Hard Flooring Summary

Solid Wood
Best for its natural warmth and its ability to be sanded and refinished several times. Factory finishes are more durable. Solid wood can discolor and wear quickly, and all tend to dent. It’s more difficult to install, and solid wood can’t go in basements or other damp spaces.

Engineered Wood
Best for a wood or bamboo surface with easier installation than solid-wood floors. Most can be nailed, stapled, or glued and can be refinished once; some can be simply laid down, or floated. However, it wears relatively quickly and dents easily. Small spills can damage it.

Plastic Laminate
Best for toughness, choice, and easy installation; all laminates can be floated without glue or fasteners. The best examples wear better than most wood, with better scratch, dent, and sun resistance. Plastic laminate can’t be refinished like solid wood. Big spills can damage it.

Vinyl/Linoleum
Best for practicality. Vinyl flooring typically offers long wear and resistance to stains, sun, and moisture, along with easy installation. Some premium vinyl products do a better job of imitating stone and other natural materials. Tends to resist dents, sunlight, and moisture. Vinyl flooring is an inexpensive option available in either sheets or vinyl floor tile with tons of colors and patterns to choose from. Thicker tile is more durable and resistant to gouging or tearing, but all vinyl floor tile is susceptible to abrasions, scratches, cuts, tears and staining.

Proper cleaning is a bit tricky since soaps and many cleaners will leave a film attracting more dirt and regular waxing and/or application of floor polish is needed to keep your floor looking its best. Vinyl floor tile is fine for any area or room.

Marble, Travertine, Limestone
The classic floor tile material exuding elegance, luxury and style. The look of travertine and marble tile flooring is often imitated by ceramic and porcelain. A wide variety of colors is available, especially earth tones.

Marble, travertine and limestone are all calcite-based stones and thus have similar properties regarding care and cleaning. Not as care-free as man-made tiles, but marble maintenance requirements are relatively simple once you learn how. Sealing may be necessary and etching can be an issue; however, most problems are simple to solve. Using the proper cleaning products is a must. So, a little more work and care, but no other tile will look as good in your home.

Marble, travertine and limestone can be used anywhere in your home: kitchen, bathroom, shower, patio, etc. Keep in mind that etching is most common in the kitchen, although floors aren’t nearly as susceptible to etching as counter tops.

Pros: Long lasting, low maintenance, easy cleaning, elegant, and retains heat.

Cons: Most require reinforced sub-flooring, cold to the touch (may need under-floor heating), expensive, and reflects noise.

Marble
It is available in tile, sheet, block and in a variety of colors and intrinsic patterns. The most classical of all flooring. Dating from the Greek period and used extensively since. Polished marble can be slippery and is best kept to isolated areas like around fireplaces. A dulled finish is optimal for regular flooring use. Being widely imitated in synthetic material may lessen the grandeur of genuine marble.

Granite
Available in block, sheet and tile. Generally found in neutral and warm colors and is a more expensive stone flooring. Appears to be dimensional when polished due to the glass-like nature of its grain. Can be slippery when polished and requires occasional polishing to retain glossiness. Imitated in a variety of synthetic materials.

Slate
Available in sheet and tile. Generally found in darker, muted colors without much color pattern like marble has. Available in natural grain and honed finishes. If natural grain finish is chosen, extra time for cleaning may be required to completely remove grime from recesses and wrinkles in the rock. Imitated in a variety of synthetic materials.

Granite Floor Tile
If you choose the right variety, granite tile flooring is essentially indestructible and can be used in any room without worry including an outdoor patio or entry. Granite does not etch like marble, travertine and limestone can and staining is generally not an issue. You also have thousands of gorgeous and unique patterns and colors to choose from.

For the most part granite has basic maintenance requirements, although polished granite (like any polished stone floor) may require periodic re-polishing depending on the degree of use and wear. Some granite tiles may need sealing to help diminish staining and although not absolutely critical, it’s best to use cleaning products made specifically for stone.

Brick
Available in a wide range of colors such as soft orange-reds, buffs and browns. Pavers (flooring bricks) are great for areas that see a lot of traffic or moisture. Bricks can be laid in a number of different patterns.

Various contemporary patterns can be visually stimulating but require careful planning and intricate cutting. Using different colors can enhance the pattern and add visual interest. If your subfloor is strong enough you may want to try using recycled bricks to get a more rustic look or purchase pre-finished bricks that are moisture proof and reduce potential staining. Being modular units, damaged bricks can be replaced without disturbing the floor. If you have a busy schedule and need something that is low maintenance, brick may be a good alternative, needing only a damp mop for cleaning.

Tile
This impenetrable floor is available in a variety of sizes ranging in size from 1 sq. foot to 1 inch sq. Excellent for high traffic and moisture prone areas (as seen at swimming pools). Tile comes in many types, finishes, colors and shapes. If unable to afford an under-floor heating system, consider burnished terracotta tiles which retain heat well. Ceramic tiles can feature designs baked onto the tile and are used to simulate stone. If you have pets or children keep in mind that unsealed tile, like terra cotta, stains easily. The fact that custom patterns can be achieved by cutting intricate designs lends itself to contemporary designs. Grout is used to hold tiles in place. It is a powder mixed with water that dries quickly. When you choose your grout it is best to get a darker color which will make stains less visible. If you have old tile with stained grout, the tile can be relaid with new grout.

Ceramic Tile Flooring
Ceramic is the most common tile found in homes today. Ceramic tile wears well, provides good traction, is essentially water and stain proof and easy to maintain using almost any cleaning chemical. As such, it can be installed in any room without any particular concerns. Best for its natural beauty. Tile tends to resist wear, moisture, scratches, dents, and stains. But its hard surface can be a problem with dropped cups and dishes, which can break more easily. Installation is relatively difficult. Tiles can crack; grout can stain.
Nearly unlimited color and pattern choices are available making ceramic a versatile tile flooring, although it can look a bit “manufactured” or “plastic.”

Porcelain Tile Flooring
Porcelain is becoming a very popular alternative to stone and ceramic. It is harder and more durable than ceramic… almost like stone. Porcelain also provides a better imitation of marble, travertine or other stone patterns, colors and textures with plenty of choices to match any design. Like ceramic, porcelain tile is nearly impossible to stain, scratch resistant and easy to maintain. Install it anywhere you like.

Saltillo Tile
Like slate, many people love the unique look and vibrant yellow-orange colors of Saltillo tile, but when compared with other options, saltillo has some drawbacks. Made of clay, it is very porous and stains easily, so it must be sealed often and is not a good choice for a kitchen or bathroom. Saltillo is prone to scratching and scuffing and cracking in colder climates. It is also difficult and thus expensive to install.

Concrete
This is one of the most affordable, as well as durable, choices of flooring. It can be painted to add warmth to a room, and repainted to keep up with changing trends. Concrete is a cold, heat and scratch resistant floor and should be sealed to prevent staining and wear.

Glass
An exotic flooring material that is costly. It is best to be adequately supported on all edges and have some type of anti-slip mechanism such as sand blasting. On the lower level of the building, glass can enclose a display space and on the upper, it acts as a transparent walkway. Scratching can be a problem, so use in low-traffic areas is best.

Acrylic
Less expensive than glass with the same attributes. It can form the base layer for a piece of 3/8 inch glass to be laminated on top of, which can be replaced after extensive use. An alit-slip mechanism such as sand blasting is recommended. Clear acrylic set in the concrete of sidewalks and lit from below is used for effect lighting outside buildings. Scratching is much more of a problem than with glass, so use in low-traffic areas is best.

Metal
Stainless steel and aluminum are the most common metals for flooring. Embossed patterns like diamond plate create visual interest while reflecting the environment which can make the room look larger.