The advent of tile for flooring has revolutionized installation, maintenance and upfront cost when it comes to various flooring applications. From the finish, type, style, and design, you can easily work with floor tiles for whatever use. Either for sprucing up the home, renovation or to give it a statement look, there is a floor tile for that and more.
In this post, we shall look into the types of floor tiles along with some styles and their uses. If you are thinking about having your flooring tiled sooner or later, read on.
12 Main Types of Floor Tiles
There are a lot of floor tile types out there but for this section, we shall narrow down into the 12 major types. Hence, without much fuss, here are the 12 main types of floor tiles which you should consider.
1. Ceramic Floor Tile
Ceramic tiles remain to be one of the most popular choices for flooring tiles. Aside from being accessible, affordable and easy to install and maintain, it has known durability and versatility, making it a choice for any type of application. It comes in glazed, textured, and virtually dentless.
2. Porcelain Floor Tile
This one is considered as the finer ceramic tile, basically. Like ceramic, this is also a very popular floor tile choice. It comes in virtually all colors possible; it can be glazed or unglazed and with different finishes. Aside from these, it is also known as easy to install, maintain, and is affordable.
3. Glazed Floor Tiles
Glazed tiles are either porcelain, ceramic, cement or glass tiles that are coated with an extra layer of finish or enamel to make it more graphic, colorful or shiny. They are simply yet decorative and are easy to install plus affordable. With the added glaze, they are made more stain resistant and more durable to dents, cracks and breaks.
4. Wood-Look Floor Tile
Solid wood flooring can be very expensive but if you really dig the warm look of wooden floors, you can install wood-look floor tiles as an alternative. It can either be ceramic, porcelain or cement tile, designed to look like wood. Thus, you can have a wood feel for your flooring without breaking the bank.
5. Glass Floor Tile
This one is a gamble for a flooring tile because it can be slippery. But as a backsplash wall or shower room tile, this would be a good choice. This is considered as one of the most stain-resistant tiles so it is understandable why you would want it for flooring tile. It is also decorative although quite expensive.
6. Cement Floor Tile
If you are looking for another cheaper floor tile alternative, cement floor tiles are also good choices. They are very colorful because it is the classification of what we know as the Moroccan and Spanish tiles, among others. They are also very durable, environment friendly and can be refinished DIY.
7. Marble Floor Tile
This is another expensive floor tile but it will never disappoint. It is elegant, very durable, and does not warp in heat. It also comes in many colors with luxe streaks and stains. Most of all, it can increase the value of the home. If you want to up-end your flooring, marble floor tiles are really some of the best investments you can install.
8. Mosaic Floor Tile
This one is often used for backsplash, shower floors and bathroom flooring. They are a league of their own too as they are either made of ceramic, porcelain or glass. When it comes to decorative floor tile, this comes in a unique range.Other than this, they are also affordable and durable.
9. Granite Floor Tile
Sure, you would find granite tiles in countertops and in the kitchen but like marble, they make good floor tiles too. They are high-end looking, come in powerful neutrals, with phenomenal natural stains and are highly decorative. While they are also quite expensive, they could easily transform a home into a high-end one.
10. Travertine Floor Tile
This one is categorized as a natural stone floor. It is most common in Hispanic style and Mediterranean homes. As flooring tile, they look majestic in walkways, patios, and outdoor spaces. They are very durable, naturally beautiful and easy to maintain. They are, however, expensive.
11. Metal Floor Tile
Yes, there are also metal floor tiles. They are mainly made of copper, steel or tin material. They are now incorporated in modern homes to create a sleek and minimalist look.They are also widely used as wall and flooring tile in semi-container homes. The only downside to this is that it is not insulated so regulating temperature here might be a challenge.
12. Natural Stone Floor Tile
Technically, granite and marble are both considered natural stones. But since they are a league of their own, we get to expand our natural stone floor tiles to sandstone, limestone and travertine, among others. They are perfect for walkway flooring, entryways and the garage because of their natural rougher texture. They are also very easy to maintain although expensive to install.
Benefits of Tile Flooring
There are certain benefits in installing tile flooring in your home. For you to be more convinced as to tile floor installation, here are the major pros of having tile flooring.
Design Versatility
There is a virtually endless pool of choice for tile flooring. Not only do they come in different materials, finishes, and designs, they also come in all sorts of colors, and customized looks. Hence, whatever the vibe or aesthetics you are going for, there is a floor tile available.
Easy Cleaning
Floor tiles offer easy breezy cleaning. All you need is to wipe them in spills or mud, scrub for harder to wipe dirt, and usual cleaning agents when stains are hard to take off. They are also not prone to denting or scratching easily so you can have a full-blown cleaning.
Simple to Repair and Maintain
By simple repairing we mean that if it is too cracked, you can easily replace it and that there can be home remedies to go for in repairs. As to maintenance, you just need to wipe them off regularly and seal, if need be, especially for natural stone tiles.
Rugged Durability
Floor tiles are also very durable. Having been created to offer a durable yet affordable flooring, you can depend on each one of the featured types of floor tiles here to withstand years and years of high-traffic spaces without wearing off easily.
Cool to the Touch
Most of all, tiles are insulated on their own. They will feel warm when it is cold and feel cold when it is too warm, hence, overall, cool to the touch. Just imagine having this benefit without paying as much for another layer of floor insulation.
Things to Consider Before Choosing a Floor Tiles
Of course, knowing the types of floor types is not enough. Note that there are still differences between and among them, hence, you need to know which ones to install for certain instances. Thus, here are the things to consider before choosing a floor tile.
1. Safety First
The first consideration is safety. If you are installing floor tiles in bathrooms, moister or high-traffic areas, less-slippery tiles are recommended. For high wear-and-tear areas like garage and entryways, more textured tiles should be installed. More than the design and aesthetics, safe flooring is top priority.
2. Water, Water, Everywhere
This must be very much considered especially if you are installing floor tiles in spaces that are exposed to water a lot. Aside from going with the traditional floor tile installation, you might want to add an extra layer of waterproofing in the flooring just so you can be sure that it is safe and at the same time made more durable.
3. Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
If not maintained well, tile floors could also be niches of molds and other things. Hence, employ regular sealing, refinishing, and lots of cleaning into your tile floors so that it remains to be a safe space for the family specially for the kids and pets.
4. Think Long-Term Value
The floor tile you should choose must be durable enough to last long-term. As such, go for the floor tile types that are not prone to dents, cracks, and wear-and-tear. Hence, start with ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone floor tiles. Aside from being durable, they also add to the home’s value in the long haul.
5. Tile Size
Take into consideration basic interior design principles. Go for large tiles if you want to widen a space or make it look modern and minimalist. Go for smaller sized tiles if you want to make a room more compact and homey. You can also have the tile size customized depending on your preference.
6. Room and Location
Depending on the type of room to be tiled and the room’s location, you can mix and match tile types for added effect. You can choose more graphic and colorful tiles like mosaic and cement if you need more natural light.Neutral floor tiles, on the other hand, are for all seasons and for all types of rooms and locations, though.
7. Cost and Budget
Floor tiles are not made the same. Some are more complex to manufacture and some are more straightforward. Ceramic, porcelain, and cement are some of the most affordable. Natural stone, glass, and customized tiles are in the more expensive range.
8. Other Factors to Consider
Aside from what we have already enumerated, you must also consider the installation cost for each type of tile, the range of colors available, your location and your general climate, among others, before choosing the floor tile to install.
FAQs
You also have to consider some FAQs that might come in handy in choosing the best floor tile type for you. From installation to certain considerations for some floor tile types, here are the FAQs you should be aware of when it comes to floor tiles.
Ceramic Tile vs. Porcelain Tile: Which is The Better Type of Floor Tile?
There is no one answer to this because ceramic and porcelain have their fair share of pros and cons. But to be clear, porcelain tile is a variant of ceramic tile. The only difference is that porcelain is more porous, hence, more invulnerable to staining, cracks and dents.
On the downside, porcelain is more expensive, tends to be more slippery and quite harder to install because it is heavier. Ceramic on the other hand is less expensive, less slippery, very accessible and easier to install.
Glazed vs. Unglazed Floor Tiles
It depends on where they will be used. Glazed tiles are finished tiles. They are usually colored or patterned, making them good choices for interior flooring. They are also generally more resistant to stains and dents. The downside is that, when they crack or chip, it would be hard not to notice.
On the other hand, unglazed floor tiles have a rougher texture, thus, slip-resistant. They are also called quarry tiles and are popular floor tile choices for the kitchen, dirty kitchen and the bathroom.
How to Install Different Types of Floor Tiles
Even the installation process for floor tiles would differ depending on the type. Since there is no generic way to install different types of floor types, here is a tutorial video on how to install floor tiles for beginners. And for mastering laying and stacking floor tiles, here is a procedure to follow from Home Depot.
Where to Buy Floor Tiles for House and Apartments
Now that we have laid down everything about floor tiles, the question now is where to buy floor tiles for houses and apartments. To give you a heads-up on where to check out floor tile stocks first, here are some stores to consider:
- City Tile
- Tile Studio
- Tile America
- The Home Depot
- Daltile
- Novo Ceramics
- Tile Shop
- Marazzi
- Imagine Tile
- Floor Concepts
Types of Floor Tiles: The Conclusion
With all things considered, floor tiles have redefined the cost, durability, and aesthetic dimension of flooring. They offer the best of all worlds with their differing features, finishes, textures, colors and more. Between you and the flooring of your dreams would be making the best choice depending on preference, applicability and need. Now that we have laid down some of the best options, making the choice should be a walk in the park from here on.
References:
https://goodguyflooring.com/blogs/home-improvement-blog/porcelain-ceramic-stone-tile-types-and-best-uses
https://whytile.com/2018/07/choose-the-best-shower-tile/
https://www.flooringstores.com/blog/types-of-tile/
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