While you are decorating the interior of your home, you might come across such questions as what to use on the floor, or in the kitchen between tiles and marble slabs? Which one will be more suitable? And which one will add more glamor and aesthetics, and which one will add comfort? While Marble slabs are luxury materials and are quarried into slabs, tiles are more practical materials that are found in smaller mosaic pieces. You can go for any for your interior design, but make sure to know all the aspects of them, and also the major differences between them too.
No matter whatever you choose, both can offer different advantages to you. Let’s look at some of the criteria you need to consider before you choose one between them. We will see what each of the two offers in those criteria, and then you can easily determine which one to get for your interior design. Now let’s dive into these criteria.
Properties
A marble is a dense and porous stone, which is a naturally occurring stone formed from limestone, calcite, or dolomite. Marble slabs have a high water absorption rate. And they feature fascinating veined patterns and swirls on the surface. Marble stones are widely used in architecture as wall cladding and flooring.
On the other hand, a mixture of clay and different other minerals such as silica, feldspar, and quartz are baked at high temperatures to compose different tiles. This process forms a glassy substrate throughout the tiles and gives them their characteristic smooth texture.
Variety and Finishes
Marble stones are distinctive materials with their own personality, and they’re available as slabs, blocks, or tiles. They are commonly found in shades of black, white, green, grey, brown, and other natural hues. Different grades of marble stones absorb water differently. You can achieve glossy finishes by using polished marble, while you can use honed and sand marble for matte and rustic textures.
Tiles are man-made and come in a large variety of types, colors, designs, and textures. You can also get tiles designed to simulate natural materials such as bamboo, wood, and even marble. Tiles are suitable for both interior and exterior use and are available in matte, glossy, and anti-skid finishes.
Installation
Tiles might take more work during installation as they need to be cut and grouted. Tiles also need to be laid out ahead of time so that you can make sure everything looks good before the final installation process. Slabs are easy to install on the other hand, and they basically look the same. As a result, they don’t need all that extra work.
Maintenance
Marble can be easily damaged with various acidic liquids like fruit juice, or vinegar, or even wine. And for that slabs need to be sealed against accidental spills of those liquids that might cause staining. The marble needs to be cleaned in a gentle manner at times. In the case of tiles, you’ll have the added stress of cleaning the grout that requires harsher cleaners than the tile. It is easier to keep the marble slabs clean with periodic cleaning and maintenance, but you’ll have to go through much hassle to keep the tiles clean, as they get easily stained and dirty from time to time. But the cleaning process of tiles is quite easy, and you can easily find the equipment to do so.
Durability
Marble slabs tend to be more durable and stronger than tiles, as marble slabs are thicker. In fact, slabs are said to be fire and earthquake-resistant. But you can’t say the same for tiles, as they will chip and crack as the grout will pull out during an earthquake. Slabs won’t only survive various natural disasters, also the test of time, as you will see them in many ancient Roman tourist sites.
Whereas tiles might need to be re-grouted and put back together, marble slabs won’t need those things to look as good as new. Even without taking disasters into account, you can still opt for marble tiled floors, as they provide more durability overall than most types of tiles. However, there are some tiles such as porcelain tiles, which can provide really high durability.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics are the main reason people opt for marble tiles in the first place. There are different grades of marble, and some marble slabs such as Calacatta are of really high quality. They have bold, distinctive veins that can literally take a person’s breath away with their natural and stunning beauty.
If you use tile instead of the slab, those veins are less likely to match up. However, there are many different types of tiles, and some of those tiles can provide you with interior designs that are really pleasing aesthetically. There are Moroccan tiles, granite tiles, glazed tiles, etc. You just need to find the right type of tiles from all the types, which will cater to your aesthetic needs. Then you can easily replace marble slabs, and get tiles of your choice, and make your place look more aesthetic.
Cost
Marble slabs tend to last longer and are comparatively easier to maintain than tiled floors. As a result, slabs are more expensive than tiles. This type of expense is appropriate for a grand lobby or a luxury home entryway. There you can use marble slabs in order to make a big impression. They are also excellent for heat transfer and for this, many chefs around the world favor them for their kitchen countertops.
On the other hand, tiles are easy to get. They cost less. Not to mention, from all the various types, you can easily find your needed one, and can easily make your place look beautiful and glamorous at a lower cost.
Final Words
In the end, it is up to you which one you are going to use for your interior design. Look at the criteria, and see which one is your most concern, and based on that which of these two will cater to you the best. But as it is evident, by being highly versatile, tiles can take on marble slabs on almost every aspect, and also at a lower cost. But you can also turn to slabs for aesthetic, glamor, and luxury purposes if it suits you well.