Hardwood Vs Tile Flooring: The Starter Guide For New Homeowners

Hardwood Vs Tile Flooring!, which is better? Choosing between these two might not be so easy.

In a nutshell, if you are a lover of the classical and old school, the hardwood flooring is your pick. However, if you are someone who likes spicy and colorful, then tile flooring is certainly your pick.

Floorings aren’t just there for the sake of being there. In addition to beautifying your home, they preserve and add great value to it. That is why you need this flooring guide.

It takes you through every essential detail concerning hardwood vs tiles flooring and guides you towards making the best decision for your home.

Hardwood Vs Tile Flooring

The Top Considerations

1. Durability

You do not want to keep changing floor coverings from year to year. So when buying, consider the durability of the floor.

Choose flooring that can withstand stress and falls especially in busy places. For instance, the stairs are one of the busy areas in the home and so will need strong and durable flooring for them.

2. Installation

Note that the ease or difficulty of installation will influence the cost. Floors that are easy to install are often cheaper than the others.

If you are going to install them yourself, choose the ones that are not difficult to install. But experts have advised that we employ the services of a professional when we want to install floorings.

3. Cleaning

How much time and money you are willing to spend on cleaning and maintenance is also something worth considering. Do not choose floorings that absorb dust and are therefore difficult to clean.

Maintaining such floors can be very demanding and expensive. If you do not have a lot of money and time to spare on maintenance, choose a low-maintenance floor. Floors such as carpet are low-cost and easy to maintain.

4. Flooring Cost

This is one of the most important considerations. You need to weigh the total cost of purchasing and installing your choice of flooring. If you have a lot to spare, you can always install any flooring of your choice. However, if you are on a low budget, you should consider the less expensive ones.

Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is a type of flooring that consists of lumber shaped from a particular piece of timber. Before they became popular in floor coverings, they were initially used as building materials.

During building constructions, they will be mounted vertically to the support beams of the building made of wood. As the use of concrete as an underfloor became more popular, the hardwood floors began to gain ground too.

Hardwood floors have a very thick surface and can be filled and polished over and over again. Before these timbers are shaped, they are first of all air-dried. Hardwood floorings can take three different shapes depending on the type of look you want to achieve. It can be rift-sawn, flat-sawn, or quarter-sawn.

Tile Flooring

A tile is a slim item shaped into a rectangle or a square. It is normally made of metals, glass, clay, or even ceramics. Other than being used for floorings, they can also be used for walls, roof coverings, and tabletops. S

sometimes, lightweight materials such as minerals, wood, or perlite are also referred to as tiles. Such tiles are also used for covering walls and ceilings.

Tiles used for floor or wall coverings can either be a simple square tile, a mosaic, or a complex tile type. Tiles for floors are usually thicker than tiles for walls. This is because the floor undergoes more stress and therefore needs to be more durable.

Recently With the advancement in technology, manufacturers have been able to produce glass tiles and rubber tiles as well. To add to the beauty of ceramic tiles, they may be polished and painted.

Some tiles such as marble, travertine, or granite can be very slimy when they are wet and therefore not ideal for wet areas. The more slip-resistant ones such as the stone tiles should be used instead for wet areas.

Wooden Floors Vs Tiles

Are you having a hard time deciding whether it is tiled vs hardwood floors in the living room? Or tiles vs hardwood in the kitchen? Then you don’t have to worry anymore. This guide is here to put you through. It explains explicitly the difference between these two options to help you arrive at a suitable decision.

The Feel

Other than having a beautiful home, you would also want your guest to feel warm and comfortable whenever they visit. The hardwood floors provide a warm feeling under the feet while tiles always feel cool under the feet.

Personal preference and climatic conditions in your area are likely to determine which of these two will be found attractive.

But If you live in a place of high temperature, you are definitely going to appreciate the cool feel of the tile beneath your feet. However, if you live in a cooler region, you are likely to prefer the warmth of hardwood flooring.

Wood Floor Price And Value Considerations

According to tile vs hardwood cost comparisons, hardwoods are found to be more expensive than tiles. In addition to the initial cost of purchase, you still need to hire the services of a professional.

This further adds to the cost. You can reduce costs by ignoring the exotic woods and going for the cheaper ones that are widely available.

In comparison to hardwood floors, tiles are less expensive. However, just like in the hardwood flooring, expensive models (glazed tiles) and less expensive models( unglazed tiles) are available. So it is left for you to choose which one you can afford.

Wood Floor Maintenance

As regards maintenance, the tile flooring is more demanding than the hardwood floors. If you are using a hardwood floor, you just need to sweep or vacuum regularly. You can also use a hardwood floor cleaner to clean it occasionally.

On the other hand, tile floors need to be swept and mopped frequently because dirt tends to stick to them. Even worse, the grout lines can become clogged up with dirt. Getting rid of this stain will require a lot of scrubbing and cleaning.

In the long run, keeping up with the demands of tile floors can be a bit challenging.

If you have a crack that needs changing, it will be very difficult to get a matching piece. On the other hand, hardwood floors can remain in good shape for many decades. When there is a crack or a flaw, you can sand them down and enjoy a new look.

Durability

The strength and durability of your floor covering is very important especially if you have a busy family. In terms of strength and toughness, hardwood floors are less durable than tiles.

It can be damaged when exposed to water. Extreme temperatures can distort the wood. It also gets scratched and dented easily.

On the other hand, tiles are stronger. Tiles do not get scratched easily especially if it has been glazed. Tiles are water-resistant and therefore not easily damaged by water. This makes them suitable for wet areas like the kitchen, toilet, and laundry room.

Wood Floor Style

It is difficult to defeat tiles when it comes to variety and versatility. Tiles can take any shape, any pattern, or any color and still look perfect. They come in various shapes and sizes to suit the home owner’s specifications. Generally, tiles have a fancier and modern look.

In contrast, hardwood floors look more traditional although they do come in various shades and sizes. However, these shades and sizes are limited. This classical look can be an advantage for people who prefer traditional looks to fancy colorful looks.

Hardwood Vs Tile Flooring FAQs

Q1: Is it cheaper to tile or hardwood?

Generally, hardwood floors are way more expensive than tiles. Other than the initial cost of acquiring the floor, you will still need to pay for installation.

Q2: Should I remove the tile before installing hardwood?

It all depends, some installers will assure you that you do not need to remove your tiles. All you need to do is to glue the wood on top of the tiles. However, some installers maintain that this is a wrong approach and should not be encouraged.

Q3: Does tile flooring increase home value?

Nice floorings, especially tiles, go a long way in increasing home value. They add light and beauty to the general Outlook of the home. On the other hand, a poorly maintained floor decreases the value of the home.

Q4: What tile looks best next to hardwood?

A: Other than hardwood flooring, tiles can also be used to achieve the perfect look. Such tiles are the Porcelain tile that is highly durable and water-resistant.

Q5: Which is better porcelain or ceramic tile?

Porcelain tiles are better than ceramic tiles because they are stronger and hence more durable. Also, they are hardly subject to wear and tear. They are also water-resistant.

Conclusion

Both hardwood floors and tiles are suitable floorings for the home. However, just like every other thing, they each have their downsides.

This guide has provided explicit information about hardwood vs tile flooring, including its pros and cons.

With this knowledge, you should be able to make an informed decision on the best suitable option. Besides your taste and preferences, consider taking the price of flooring into account.

Starting with this brief guide will now give you a firm foundation to compare flooring prices while bargaining for the best deal in the market. Finally, always be mindful of the fact that the cheapest option might not be the best and vice versa.