First off, it should be noted that choosing the “right” floor materials is impossible to do. There is no right or wrong answer, but rather what your personal preference and ultimate intentions are of the room/piece of property. At the end of the day, it’s your opinion that matters. However, there are still benefits and disadvantages unique to every type that should be evaluated. For this article, let’s look at two of the most popular type of floor textures: hardwood flooring and ceramic tile.
For starters, ceramic tile and hardwood flooring are similar in that they’re both hard surface floors. This makes them easy to clean and maintain for the most part when it comes to sweeping up dirt and mopping up messes. These types of materials are also great at avoiding the potential risk of permanent stains that often find their way onto carpets. Of course, you can always choose to throw something like an area rug on these surfaces at any point too, which makes them pretty versatile.
Even though the messes might be just as easy to clean up, ceramic tiles are more water resistant than hardwood flooring. Glazed ceramic tiles are virtually impenetrable to water and stain damage while prolonged water exposure can cause problems like warping in some hardwood floors.
One of the reasons almost half the people (47%) in one recent survey by Houzz said they favor hardwood flooring and it, in fact, covers 34% of the floors in their homes is its overall appearance and classy nature. When it comes to aesthetic value, it’s hard to beat a good hardwood floor that matches the theme of the room overall.
You will have to pay a little more to obtain this classy look, though. Ceramic tile is typically a little more expensive than carpet, but cheaper than hardwood. Plus, in addition to being incredibly durable, ceramic floors are great for people living with allergies as the tiles don’t attract or hold pollen, dust, dirt. Although, hardwood floors are good for this, too.
Ultimately, unless you plan on selling the house in the near future and are concerned about potential resale value, the decision is entirely up to your preference. Even if the value is a concern, hardwood or ceramic tiles are a great choice for kitchens, as 90% of homeowners said they prefer one or the other there.
