[Sheel]

For flooring, which is better? Ceramic tiles or marbles? If someone has a budget of Rs. 250/300 per square feet.

Could someone list the pros & cons?

A friend has got granite from Gujrat/Rajasthan for Rs. 60 per square feet with transportation charge coming to Rs. 1L. Would that be good?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Sheel

For flooring, which is better? Ceramic tiles or marbles? If someone has a budget of Rs. 250/300 per square feet.

Could someone list the pros & cons?

A friend has got granite from Gujrat/Rajasthan for Rs. 60 per square feet with transportation charge coming to Rs. 1L. Would that be good?

I always prefer Stone for flooring, as the quality of workmanship for laying is average in general. That means that the stone/tiles are not laid flush with each other, there is always a slight height difference (it may be 1/10 of an mm, but you can feel it and dust/dirt get trapped there). With stone floors you can grind the surface to mirror finish with no undulations at the joints.

The quality of granite varies a lot and so does the cost. The stone mined in South is in general much harder than in other parts of the country. Secondly, stone coming from Gujarat may be imported from either Turkey (grey) or Australia (white). These are softer than local granite but harder than marble.

The problems with granite flooring are
. It is much harder than normal stone, hence polishing the floor will be prohibitively expensive.
. Once polished, the super slick surface is a hazard in domestic context. People will slip and fall constantly.

That is why granite is fine for commercial large footfall areas, but not for domestic floors. Used as counter tops it is fine, used for decorative patches in floors is OK, but large floor areas are a no no.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Aroy

I always prefer Stone for flooring, as the quality of workmanship for laying is average in general. That means that the stone/tiles are not laid flush with each other, there is always a slight height difference (it may be 1/10 of an mm, but you can feel it and dust/dirt get trapped there). With stone floors you can grind the surface to mirror finish with no undulations at the joints.

Thanks for the prompt reply Ajoy Sir

Nowadays, I see tiles coming in with a large size, maybe 4'/2' or something. Plus, as said by the shopkeeper, the top layer won't lose its sheen for at least 10 years. These tiles [by Kajaria] start at Rs 120 per sq/feet or so.

In stone [marble flooring], it stays very cold in winters [can be taken care of by using carpets] but the sheen is lost because of hard water, so one has to get it polished.

Have another query regarding seeping walls [not because of pipes or anything] but this is common at our place. A sheet of thermocol, waterproof ply and laminated paper would work? How would wooden plastic composite work? Can one wall be done with this, another to have tiles mimicking the stone pattern and rest be painted? Don't wish to have busy looking walls or one looking like a commercial place. What options are there?

[mxh]

Ceramic tiles are excessively reflective and clearly look like tiles. And they are not available in very large sizes. I have gone for white marble, and did the polishing after around 12 years. No other maintenance was required other than regular cleaning.

[reverse_gear]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Have another query regarding seeping walls [not because of pipes or anything] but this is common at our place. A sheet of thermocol, waterproof ply and laminated paper would work? How would wooden plastic composite work? Can one wall be done with this, another to have tiles mimicking the stone pattern and rest be painted? Don't wish to have busy looking walls or one looking like a commercial place. What options are there?

Having dealt a lot with seepage in our homes, I would suggest evaluate it carefully before trying to cover up. Seepage weakens the structure of the walls over time. While the outward appearance is in the form of mold and peeling paint (especially in the monsoon season), there is significant internal damage that can happen to the walls, depending on the extent of seepage. If you cover it up, maybe the appearance will look better for a while but the internal damage will not stop. What is worse, you will not be able to see the extent of seepage. Typically, in such situations, the water will start seeping through an adjacent wall which is not covered up and you will be back to square one.

It's always advisable to treat the source of the seepage through proper waterproofing. Also, bear in mind that damp structures attract termites much more than properly treated and waterproofed structures. If your house gets infected by termites, it is a royal pain to get rid of them.

[RaguHolla]

Originally Posted by Sheel

For flooring, which is better? Ceramic tiles or marbles? If someone has a budget of Rs. 250/300 per square feet.

Could someone list the pros & cons?

A friend has got granite from Gujrat/Rajasthan for Rs. 60 per square feet with transportation charge coming to Rs. 1L. Would that be good?

Better in which way? Durability? Health impact? Looks?

When we had our house we had following choice.

Granite:
Since they come in big size, occupy relative large room with minimal joints.
Pros: Minimal joints mean, maintain dust between join is good.
They are also thicker, handle normal impacts better.
Cons: Floor coloring usually darker unless ready to spend a bomb for imported tiles.
Cold weather in Bengaluru means will create joint pains especially for ladies.


Marble:
Pro: Lighter colors available.
Cons: More expensive
Cold weather becomes unbearable.

Vitrified Tiles:
Pro: Good quality tiles is available in lighter color.
Availability in 300mm X300mm or 4' X 2'... Bigger size..
Laying charges are less than granite, need no polishing.
For granite rates, quality of tiles surpasses imported granite in looks.
Con: More joints, but bigger tiles means lesser joints.
Thinner than Granite or marble, if not laid with proper filling easily breaks.
less susceptible to cold, but still retains cold.



We decided to go with Vitrified tiles for flooring, granite for Stairs. Family room flooring is done with wood flooring (main reason cold). Reason is we could easily adapt lighter color flooring with various other aspect of interior, Granite are much colder than vitrified.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by reverse_gear

It's always advisable to treat the source of the seepage through proper waterproofing. Also, bear in mind that damp structures attract termites much more than properly treated and waterproofed structures. If your house gets infected by termites, it is a royal pain to get rid of them.

There is no source of seepage It is moisture and not just our home. It is more pronounced in old structure but is there new structure as well and doesn't limit itself to first floor, it is as high as 4th floor [beyond that it not allowed here]

Originally Posted by RaguHolla

Better in which way? Durability? Health impact? Looks?
We decided to go with Vitrified tiles for flooring, granite for Stairs. Family room flooring is done with wood flooring (main reason cold). Reason is we could easily adapt lighter color flooring with various other aspect of interior, Granite are much colder than vitrified.

Your post sums up beautifully

Amongst marble & granite, which is better?

Better in looks of course and that it shouldn't have health cons. I believe the budget is (just) ok to have either of the three. Are expensive tiles a waste?

[Bomi]

Originally Posted by Sheel

For flooring, which is better? Ceramic tiles or marbles? If someone has a budget of Rs. 250/300 per square feet.

Could someone list the pros & cons?

A friend has got granite from Gujrat/Rajasthan for Rs. 60 per square feet with transportation charge coming to Rs. 1L. Would that be good?

The no-headache option is vitrified tiles in SATIN MATT finish. While glossy finish looks good it is extremely slippery. If you have old or middle aged folks at home, you need to consider this factor. These tiles are now available in 2' *2' of 4' * 2' sizes.

Both granite and marble will be glossy and hence slippery. You can polish granite to a matt finish, but then the surface will look dull and the beauty of the stone will not come through.

Also bear in mind that while uncut granite slabs may appear cheap, the cutting and finishing cost (polishing the edges/corners) is a killer.

[Maverick79]

Pals,
After being in a rented house for more than 4 years in Chennai, we are in the final stage of rounding off to a new Duplex/ villa.
Need references/experiences for installing domestic lift in/outside/back yard the house.
Any pointers on already existing players/contractors would be of great help.
Max capacity : 2 Pax.
Would like to explore Hydraulic/ electric/ any other powered versions.


Mods: Pls merge/ change this post if we have a separate/ dedicated thread on the same.

Thanks in Advance.

Regards,
Maverick.

[Sheel]

Thanks all

Yes, I do want non slippery surface. I have aged parents and one day, I will be a senior citizen too, don't want any slipping sliding at home.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Your post sums up beautifully

Amongst marble & granite, which is better?

Better in looks of course and that it shouldn't have health cons. I believe the budget is (just) ok to have either of the three. Are expensive tiles a waste?

Marble is better, hence they cost more Marble will tell about their presence when looked at and walked on.

For vitrified, the larger the size, the more they are prone to bends. This will result in joints not being really invisible after some time.

[RaguHolla]

Originally Posted by Sheel

Amongst marble & granite, which is better?

Better in looks of course and that it shouldn't have health cons. I believe the budget is (just) ok to have either of the three. Are expensive tiles a waste?

Look wise Marble will be better, not that you won't get Good granite (like one you import from Brazil costs 1500 sqft!). But both are slippery.

However before you chose either check any of these match your intended interior, see if one has edge over other!

Regarding slippery surface, with water all three are dangerous! For normal usage its isn't slippery. What we did with our external stairs (which can get wet due to rain water), we got step granite to lappato finish. With this granite texture may not be highlighted but it gives unique look, and mainly do not slip even water on steps (Something you can check in granite shop and keep in mind if you do choose granite)!


@srishiva: Large vitrified if laid correctly (with enough sand, with uniform cement in all area) has no issue. Otherwise I agree with you. But this is same with Granite also!

[Aakarsh]

I would like to share a disadvantage of using marble. If something heavy falls on the marble floor and some damage is occoured. In form of cracks etc. Then it's really hard to replace it. Even after the replacement, there would be a mismatch in form of colour or texture or may be pattern, which would be easily evident.

But in case of vitrified tiles, one can easily replace the damaged ones. If you go ahead with vitrified tiles then don't forget to stock some extra tiles from the same lot in your inventory.

Just my 2 cents. I am not that knowledgeful. Pardon if I am missing something.

Best regards
Aakarsh

[JLS]

Originally Posted by Sheel

For flooring, which is better? Ceramic tiles or marbles? If someone has a budget of Rs. 250/300 per square feet.

Could someone list the pros & cons?

A friend has got granite from Gujrat/Rajasthan for Rs. 60 per square feet with transportation charge coming to Rs. 1L. Would that be good?

I had part marbles and part granite laid at my house.
Within 3-4 years both lost their shine and luster and started looking very ordinary and old.

As a part of renovation(after almost 14 years) I went ahead and replaced all these with double vitrified tiles.

I have seen vitrified tiles not losing their shine upto atleast 10 years at my relative's places. Also now with the new technology - tiles with larger dimensions are available, and also they are more durable and long lasting.

Yes, tiles are not as thick as marbles, but within residential areas - breaking of tiles is never an issue.

Also regarding glossy v/s matte/satin finish - glossy finish is little bit slippery only if dusty(with fine dust/sand particles etc.) and also if you walk with slippers. With bare feet and relatively clean it is not slippery at all and actually feels very good and smooth to walk upon. I have major part of floors covered with glossy finish tiles and a small part with rough/matte finish - I do not find any difference and I definitely do not feel that glossy finish is hazardous. - Please do not keep glossy finish out of your choices and alternatives just because of this consideration.

Bending problem with larger size vitrified tiles may be there - but if you go with good brands - you will definitely not face this issue.

My two cents - based on my recent experience of renovation - hope this helps.

Regards,
JLS

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Maverick79

Pals,
After being in a rented house for more than 4 years in Chennai, we are in the final stage of rounding off to a new Duplex/ villa.
Need references/experiences for installing domestic lift in/outside/back yard the house.
Any pointers on already existing players/contractors would be of great help.
Max capacity : 2 Pax.
Would like to explore Hydraulic/ electric/ any other powered versions.


Mods: Pls merge/ change this post if we have a separate/ dedicated thread on the same.

Thanks in Advance.

Regards,
Maverick.

In my experience it is better to have Elevators from Well Known Players. Here in Delhi, the people I work with use Schindler. These are reasonably priced and for small sizes as good as or better than Otis or Kone. Their after sales service is also excellent. Remember if you need a license to run the lifts (as is required in Delhi), then you have to have an AMC. I would avoid local brands, even though they may be half the cost. You get what you pay for.

I would recommend a 4 person lift rather than a two person one. The costs are similar from 2 to 6 persons and you get more capacity. The average cost is 10 lacs including civil works.

Hydraulic lifts are excellent for small heights, but there are very few players in the domestic sector, so AMC may be problematic

Originally Posted by Aakarsh

I would like to share a disadvantage of using marble. If something heavy falls on the marble floor and some damage is occoured. In form of cracks etc. Then it's really hard to replace it. Even after the replacement, there would be a mismatch in form of colour or texture or may be pattern, which would be easily evident.

But in case of vitrified tiles, one can easily replace the damaged ones. If you go ahead with vitrified tiles then don't forget to stock some extra tiles from the same lot in your inventory.

Just my 2 cents. I am not that knowledgeful. Pardon if I am missing something.

Best regards
Aakarsh

That is partially true. Any flooring will crack, even with normal use, if the substrate is not flat and firm, and voids develop. With stone the substrate is normally laid properly, but with tiles the floor preparation is skimped and voids remain.

As far as replacement is concerned, both stone and tiles are a pain to replace, and invariably adjacent pieces are chipped while taking the damaged piece out. With stone you can use a filler patch, but with chipped tile you either replace that also or live with it

Originally Posted by Sheel

Thanks for the prompt reply Ajoy Sir

Nowadays, I see tiles coming in with a large size, maybe 4'/2' or something. Plus, as said by the shopkeeper, the top layer won't lose its sheen for at least 10 years. These tiles [by Kajaria] start at Rs 120 per sq/feet or so.

In stone [marble flooring], it stays very cold in winters [can be taken care of by using carpets] but the sheen is lost because of hard water, so one has to get it polished.

Have another query regarding seeping walls [not because of pipes or anything] but this is common at our place. A sheet of thermocol, waterproof ply and laminated paper would work? How would wooden plastic composite work? Can one wall be done with this, another to have tiles mimicking the stone pattern and rest be painted? Don't wish to have busy looking walls or one looking like a commercial place. What options are there?

Stone can be polished every 10 years for at least 10 times, tiles cannot.

Seepage of walls can occur due to various reasons. In your case it is most probably the capillary action that is conducting the moisture from ground up to the terrace. Unfortunately there is no low cost easy solution. You have to get the lower level - at least the bottom 5 to 8 feet waterproofed. The only sure shot method is to employ a water proofing contractor who will inject special chemical in a 1 meter grid. The chemical will be injected at high pressure and seals all the micro cracks in the structure. That will not only prevent water seepage due to capillary action, but also stop termite infestation, as they will have no route to enter through the microscopic cracks in the wall.