Marble V/S Vitrified Tiles: Who’s in for the win?

Marble is a highly demanded luxury product. The stones made from natural metamorphosis of earthen soil have a distinct beauty that compliments architectural glory. Marble has been used to construct monuments for centuries, however, they are also used locally to design the interiors of houses, hotels etc.

Although marbles are popular, their luxurious nature discourages people to opt for vitrified tiles as an alternative instead. Vitrified tiles are ceramic tiles that are used for flooring and wall decor.

If you’re confused about which to opt for, then here’s a detailed comparison on 7 factors for your help.

Material

Marble: Marble is a natural stone made from calcite, dolomite or a combination of both the minerals called serpentine.

Vitrified Tiles: Tiles are made from kaolin clay, feldspar, silica and coloring oxides.

Visual

Marble: Since marble is naturally made through metamorphosis of stones, they have a unique veiny pattern to them. This natural beauty is hard to recreate, after all, it was nurtured in Earth’s own soil. Marble colours are also formed due to cavities and impurities, giving them their own characteristics. Although they have a unique pattern, no marble will look the same in different interiors.

Vitrified Tiles: Tiles are made of clay. Since they are man-made, clay can be given any shape, form, design etc.Tiles come with intricate designs that challenge the beauty of marble, majority of the time, the designs of tiles are directly copied from marble to give it a natural look. Although tiles may not portray natural perfection, they bring out their own unique look and feel.

Durability

Marble: The first reason why people purchase marble is look, the second is durability. Marble is carved from huge blocks of stone. These stones, if maintained timely, can last for centuries. It is rare for marble to break or chip off from edges. They are highly durable and have good longevity.

Vitrified Tiles: Tiles on the other hand are not as durable as marble. Since they are made from clay and ceramic materials, they are more likely to break if heavy objects fall on them. Their durability is also the reason why they are a cheaper alternative to marble.

Installation

Marble: Marble has a lengthy installation process. They are cut into ready-to-install slabs of uniform sizes with uniform patterns but they need to be handled with care.

Vitrified Tiles: As mentioned above, tiles need to be grouted and cut before installing. They also have to be matched ahead of time due to their intricate patterns. This can make the installation process lengthy but not as lengthy as marble.

Heat Transfer

Marble: Marble has excellent heat transfer quality. They can endure high heat without damaging themselves and provide equal amounts of coolness when exposed to cold weather.

Vitrified Tiles: Vitrified tiles on the other hand can tarnish if exposed to even mediocre heat. If you wish to opt for tiles then you would have to specifically search for heat reflective tiles.

Thickness

Marble: Marble slabs come with a standard of 18mm thickness. Due to this, the slabs have to be carefully transported. While installation, the weight and thickness also need to be considered to provide required support.

Vitrified Tiles: Vitrified tiles are thinner as compared to marble slabs. Since they are mass produced and sold in bulk quantities, the thinner tiles don’t require much effort.

Maintenance

Marble: Natural stones are susceptible to acidic liquids like wine, vinegar, fruit juice, hence, they need to be sealed from time to time. They can be easily cleaned from time to time.

Vitrified Tiles: Added efforts are required to clean tiles as they stain easily and lose luster over time. Cleaning the grout requires a herculean effort because not many cleaners are strong enough to clean it.

Cost

Marble: Marble is a luxury product, hence it is more expensive than tiles. You can refer to the prices of marble before making a purchase.

Vitrified Tiles: Vitrified tiles are cheaper as compared to marble. Many people opt for tiles due to this single factor.

Which One Should You Opt For?

Looking at the pros and cons, we can conclude that marble definitely has more pros than cons. Apart from the cost factor, you may not need much to consider buying marble slabs. If you’re looking to buy marble then here are a few things that you can consider before purchase.

Nonetheless, the final decision depends on your own personal requirements. You can opt for either marble or tile or a combination of both to build your own house.

If you wish to purchase marble then you can opt for Sipani Marbles’s elegant products. We are marble manufacturers located in India and we cater to the Indian consumers.

For enquiries, please get in touch with us at +91- 9900022355 or sales@sipanisoftstones.com