Today, I am going to write about type of commonly used tiles and their characteristics. I will only be writing in simple and non technical english so that most readers can understanding.
Homogeneous Tile
- Most commonly used tiles in the renovation industry. Most renovation quotations or packages will also state homogeneous tiles for flooring.
- The whole tile is made of the same material. If you accidentally break or chip the edge of your tile, you will still see the same color and material.
- Tough material. Suitable for floor or wall.
- Very wide surface range and color to choose from. Able to create different look and feel.
- Reasonable and affordable price for its material quality and range.
Homogeneous Tile
My parents’ kitchen uses homogeneous tiles. The surface of the tiles is rough (purpose is to prevent the floor from being slippery). I would like to say that it DOESN’T prevent the floor from being slippery (it is as slippery as smooth surface when wet) and the rough surface is trapping dirt (you can see some black dirty stain) which is almost impossible to clean.
A clearer look at my parents’ homogeneous tiles after 6 years of usage.
Ceramic Tile
- Use to be the most commonly used before homogeneous tiles. Older houses or HDB usually use ceramic tiles.
- Made of clay with a glazed surface. Meaning if you break the surface of the tile, you will see the clay base.
- More suitable for wall. Usage as floor tile is less preferred nowadays.
- Beautiful designer surfaces possible as compared to homogeneous.
- Cheap for the normal ceramic tile but can be expensive for those designer ones.
- Advised not to use unless the design is what you wanted.
Ceramic Tile
My parents’ HDB living room ceramic tiles (original condition from HDB).
The edge of the ceramic tile is chipped off when a heavy object (e.g. pad lock) dropped onto the tile. You can see the clay base of the ceramic tile.
Marble Tile
- A piece of marble tile is cut directly from a limestone.
- Highly valued for its beautiful look, strength, resistance to fire and erosion.
- Mostly used for floor in home. Widely used as wall tiles in Shopping Centers.
- Expensive (can be 5 to 6 times more expensive than homogeneous tiles)
Marble Tile
Porcelain Tile
- Another type of clay tile.
- Design selection not as wide as ceramic
- Stronger and tougher than ceramic tile
- Suitable as wall or floor tiles
- Affordable price range
Granite Tile
- Its a type of rock (including quartz) that is form from cooling and solidification of lava.
- Super tough
- Mainly used as floor tiles. Also used for kitchen top.
- Expensive
- Good to have if you have the budget to spare.
Granite Tile
Mosaic Tile
- It is made up of small pieces of material, e.g. ceramic, glass or porcelain, into patterns tile.
- Usually very colorful with beautiful patterns.
- Mainly used as wall tiles. Use as feature wall.
- Expensive.
Mosaic Tile
My master room toilet which I used mosaic tiles as the feature wall. It costed me an additional SGD$500 just to use these tiles on 2 sides of the walls.
Beware of cracks after installation.
Hope this post can help you to understand more about the tiles being used for renovation in Singapore. If you have any feedback, please drop me a comment.
Tags: ceramic tile, granite tile, homogeneous tile, interior design, marble tile, mosaic tile, porcelain tile, SINGAPORE, tile, tiles