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Wall Tile vs. Floor Tile: What is the difference?

  • Interior design
Oct 05, 2022
Designer tiles for floor with motif - Beautiful Homes

Not sure which tiles to install on the floors and walls of your home? Learn how to differentiate between wall tiles and floor tiles with these 7 factors and make the right decision!

Designing a beautiful home that meets all your expectations and reflects your personality is no easy feat. It involves making a ton of decisions. Like how to use up the available space, which colours to pick for which rooms, what furniture to buy, and, most importantly, how to pick the right tiles for the floors and the walls of your home. Read on to find out the difference between wall tiles and floor tiles and learn how to pick the best tiles for floors and walls!

 

The tile market is ever-growing and awfully confusing. With a number of options to choose from, people are finding it increasingly difficult to recognize the difference between wall tiles and floor tiles. Are they made of porcelain or of ceramic? Do they look the same? Can they be used interchangeably? Innovations may have blurred the original definitions of the two, but these 7 factors will help you clearly understand the wall tile vs floor tile debate so you can choose the right ones for your home.

Wall Tile vs Floor Tile: What’s the Difference?

There are many ways to tell the difference between floor and wall house tiles. The most important ones have been listed below- 

 

Top 7 Factors: Wall Tile vs Floor Tile

Coefficient of Friction (COF) and PORCELAIN ENAMEL INSTITUTE (PEI) Ratings

Inscrutable as they may sound, COF and PEI ratings define the slipperiness and the hardness of a tile. Knowing how to read these ratings will help you decide if you should install the tile on your wall or your floor.

Wall tiles & floor tiles difference - Beautiful Homes
Marble floor tiles & wall tiles for bathroom - Beautiful Homes

Coefficient of Friction Rating

All tiles, may they be porcelain or wooden or ceramic tiles, have a COF rating. This rating tells you how slippery a tile is. The lower the COF, the lesser the friction, and the slippier the tile. Which means that, when you’re looking for floor tiles for living rooms, they should have a high COF rating and be safe to walk on.

Porcelain Enamel Institute Rating

Another important factor in the wall tile vs floor tile debate is the PEI rating. It defines the strength of a tile and determines how much weight it can endure. PEI ratings are classified into six different classes–from a Class 0 tile that cannot handle any weight and must be installed on walls to a Class V tile that can be used for flooring in areas with heavy footfall.

Difference between wall tiles and floor tiles - Beautiful Homes
Marble floor tiles for living room design - Beautiful Homes

Wall Tile vs Floor Tile: COF and Pei Ratings

Wall tiles can have any COF and PEI rating; it does not matter if they are slippery or if they cannot endure any weight. However, the same is not true for floor tiles. A floor tile should have a COF rating greater than 0.5 and a PEI rating between Class 3 and 5 so it can be used safely.

 


Appearance

When it comes to appearances, there are two major differences between floor and wall tiles–size and thickness. Floor tiles are usually thicker as they have to endure a lot of weight, while wall tiles can be thin. Moreover, wall tiles are comparatively smaller and more lightweight so that they can be installed with ease, whereas most people have been using 18x18 inch designer tiles for floors these days. As for colours, patterns, and shapes, there are a variety of options you can choose from for both wall and floor tiles.

 

Water and Heat Resistance

As floor tiles are typically thicker, they have a greater amount of resistance to heat. So if you’re looking for kitchen wall tiles for your countertop, find the ones that are comparatively thicker. But if you’re looking for living room floor tiles or exterior wall tiles, you can count this factor as irrelevant.

 

As for water resistance, there is virtually no difference between floor and wall tiles, except when it comes to the material they are made of. Porcelain tiles are denser and smoother, which makes them more moisture-resistant than their ceramic counterparts. Wooden tiles, however, may not be as moisture and heat-resistant.

Durability and Maintenance

There isn’t a significant difference between wall tiles and floor tiles when it comes to durability. When installed correctly, both house tiles are easy to clean and maintain. They can be washed using soap and water and, depending on the material, liquid dish soap, vinegar, bleach, baking soda, or detergent. If taken care of properly, both these tiles can last for decades.

 

Installation

The installation process for both wall tiles and floor tiles is similar. Start by laying a mould using cement backboards. Then, apply a thin-set adhesive with a notched towel. Cut (wall tiles are thinner and hence easier to cut) and install the tiles, and, once they are dry, fill up the spaces between them with a mortar-based grout. Let the setting rest for 24 hours before you start using the space.

Bathroom wall tiles with wall cabinet - Beautiful Homes

Price of Tiles

The wall tiles vs floor tiles price is unmistakably one of the most important factors to look at when designing your home. It’s important to note that the price of any tile will depend on its material, size, shape, and design.

 

Floor tiles, which tend to be larger and thicker, start from ₹100 per square foot. These tiles may not have decorative patterns, but high-end marble designer tiles for floors can cost as much as ₹2000 per square foot.

On the other hand, designer tiles for walls are thinner, and start from about ₹80. They come in a variety of decorative patterns that can bring out the beauty of specific areas within your home. As a result, wall tiles prices can go as high as ₹2000 per square foot.

In the end, the price of tiles, be they for floors or walls, fall within the same range.

 

Lifespan

The lifespan of a tile depends on multiple factors, including quality of the material, thickness, installation area, and maintenance. For example, if you install a thick, good-quality floor tile in your home, it will last you for decades. But if you go with, say thin kitchen floor tiles, you are more likely to replace them sooner rather than later. Wall tiles, on the other hand, can be thick or thin, and only demand that you employ your best interior design skills to choose the right design!

 

 

Can One Work as the Other?

The answer to this question is different for floor tiles and wall tiles. You cannot use wall tiles as floor tiles, because they are thin and wouldn't be able to endure as much pressure. They also tend to be slippery and would be much more difficult to maintain if installed on the floor.

 

Floor tiles, on the other hand, can double up as wall tiles. But remember, they do not come in as many patterns. And you will have to consider cutting them down, as they come in comparatively larger sizes than the standard wall tiles.

 

 

How can Beautiful Homes Help?

At Asian Paints Beautiful Homes, we understand how significant it is to build each corner of your home. Simply let us know about the interior design you are looking for, and we will assist you in transforming your vision into reality by fine-tuning your ideas. Whether you want to create more aesthetic appeal or align the vibe of your space with existing structures or play with colour combinations - we will be able to meet your needs. We have helped scores of homeowners customise interiors with specific furnishings and can guide you through the entire process of selecting and installing wall and floor tiles for your entire home.

 

Our approaches to modern interior design ideas come in a wide range. At Beautiful Homes, we provide a large selection of products and services to cater to your interior design and décor needs. We've got it all, from furniture to wall treatments, lighting to wood solutions. Our design professionals are well-versed in all styles of interior design and tiling ideas. Our interior designs are splendid yet functional enough to create an elegant environment and make your experience memorable. From the right furnishings and materials in diverse colours to a variety of options and accessories for your home—find what you’re looking for, and get your wall and floor design ideas just right. Our Beautiful Homes Service Advantage includes-

  1. Interior design experts
  2. Personalised service
  3. State-of-the-art 3D visualization
  4. End-to-end service
  5. Project management
  6. Signature walls
  7. Floating Cabinets
  8. Portable wardrobes

Our current home décor & furnishing stores are spread across Amritsar, Tumakuru, Raipur, Jaipur, New Delhi, Kochi, Karur, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, and Nashik. In addition, we are in the process of opening up state-of-the-art stores across several more cities in India.

 

Visit our website to check out the various options we offer. You can also have a look at the projects executed by us so far - what you see is what you get in terms of quality and value.

 

You may book a 3D consultation call with us to understand the project's process, design, and execution, or walk into our stores across India to know more about our offerings. With our interior design services, you will get custom solutions and an experience that is tailored to your specific needs.

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