Tile and Stone Flooring -- Making Good ChoicesTile and Stone Flooring -- Making Good Choices

When it comes to flooring materials, tile and stone are two of the most popular and attractive choices a homeowner can make. Of course, each of them has their own advantages and disadvantages, which anyone will want to take into consideration when making their decision. For many, the choice will come down to a matter of cost. Tile flooring is always going to be the less expensive choice, which is why it is so ubiquitous. However, if you have the money to spend, then the choice gets a little trickier. Here are some of the advantages to both materials and some of the factors that should play into your decision.

From tile and stone, let’s tackle tile flooring first. Other than carpeting, it is probably the most popular form of flooring in the America today. There is a good reason for that. It is not very expensive, various forms can be extremely attractive, and it is easy to find. But those aren’t the factors that make this form of material worth choosing. Other promising factors include the fact that it is highly resistant to allergens like pet dander and bug dust. If you are someone who commonly suffers from allergies or you have others in your family who do, this could be the right choice for you. It is certainly superior to carpeting in this respect.

Those making the choice between tile and stone will also be impressed with tile flooring’s suitability to being easily cleaned. Unless you employ a maid, chances are you’ll need to put that factor into your decision making before you move forward. Again, this is a major improvement over carpeting, while not necessarily over stone. Proponents of tile flooring also like to point out how durable the material is and how well suited it is to heavy foot traffic. If you are talking about a room that a lot of people will be using, it could be a major factor in your choice.

Of course, durability is what stone flooring is all about. There are few materials that can take a beating like solid rock, so you won’t have to worry about wearing it out over time. There is also something to be said for the aesthetics of both tile and stone, each of which can be designed to give your home a classy, elegant look that carpeting can rarely maintain. On the other hand, if you have small children running about, you may want to think about falls, which will likely be worse on hard flooring materials than they would be on carpeting. Still, there are few better solutions when it comes to rounding out the look of your home.