Why Tile?

When we step into most homes the first flooring we see is tile.  Tile is used often to create a grand appearance; however tile flooring is also a low-maintenance and stain resistant flooring.  Tile is used most often in areas that will possibly come in contact with water.  This makes bathrooms and kitchens prime candidates for tile.  Tile can also be used on walls and on counter tops, but this is not as common as it was in the past decades.  Installation is very time consuming and is broken into three individual steps: preparation of the floor, tile placement/ installation, and grout.

Most of the tile we sell is made of two materials; ceramic and porcelain.  Ceramic is not as hard as porcelain but this also cause the price of porcelain to be a bit higher.   Ceramic also has a larger amount of designs available, these designs range to a natural stone look to high gloss with printed images.  Cost of ceramic tile ranges from lower to middle versus other hard surface. While Porcelain has a price range starting higher than ceramic, at the high end they often cost the same.

Why Natural Stone?

Natural stone is just that, stone that naturally occurs somewhere on this planet.  Natural stone can come from any country, but we see it most often from Italy and Spain.  This has proven to be places that produce some of the most beautiful and quality pieces of flooring.  Because of the workmanship and shipping the prices of natural stone tile are some of the most expensive in the flooring industry.  We recommend the installation of natural stone in location that you would install other tile flooring.

There are three types of natural stone that we commonly sell.  This includes marble, granite, and travertine.  The following is a brief description of each natural stone type.

Marble is a hard stone surface, but also is more know for the colors that occur in different types of marble.  The colors often from many designs that is almost impossible to mimic in an industrial setting.  Some of the rare marble designs are extremely pricey; however there are many which are rather reasonably priced.  Care is not too intensive for marble and will require the same care as most other form of tiles.

Granite is some of the hardest flooring material in our store.  The stone is often less colorful and the design is often more subdued than marble, but the granite look is also unique.  Granite is best used in entry ways and kitchens to match granite counter tops.  Installation on granite is labor intensive and the price also reflects this.  With the correct care granite will often last longer than the location it is installed in.

Travertine is also very hard, but may also be porous.  The imperfections in travertine help to provide that most realistic natural stone look.  Travertine is often installed outdoors in places such as patios.  With good care travertine will last as long as the other natural stones.

Common types of Tile and Stone