glossy finish.
Double Charged Vitrified Tiles
Double-charged vitrified tiles (DCVTs) are created without a glaze. The tiles receive a thick layer of colour pigments directly on the tile surface. These tiles usually showcase a dual colour pigment, so the name ‘double charged’. Although you can find multi-charged tiles, the designs are usually indistinguishable.
The layer of top coloured surface can be about 3-4 mm thick on double charged tiles compared to a 1-1.5 mm thick glazed surface of GVTs. This thick design layer on top of the tile makes these tiles perfect for medium to high footfall areas like malls, retail stores, and other commercial areas.
Due to their unique patterns and the sturdiness of the polished surface, good-quality DCVTs tiles are regarded as a perfect alternative to Italian marble. Double-charged floor tiles price in India can range from Rs 40 per square foot to Rs 300 per square foot.
Rectified Ceramic Floor Tiles
Rectified ceramic floor tiles are ceramic tiles that are cut to size after glazing and printing. This final cutting endows the tiles with the following two features:
- Sharper edges
- Perfect angles
- Lower measurement errors
Because of the more accurate cutting, you can install rectified tiles much closer to each other reducing grout line thickness. Normally, tiles are installed with a gap of 3-5 mm. This gap will be sealed with the grout mixture. However, you can have almost invisible grout lines of just 1.5 to 3mm with rectified tiles.
The best-quality rectified tiles can even be installed without grouting. However, you are recommended to maintain a thin line of grout to seal the surface to avoid moisture from seeping into the base.
Rectified floor tiles can bring in superior aesthetics because of the thinner grout lines. Rectified ceramic floor tiles price in India ranges between Rs 60 to Rs 160 per square foot.
Ceramic Floor Tiles
Ceramic floor tiles are the most popular and economical flooring options in India. The digitally printed glazed ceramic tiles offer a wide range of patterns and designs including wood, marble, stone, etc.
The most popular sizes for ceramic floor tiles are 60x60cm, 40x40cm, and 30x30cm. You can also explore the unique designs and patterns in the ceramic tile portfolio. These tiles feature glossy and matt finish surfaces.
You can also use the extra thick (12mm) ceramic floor tiles for outdoor flooring. The glazed surface makes these tiles stain-free and easy to maintain. However, ceramic floor tiles are not recommended for medium to high-traffic areas.
So, home applications are better for these tiles. The price for ceramic floor tiles can vary between Rs 30 to Rs 150 per square foot in India.
Basic Floor Tiles
Basic floor tiles are also glazed ceramic tiles. But usually refer to 40x40cm or smaller tile sizes only. Basic ceramic tiles are also available in multiple patterns and usually matt and glossy surface finish. These tiles are the most pocket-friendly for low-footfall areas such as home bathrooms and seating areas.
Basic ceramic floor tiles prices can range from Rs 25 per square foot to Rs 60 depending on the type of design and thickness of the tile.
How to Install the Best Floor Tile Within Your Budget?
You can install the best possible tiles in your home within your budget. All you need to do is understand the usage and footfall of the space. For example, the modern kitchen needs a tile that can provide anti-skid and stain-free properties (SSR). However, if the home kitchen usage is low, i.e., a couple of hours every day, you can install SSR ceramic floor tiles.
Similarly, SSR ceramic tiles can also cover the bathroom flooring. However, you would want to put the more expensive vitrified tile designs in your living room where you’d be entertaining the guests. Also, the living room is a place where the floor must tolerate a higher footfall.
Similarly, you can classify other spaces like bedrooms, balconies, pavements, staircases, and gardens. Gardens, parking, and pavements can use sturdier and more costly vitrified tiles, while other low-footfall indoor areas can use more pocket-friendly ceramic tiles. Using expensive tiles where you need sturdiness and reserving inexpensive tiles for low-traffic and indoor areas, can optimise your floor tile selection with your budget.