VinylTiles vs. Ceramic Tile: Major Differences
Vinyl tile isessentiallythe samematerialused to make sheet vinyl flooring. It is avery thin, manufactured productconstructed fromPVC plasticwitha fiberglass or felt backinglayer that is covered bydesigns printed on thetransparentwear layer.For the tile form offlooring the vinyl iscut into squares that rangefrom 9 to18 inchesacross.Certain varieties of vinyl tile also known ascomposite tiles, include some amountofpulverized stone dust inthe manufacturingprocess.This adds a bit ofrealistic appearance than the plastic-only vinyl tiles.
Another formwhich is vinyl tile can be described aspremium vinyl which is a more robustkind of vinyl flooring whichis secured by clicking-lockedges instead of being appliedusing a troweled-on mastic.It is availableintile form and plankform; the tilesarecommonly referred to asLVT,also known as luxury vinyl tiles.These tiles have a bit morevalue than regularvinyl tiles. They are alsomorecostly.
Ceramic tile ismade ofnatural earth clays mingledwith other substances, coatedwith a glaze on the surface,and fired in ovensfor them to become hard. Porcelainis a particular categoryof ceramic tile; porcelaintiles aremade frommore fine clays andfired at higher temperatures, makingthem harder and more durable.
Ceramictile can be utilizedother on floors, orforwalls, countertopsor showers. However, vinyltiles areused exclusivelyfor flooring purposes.
Appearance
Vinyl Tile
Vinyl floor tiles areoften designed to look likeceramictile, itisn’t very convincing.nearly everyone can discernthedifference between a vinyl floorand aceramic or stonetile floor.Vinyl floor tiledoes come in a hugeselection of colors and styles. From adesign standpoint, you will haveevery possibility youwish for.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tileis also availableina myriadofcolors and styles,however, you’ll pay quitesome for the moreextravagant designs of tile. Ceramic tilecomes with a lotofprestige as a flooring material.Ceramic tiles, in particular, come in many veryappealing designs as aflooring material.
Best for Appearance: Ceramic Tile
Most people agreethat ceramic tilehas anedge inappearance. Vinyl tile,for instance typically aims to resembleceramic tileand itcan be easily recognizedas the imitation.
Water and Heat Resistance
Ceramic and vinyl tileshave the samewaterproofing, sinceboth are completely waterproof.However, both tiles havejoints between tiles , which createthepossibility of water seepingdown into the underlayment andsubfloor.
Vinyl Click Tiles
In its entirety a syntheticmanmade material vinyl tile isprotected from water damage,however, the numerous seams betweentilescan let waterpercolate betweentiles.Thus, vinyl tile isnotas impervioustomoisturelikesheet vinyl. Vinylis susceptible to damageby intense heat, whichcan melt and cause scorching.Additionally, vinyl may releasegaseous substances if it is ignitedin a home fire. 1
Luxury vinyl tilescan be a little moreproblematic with regards tomoisture penetration asthe joints aren’t fittedlike they dofor standardvinyl tiles.But the vinyliscompletely waterproof, andproblems are not likely providedthat spills and puddles can bewiped up.
Ceramic Tile
As a material, the ceramictile is alsoimpervioustowards water damage. Theflooring’s surface is very resistant to water damage.resistance towater penetrationwhen grout seams that areproperly maintained and sealed. Ceramic tile is alsoimpervious to heat damage.
Best for Water and Heat Resistance: Ceramic Tile
Bothhave excellent inherentprotection against water-damage,buttheyalso have seams that canallow moisture to penetratetothe subfloor.Ceramictile ispractically imperviousheat,whereasvinyl tilecan bedamagedthrough heat.
Care and Cleaning
Bothvinyl tiles and ceramictiles areeasyto clean.Regularly sweeping along with regular dampmoppingwitha mild soap solution isenough to take care ofbothflooring materials.
Vinyl Tile
Vinyl tile isamongtheeasiest of allflooring materials tokeepclear.
Ceramic Tile
With ceramic tile,grout linescan become dullin the event that the seal coat has beenlet to break down.If this happens, a good scrubbing withthe grout cleaner with bleachisrequired.
Best for Care and Cleaning: Vinyl Tile
Since it doesn’t havegrout linesto trap stainsor mildew, vinyl tile is theeasiest flooring material to keepfree of dirt.
Durability and Maintenance
Vinyl Tile
Vinyl tilehas an expectedlongevity of 10yearsunder normal usage. Vinyl is a durablematerial that’s a little brittleand prone to gouges andscratches, butreplacingdamaged tilesis not difficult. It’sa fairly easy processtoheat the tile to breakthe adhesive,pullthe tile away, thenscrub the floor cleanandglue down a freshtile.
Ceramic Tile
It is also amuchmore durable and durable material.lives of 40 ormore are not uncommon.Tiles that are damaged can be removedand replaced.Lines of grout on ceramic tilesshould be sealed every couple ofyears, and cleaned whenevertheyget dirty or stainedbymildew.
Best for Durability and Maintenance: Ceramic Tile
It isrobust and durable material.
Installation
Vinyl Tile
Traditionally, vinyltile isapplied by a glue-down bondin which flooring adhesive istroweled onto the floor beforethe tiles arepressed downinto their respective positions.But self-adhesive tiles now dominatethe market.The adhesivehas been applied by a factory, and then coated witha protective paper that isremoved when it’s timetolay the tiles. Vinyl tile isamongthefavorite flooring materialsfor DIYers, thanksto its easy installation.
Various forms of luxury vinylplanks and tiles are installedwith the intention of creating”floating” floors, inwhere individual pieces are joinedto each other using a snap-lock systemthat holds the planks andtilestogether alongthe edges.The process of installation is similar to the oneemployed for laminate flooringmaking it a breezeforDIYers.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic or porcelaintile is alwaysinstalled using a thin-set adhesivewhich is used to stickthe tiles over an underneathcomprised of cement board.Partial tiles can be cutby hand using a device thatis able to score and snap the tiles or using a powerfulwet saw.When the adhesive is dry,each joint of tiles gets filledmortar-basedmortar, whichwill be sealed after dryingcompletely.The installation of ceramic tiles can belabor-intensive,plenty ofDIYersmanage it with success.However, it’s moreoften the case for ceramic tilesbeing installedbyprofessionals.
Best for Installation: Vinyl Tile
Vinyl tile isansimpleflooring materialthat DIYers caninstall.The installation of ceramic tiles islabor-intensive, but it’sabsolutely possible for DIYers toaccomplish it.
Cost
Vinyl Tile
In general, Renovation it isthe least expensive typeof flooring.Self-adhesive vinyl tiles bought atbig-box home improvement centers generallywill cost between$1.50approximately to $3.5 per squarefootand professional installation typically costsapproximately $3 per square feet. Vinyl tileis easy to put inyourself.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramictile can cost around$5 per squareft for the materialon their own, which is within a rangeof $1 for plain whitetilestogreater than 20 cents per square foot ofdesigner porcelain tiles.Professional installation may cost between$4to$15 per square footdependingupon the labor costs withinyourlocation and the level of complexityof thework yourtask requires.
Best for Installation: Vinyl Tiles
Vinyl tileis a fantasticflooringfor DIYers.installing ceramic tile can requirea considerable amount of work.
Lifespan
Vinyl Tile
Vinylfloor tiles are typicallyand can be replaced in approximately10 years, but longerdurations can be possible in light-usesituations.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramictile may last foryears, with life spans of40or more yearstypical.
Best for LIfespan: Ceramic Tile
It’s not a question: Ceramic tile is aextremely durable and long-lastingflooring material.
Environmental Considerations
Vinyl Tile
Vinyl flooringhas a number of toxicchemicals.Although these chemicals are strongin their manufactured form,these chemicals are not safe toget rid of in landfills,and have the potentialfor the release of toxic gases in the event thatthe flooring is burned. 1 Environmentally conscious homeowners areconcerned about the use ofvinyl flooring.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile isanaturalproduct with nothingharmful in its constituents.Old ceramic tile causes nopollution when it findsits wayto the landfill.
Best for the Environment: Ceramic Tile
Since it doesn’t contain anychemical components, ceramic tileisan ideal choicefor the environment.concerns.
Sizes
Bothceramic tile and vinylare available in a varietyofsizes and shapes,but ceramic tile providesmore options.
Vinyl Tile
Vinyl tilesare typicallysquare in shape,with sizes of 9-18inchesacross.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tiles made of squares typically beginaround 3 inches wide in size, and extend up to18 inches. Theyare also availableintiny mosaic tilesthat are attachedto meshbackings and in geometric shapesand rectangular shapes.
Ideal for sizes: Ceramictile
Ceramic tileoffers more shapedimensions and shapes thandoesvinyltile.
Resale Value
Vinyl Tile
Vinyl flooring isusually recognizedasa floor that is considered to be economical,though this is less truein the case of contemporaryluxury vinyl tiles or planks.
Ceramic Tile
Floor tiles made of porcelain or ceramicwill always bethought of as high-end flooring materialsby real estateprofessionals as well aspotential homebuyers, particularly whenthe flooring uses designerporcelain tiles.
Best for Resale Value: Ceramic Tile
Awell-maintained tile floorwill always have more prestigeand greater real estate valuethanvinyl tile flooring.
Comfort and Sound
Vinyl Tile
Vinyl tile floors asthey are incredibly durable they are more comfortableand quietunderfoot than rock-hardceramic tile. Inakitchen,a china dishdroppedon vinyl might survive as shattering can be apossible outcome if it falls ontoceramic tile.But vinyl flooring is stilla fairly hard flooring material and is especially effective when laid overconcrete flooring.
Ceramic Tile
As well as being veryhard, ceramic tilealsooften a very cold flooring option unlessit’s installed onan electric floorheating system, which cantransform it into an incrediblyinvitingsurface.
Best for Comfort and Sound: Vinyl Tile
Each flooring material issoft underfoot. However, vinyltilecan be compared toceramic tile due to it beingsomewhat soft.
The Verdict
Themajor advantages ofvinyl tilearethe low price andsimple DIYinstallation.On other aspectsofcomparison,ceramic tilehas a higher valueflooringmaterial, offering a betterappearance, more durability,and greater resale potential.
Bathroom Finishes
Tiling a bathroom or Toilet Overlay can have the biggest impacton the look and feel of yourbathroom.You may choose to go with contrastingcolours or go with matchingyour tiles with the wallin order to have a consistent style.Instead, try usingbathroom accessories that add colortothe space.
For bathrooms that are smaller, it makes sensetomake the tiles thesame colour , which makes theroom seem biggervisually.Select bright coloured finishes tomake the room appear larger.
Select flooring that is well-aged as flooring tilesbe subject to a high amountoffoot traffic and constantdampness.
Wall tiles for shower areas
Classic wood-grained feature wall
Tiles for subway walls horizontal
Larger vs Smaller Tiles
Selecting larger floor tiles makesthefloor appear more spacious.There are also lessgrout lineswhere dirt couldbecome stuck, as comparedtothe tiny mosaic tiles.
The smaller tiles on thecontrary, focus attentionandgives a more detailed lookwhich makes the space feelcomfortable and inviting.Tiles that are smaller are morepopularly used in showersas they are less proneto slip.
Overlaying Tiles
Ifyou have an existingtiled bathroom it is possible to apply new tiles overexisting tiles on the floorand walls is also feasible.Overlaying could save30 percent as comparedto hacking, which bringsthepossibilityofdust and noise.
However, one shouldbe sure to inspect and verifythat allfixtures and doorshave at least a 10mmallowance for a rise infloor height.
Anti-Slip Floor Tiles
Ifyou happen to haveelderly residents at homechoosing floor tiles that are anti-slipisa good option.Preventing slips in the bathroomis a major concernin elderly people who oftenfall or slip because the floor is likely tobe slippery and wet right afterthe shower. There aremany floor tileswith anti-slip properties availablewith a variety of designs that don’tinterfere with the styleof theroom.
