TileFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaFor other uses, seeTile (disambiguation).It has been suggested thatGlazed tilebemergedinto this article. (Discuss)Proposed since December 2014.

Mid-16th-century decorative tilework on theDome of the Rock,JerusalemAtileis a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such asceramic,stone, metal, or evenglass, generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops. Alternatively,tilecan sometimes refer to similar units made from lightweight materials such asperlite,wood, andmineral wool, typically used for wall and ceiling applications. In another sense, atileis a construction tile or similar object, such as rectangular counters used in playing games (seetile-based game). The word is derived from theFrenchwordtuile, which is, in turn, from theLatinwordtegula, meaning a roof tile composed of fired clay.Tiles are often used to form wall and floor coverings, and can range from simple square tiles to complexmosaics. Tiles are most often made ofceramic, typically glazed for internal uses and unglazed for roofing, but other materials are also commonly used, such as glass, cork,concreteand other composite materials, and stone. Tiling stone is typically marble, onyx, granite or slate. Thinner tiles can be used on walls than on floors, which require more durable surfaces that will resist impacts.Contents[hide] 1Ceramics for tiles 2Roof tiles 2.1History 3Floor tiles 4Decorative tilework and coloured brick 4.1Islamic tiles 4.2Western tilework 5Pebble tile 6Ceiling tiles 7Digital printed tiles 8Diamond etched tiles 9Mathematics of tiling 10Further reading 11See also 12ReferencesCeramics for tiles[edit]Ceramics for tiles includeearthenware(terracotta),stonewareorporcelain. Stoneware is harder and more durable than earthenware, and so more suitable for floors, but there is a slight difference between porcelain and ceramic tiles. Terracotta is traditionally used for roof tiles, but other manufactured materials including types of concrete may now be used.Roof tiles[edit]

Roofs with "beaver tail" tiles inDinkelsbhl, Germany

"Spanish" style ceramic tile roof in TexasRoof tiles are designed mainly to keep outrain, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as terracotta orslate. Modern materials such asconcreteandplasticare also used and some clay tiles have a waterproof glaze. A large number of shapes (or "profiles") of roof tiles have evolved. These include: Flat tiles the simplest type, which are laid in regular overlapping rows. An example of this is the clay-made "beaver-tail" tile (GermanBiberschwanz), common in SouthernGermany. Flat roof tiles are usually made of clay but also may be made of stone, wood, plastic, concrete, orsolar cells. Imbrex and tegula an ancient Roman pattern of curved and flat tiles that make rain channels on a roof. Roman tiles flat in the middle, with aconcavecurveat one end at aconvexcurve at the other, to allow interlocking. Pantiles with an S-shaped profile, allowing adjacent tiles to interlock. These result in a ridged pattern resembling a ploughed field. An example of this is the "double Roman" tile, dating from the late 19th century in England and USA. Mission or barrel tiles semi-cylindricaltiles laid in alternating columns of convex and concave tiles. Originally they were made by forming clay around a curved surface, often a log or the maker'sthigh. Today barrel tiles are mass-produced from clay, metal, concrete or plastic. Interlocking roof tiles similar to pantiles with side and top locking to improve protection from water and wind. Antefixes vertical blocks which terminate the covering tiles of a tiled roof.Roof tiles are 'hung' from the framework of a roof by fixing them withnails. The tiles are usually hung in parallel rows, with each row overlapping the row below it to exclude rainwater and to cover the nails that hold the row below. There are also roof tiles for special positions, particularly where the planes of the several pitches meet. They include ridge, hip and valley tiles. These can either be bedded and pointed in cement mortar or mechanically fixed.Similarly to roof tiling, tiling has been used to provide a protective weather envelope to the sides of timber frame buildings. These are hung on laths nailed to wall timbers, with tiles specially moulded to cover corners and jambs. Often these tiles are shaped at the exposed end to give a decorative effect. Another form of this is the so-calledmathematical tile, which was hung on laths, nailed and then grouted. This form of tiling gives an imitation of brickwork and was developed to give the appearance of brick, but avoided the brick taxes of the 18th century.[1]Slate roof tiles were traditional in some areas near sources of supply, and gave thin and light tiles when the slate was split into its natural layers. It is no longer a cheap material, however, and is now less common.History[edit]

Ancient Greek roof tiles

Roof fragment of Roman bath inBath, Somerset,England

Roman roof tile fragment (78 mm wide by 97 mm high) found inYork, UK, with the impression of a kitten's pawFired roof tiles are found as early as the 3rdmillennium BC in theEarly HelladicHouse of the tilesinLerna,Greece.[2][3]Debris found at the site contained thousands of terracotta tiles having fallen from the roof.[4]In theMycenaeanperiod, roofs tiles are documented forGlaandMidea.[5]The earliest finds of roof tiles inarchaic Greeceare documented from a very restricted area aroundCorinth, where fired tiles began to replace thatched roofs at two temples ofApolloandPoseidonbetween 700 and 650 BC.[6]Spreading rapidly, roof tiles were within fifty years in evidence for a large number of sites around the EasternMediterranean, including Mainland Greece, WesternAsia Minor, and Southern and CentralItaly.[7]Early roof tiles showed an S-shape, with the pan and cover tile forming one piece. They were rather bulky affairs, weighing around 30kg apiece.[8]Being more expensive and labour-intensive to produce than thatch, their introduction has been explained by their greatly enhanced fire resistance, which gave desired protection to the costly temples.[9]The spread of the roof tile technique has to be viewed in connection with the simultaneous rise of monumental architecture in ancient Greece. Only the newly appearing stone walls, which were replacing the earlier mudbrick and wood walls, were strong enough to support the weight of a tiled roof.[10]As a side-effect, it has been assumed that the new stone and tile construction also ushered in the end of 'Chinese roof' (Knickdach) construction in Greek architecture, as they made the need for an extended roof as rain protection for the mudbrick walls obsolete.[11]Production ofdutch roof tilesstarted in the 14th century when city rulers required the use of fireproof materials. At the time, most houses were made of wood and had thatch roofing, which would often cause fires to quickly spread. To satisfy demand, many small roof tile makers began to produce roof tiles by hand. Many of these small factories were built near rivers where there was a ready source of clay and cheap transport.Floor tiles[edit]

Making mosaic tiles

The elaborate floor pattern of the SydneyQueen Victoria Building

Floor tile in Karpas, northeasternCyprus

6"x6" porcelain floor tiles

Patiowith stone tile,Hawaii, 1960These are commonly made of ceramic or stone, although recent technological advances have resulted in rubber orglass tilesfor floors as well. Ceramic tiles may be painted and glazed. Small mosaic tiles may be laid in various patterns. Floor tiles are typically set intomortarconsisting ofsand,cementand often alatexadditive for extra adhesion. The spaces between the tiles are nowadays filled with sanded or unsanded floorgrout, but traditionally mortar was used.Natural stone tiles can be beautiful but as a natural product they are less uniform in color and pattern, and require more planning for use and installation. Mass-produced stone tiles are uniform in width and length. Granite or marble tiles are sawn on both sides and then polished or finished on the facing up side, so that they have a uniform thickness. Other natural stone tiles such as slate are typically "riven" (split) on the facing up side so that the thickness of the tile varies slightly from one spot on the tile to another and from one tile to another. Variations in tile thickness can be handled by adjusting the amount of mortar under each part of the tile, by using wide grout lines that "ramp" between different thicknesses, or by using a cold chisel to knock off high spots.Some stone tiles such as polished granite, marble, and travertine are very slippery when wet. Stone tiles with a riven (split) surface such as slate or with a sawn and then sandblasted or honed surface will be more slip resistant. Ceramic tiles for use in wet areas can be made more slip resistant either by using very small tiles so that the grout lines acts as grooves or by imprinting a contour pattern onto the face of the tile.The hardness of natural stone tiles varies such that some of the softer stone (e.g. limestone) tiles are not suitable for very heavy traffic floor areas. On the other hand, ceramic tiles typically have a glazed upper surface and when that becomes scratched or pitted the floor looks worn, whereas the same amount of wear on natural stone tiles will not show, or will be less noticeable.Natural stone tiles can be stained by spilled liquids; they must be sealed and periodically resealed with a sealant in contrast to ceramic tiles which only need their grout lines sealed. However, because of the complex, non repeating patterns in natural stone, small amounts of dirt on many natural stone floor tiles do not show.The tendency of floor tiles to stain depends not only on a sealant being applied, and periodically re-applied, but also on their porosity or how porous the stone is. Slate is an example of a less porous stone while limestone is an example of a more porous stone. Different granites and marbles have different porosities with the less porous ones being more valued and more expensive.Most vendors of stone tiles emphasize that there will be variation in color and pattern from one batch of tiles to another of the same description and variation within the same batch. Stone floor tiles tend to be heavier than ceramic tiles and somewhat more prone to breakage during shipment.Rubber floor tiles have a variety of uses, both in residential and commercial settings. They are especially useful in situations where it is desired to have high-traction floors or protection for an easily breakable floor. Some common uses include flooring of garage, workshops, patios, swimming pool decks, sport courts, gyms, and dance floors.Plastic floor tiles including interlocking floor tiles that can be installed without adhesive or glue are a recent innovation and are suitable for areas subject to heavy traffic, wet areas and floors that are subject to movement, damp or contamination from oil, grease or other substances that may prevent adhesion to the substrate. Common uses include old factory floors, garages, gyms and sports complexes, schools and shops.Decorative tilework and coloured brick[edit]

Blue Turkish tiles

Imam Mosque in Iran

Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace

Topkapi PalaceDecorative tilework should be distinguished from mosaic, where forms are made of great numbers of tiny irregularly positionedtesseraein a single colour, usually of glass or sometimes ceramic.The earliest evidence of glazed brick is the discovery of glazed bricks in theElamiteTemple atChogha Zanbil, dated to the 13th century BC. Glazed and coloured bricks were used to make low reliefs in AncientMesopotamia, most famously theIshtar GateofBabylon(ca. 575 BC), now partly reconstructed inBerlin, with sections elsewhere. Mesopotamian craftsmen were imported for the palaces of thePersian Empiresuch asPersepolis.Tiling was widespread in the time of theSinhalesekings of ancientSri Lanka, using smoothed and polished stone laid on floors and in swimming pools. Historians consider the techniques and tools for tiling as well advanced, evidenced by the fine workmanship and close fit of the tiles.[citation needed]Tiling from this period can be seenRuwanwelisayaandKuttam Pokunain the city ofAnuradhapura.Islamic tiles[edit]

Phoenix on the portal of Nadir Divan-Beghi Madrasah,Bukhara,UzbekistanEarly Islamic mosaics in Persia consist mainly of geometric decorations in mosques and mausoleums, made of glazed brick. Typical turquoise tiling becomes popular in 10th-11th century and is used mostly forKuficinscriptions on mosque walls. Seyed Mosque in Isfahan (1122 AD), Dome of Maraqeh (1147 AD) and the Jame Mosque of Gonabad (1212 AD) are among the finest examples.[12]The dome ofJame' Atiq Mosque of Qazvinis also dated to this period.The golden age of Persian tilework began during the reign theTimurid Empire. Single color tiles were cut into small pieces and assembled by pouring liquid plaster between them. After hardening, these panels were assembled on the walls of buildings. But the mosaic was not limited to flat areas.Jame MosqueinYazd(1324-1365 AD) andGoharshad Mosque(1418 AD) are prominent examples of brick and tile mosaics of interiors and external surfaces of domes.[12]Islamic buildings in Bukhara (16th-17th century) also exhibit very sophisticated floral ornaments.Mihrabs, being focus points of mosques, were usually the places where most sophisticated tilework was placed. The 14th century mihrab at Madrasa Imami in Isfahan is an outstanding example of aesthetic union between the Islamic calligrapher's art and abstract ornament. The pointed arch, framing the mihrab's niche, bears an inscription in Kufic script used in 9th-centuryQur'an.[13]One of the best known architectural masterpieces of Iran is theShah MosqueinIsfahan, from the 17th century. Its dome is a prime example of tile mosaic and its winter praying hall houses one of the finest ensembles ofcuerda secatiles in the world. Wide variety of tiles had to be manufactured in order to cover complex forms of the hall with consistent mosaic patterns. The result was a technological triumph as well as a dazzling display of abstract ornament.[13]During theSafavid periodmosaic ornaments were often replaced by ahaft rang(seven colors) technique. Pictures were painted on plain rectangle tiles, glazed and fired afterwards. Besides economic reasons, the seven colors method gave more freedom to artists and was less time-consuming. It was popular untilQajar periodwhen the palette of colors was extended by yellow and orange.[12]ThePersianatetradition continued and spread to much of the Islamic world, notably theznik potteryofTurkeyunder theOttoman Empirein the 16th and 17th centuries. Palaces, public buildings,mosquesandtrbemausoleums were heavily decorated with large brightly coloured patterns, typically with floral motifs, andfriezesof astonishing complexity, including floral motifs and calligraphy as well as geometric patterns.Thezelligetradition of ArabicNorth Africauses small coloured tiles of various shapes to make very complex geometric patterns. It is halfway to mosaic, but as the different shapes must be fitted precisely together, falls under tiling.Western tilework[edit]

17th centuryDelftblue and white tile with seamonster

Azulejosby Willem van der Kloet (1708) in the transept of theChurch of Nossa Senhora da Nazar;Nazar, PortugalMedieval Europe made considerable use of painted tiles, sometimes producing very elaborate schemes, of which few have survived. Religious and secular stories were depicted. The imaginary tiles withOld testamentscenes shown on the floor inJan van Eyck's 1434Annunciationin Washingtonare an example. The 14th century "Tring tiles" in theBritish Museumshow childhood scenes from theLife of Christ, possibly for a wall rather than a floor,[14]while their 13th century "Chertsey Tiles", though from an abbey, show scenes ofRichard the Lionheartbattling withSaladinin very high-quality work.[15]Medieval letter tileswere used to createChristianinscriptions onchurchfloors.Transmitted via Islamic Spain, a new tradition ofazulejosdeveloped in Spain and especiallyPortugal, which by theBaroqueperiod produced extremely large painted scenes on tiles, usually in blue and white, for walls rather than floors.Delftwarewall tiles, typically with a painted design covering only one (rather small) blue and white tile, were ubiquitous in Holland and widely exported over Northern Europe from the 16th century on, replacing many local industries. Several 18th century royal palaces had porcelain rooms with the walls entirely covered in porcelain in tiles or panels. Surviving examples include ones atCapodimonte, Naples, theRoyal Palace of Madridand the nearbyRoyal Palace of Aranjuez.There are several other types of traditional tiles that remain in manufacture, for example the small, almost mosaic, brightly coloured zellige tiles ofMoroccoand the surrounding countries. With exceptions, notably thePorcelain Tower of Nanjing, decorated tiles or glazed bricks do not feature largely in East Asian ceramics.

William de Morgan, fantastic ducks on 6-inch tile with lustre highlights, Fulham periodThe Victorian period saw a great revival in tilework, largely as part of theGothic Revival, but also theArts and Crafts Movement. Patterned tiles, or tiles making up patterns, were now mass-produced by machine and reliably level for floors and cheap to produce, especially for churches, schools and public buildings, but also for domestic hallways and bathrooms. For many uses the tougherencaustic tilewas used. Wall tiles in various styles also revived; the rise of the bathroom contributing greatly to this, as well as greater appreciation of the benefit ofhygienein kitchens.William De Morganwas the leading English designer working in tiles, strongly influenced by Islamic designs.Since the Victorian period tiles have remained standard for kitchens and bathrooms, and many types of public area. Portugal andSo Luscontinue their tradition ofazulejotilework today. Notable among American tilemakers of the 1920s and 1930s wereErnest A. BatchelderandPewabic Pottery.Pebble tile[edit]Similar to mosaics or other patterned tiles, pebble tiles are tiles made up of small pebbles attached to a backing. The tile is generally designed in an interlocking pattern so that final installations fit of multiple tiles fit together to have a seamless appearance. A relatively new tile design, pebble tiles were originally developed in Indonesia using pebbles found in various locations in the country. Today, pebble tiles feature all types of stones and pebbles from around the world.Ceiling tiles[edit]Ceiling tiles are lightweight tiles used in the interior of buildings. They are placed in an aluminium grid and they provide little thermal insulation but are generally designed to improve the acoustics of a room. Mineral fibre tiles are fabricated from a range of products; wet felt tiles can be manufactured from perlite, mineral wool, and fibers from recycled paper, stonewool tiles are created by combining molten stone and binders which is then spun to create the tile, or gypsum tiles which are based on the soft mineral and then finished with vinyl, paper or a decorative face.

Two panels ofearthenwaretiles painted withpolychromeglazesover a white glaze. (Iran 19thC)Ceiling tiles very often have patterns on the front face; these are there in most circumstances to aid with the tiles ability to improve acoustics.Ceiling tiles also provide a barrier to the spread of smoke and fire. Breaking, displacing, or removing ceiling tiles enables hot gases and smoke from a fire to rise and accumulate above detectors and sprinklers. Doing so delays their activation, enabling fires to grow more rapidly.[16]Ceiling tiles, especially in old Mediterranean houses were made of terracotta and were placed on top of the wooden ceiling beams and upon those were placed the roof tiles. They were then plastered or painted, but nowadays are usually left bare for decorative purposes.Modern-day tile ceilings may be flush mounted (nail up or glue up) or installed asdropped ceilings.Digital printed tiles[edit]

Medieval encaustic tiles at Cleeve Abbey, EnglandPrinting techniques and digital manipulation of art and photography are used in what is known as "custom tile printing".Dye sublimation printers,inkjet printersand ceramic inks and toners permit printing on a variety of tile types yielding photographic-quality reproduction.[17]Using digital image capture viascanningordigital cameras,bitmap/rasterimages can be prepared inphoto editing softwareprograms. Specialized custom-tile printing techniques permit transfer under heat and pressure or the use of high temperature kilns to fuse the picture to the tile substrate. This has become a method of producing custom tile murals for kitchens, showers, and commercial decoration in restaurants, hotels, and corporate lobbies.Diamond etched tiles[edit]A method for custom tile printing involving a diamond-tipped drill controlled by a computer. Compared with thelaser engravings, diamond etching is in almost every circumstance more permanent.[citation needed]Mathematics of tiling[edit]Certain shapes of tiles, most obviouslyrectangles, can be replicated to cover a surface with no gaps. These shapes are said totessellate(from theLatintessella, 'tile') and such a tiling is called atessellation.Further reading[edit] Carboni, S. & Masuya, T. (1993).Persian tiles. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Marilyn Y. Goldberg, Greek Temples and Chinese Roofs,American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 87, No. 3. (Jul., 1983), pp.305310 rjan Wikander, Archaic Roof Tiles the First Generations,Hesperia, Vol. 59, No. 1. (Jan.Mar., 1990), pp.285290 William Rostoker; Elizabeth Gebhard, The Reproduction of Rooftiles for the Archaic Temple of Poseidon at Isthmia, Greece,Journal of Field Archaeology, Vol. 8, No. 2. (Summer, 1981), pp.211227 Michel Kornmann and CTTB, "Clay bricks and roof tiles, manufacturing and properties", Soc. Industrie Minerale, Paris (2007)ISBN 2-9517765-6-X E-book on the The Manufacture of Roofing Tiles in the United States from 1910.See also[edit]Wikimedia Commons has media related toTiles.

Building integrated photovoltaics Dimension stone Dropped Ceiling Glass tile Marble Porcelain tile Quarry tile Roof shingle Tile mural Vitrified tile Faux ceiling tilesReferences[edit]1. Jump up^RW Brunskill,Illustrated Handbook of Vernacular Architecture(1970:58-61)2. Jump up^Joseph W. Shaw, The Early Helladic II Corridor House: Development and Form,American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 91, No. 1. (Jan. 1987), pp. 5979 (59)3. Jump up^John C. Overbeck, Greek Towns of the Early Bronze Age,The Classical Journal, Vol. 65, No. 1. (Oct. 1969), pp. 17 (5)4. Jump up^J. L. Caskey, "Lerna in the Early Bronze Age",American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 72, No. 4. (Oct. 1968), pp. 313-316 (314)5. Jump up^Ione Mylonas Shear, "Excavations on the Acropolis of Midea: Results of the Greek-Swedish Excavations under the Direction of Katie Demakopoulou and Paul strm",American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 104, No. 1. (Jan. 2000), pp. 1331346. Jump up^rjan Wikander, p. 2857. Jump up^rjan Wikander, p. 2868. Jump up^William Rostoker; Elizabeth Gebhard, p. 2129. Jump up^rjan Wikander, p. 28910. Jump up^Marilyn Y. Goldberg, p. 30911. Jump up^Marilyn Y. Goldberg, p. 30512. ^Jump up to:abcIran: Visual Arts: history of Iranian Tile, Iran Chamber Society13. ^Jump up to:abFred S. Kleiner.Gardner's Art Through The Ages, A Global History. p.357.ISBN978-0-495-41059-1.14. Jump up^Tring TilesBritish Museum15. Jump up^Chertsey Tiles, British Museum16. Jump up^Missing Ceiling Tiles.Washington, D.C.:United States Congress Office of Compliance, 2008.17. Jump up^"Inkjet Decoration of Ceramic Tiles".digitalfire.com. RetrievedJuly 28,2010.Look uptilein Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

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Neha Kulkarni, an architect by profession and a non-resident Indian (NRI) presently putting up in California, Unites States of America, asked us on ourBricksnMortar Edeskentity on Facebook...

Neha asked:1. What are Tiles?2. What are the different types & kinds of Tiles?3. What are 'Homogenous Vitrified Tiles'?4. What makes them different from other normal tiles, viz., Vitrified tiles/ Ceramic tiles/ Glazed tiles/ Composite tiles/ Stone tiles?

BricksnMortar Edesk (Team Bricks-n-Mortar) answers:Dear Ms. Neha,Considering the number of your queries you have asked, allow us to break the posts and answer your queries in at least 2-parts. Hereby, publishingPART 1 of 2of the post...

WHAT ARE 'TILES'?

To begin with, let us first briefly tell you and our readers for the sake of sharing basic know-how as what essentially is meant by the building product called - 'TILES'.

In simplest of words-- "A tile is a natural or manufactured piece of hard-wearing material that could generally be used for covering, protection and/or decorating finished or unfinished surfaces like roofs, floors, walls, ceilings, facades, slabs, etc. etc."

The word 'TILE' is believed to be derived from the French word 'TUILE', which in turn is believed to have been derived from the Latin word 'TEGULA' which means a roof covering piece composed of fired clay.

DIFFERENT KINDS & TYPES OF TILES

DIFFERENT TYPES OF TILES COMMONLY USED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

The most common kind & types of tiles that are used worldwide, and which are either available naturally or are manufactured in factories are described in brief herein below: Earthenware tiles --These are the tiles that comprise of fired /baked tiles made from mud, clay & earth (soil). These tiles are quite porous in nature and are often used indoors. Ancient (earlier) types of such tiles were also called Terracotta tiles. Stoneware tiles --These are the tiles which are essentially cut-to-shape products made by cutting & shaping fromprocessed rocks, boulders, stones, etc. Sandstones, slates, granites, marbles, etc. are a few examples. Porosity of such tiles depend largely upon the source rock. Porcelain tiles --These are the tiles that are made by artificially processing of special porcelain mud/ clay along with minerals like quartz, feldspar and other fluxes under very high pressure and heat. These tiles are very less porous as well as sturdy due to which these are used in external surfaces also. Glass tiles --As the name suggests, these are the tiles made from molten silica glassy content or by cutting larger glass slabs. Usually, these are used as decorative coverings also allowing the natural or artificial light to pass through for either natural lighting or enhanced visual appeal. Of course, these are fragile in nature and must be handled with care. Metal tiles --Again as the name suggests, these are the tiles made from metals, alloys and/or composite materials like colored aluminum tiles, galvanized iron sheet tiles, stainless steel tiles, etc. These tiles are either snap-fit type or are riveted or tack welded to the parent frame. These are mostly used as decorative-cum-functional false ceilings and wall claddings. Wooden tiles --These are made out of original (raw) wood, manufactured ply boards, artificial wood, etc. and are used for all kind of ceilings, floors, claddings, etc. Cement / Concrete tiles --These are the tiles that are made from cement mortar and/or cement concrete along with certain admixtures, coloring agents and patterns. Most commonly used cement tiles are the checkered & pattern tiles that are used to furnish the walkways, driveways, parking, open public areas and the likes. These tiles are used for heavy public traffic areas due to their higher ruggedness. Insulating / Anti-static tiles --These tiles are made with composite soundproofing compounds like asbestos, gypsum, mineral wool boards, PVC, rubber, etc. and are usually used to insulate closed spaces from intruding sounds & heat. Such tiles are used as false ceilings, partition panels, in-fills, and even under floors. Ceramic tiles, Glazed tiles, Vitrified tiles, Homogenous vitrifiedtiles--Ceramic, Glazed, Vitrified, Homogenous vitrified tiles are nothing but modified, modern, composite and bettered forms of Earthenware, Stoneware and Porcelain tiles, all put together.The inner core of these tiles are made from baked & burnt earthen material that are processed under high heat, pressure and special techniques so as to flux them with minerals, alloys and suitable composite materials that provide a hard wear-proof coating surface on one side, having glossy or matt finish.Hope Ms. Neha and other readers of this blog and post shall now become more familiar with this ordinary sounding, but yet so very important building product, calledTILES