Ceramic tiles have been around since their use by early Hellenic cultures as roofing for homes. Today, these materials are often used to grace the floors of rooms or to pave outdoor areas. With proper maintenance, ceramic tiles can last for decades, and maintain their decorative appearance.

There are various types of ceramics use in home design, from earthenware to stoneware, and even porcelain. Each material imparts a unique texture and color to whatever surface they?re mounted upon. More importantly, each material has varying degrees of durability and resistance to wear and tear; making it important that homeowners understand such nuances before having damaged tiling repaired.

Earthenware, as its names suggests, is a kind of tile that is earth colored, often unglazed, and having a rustic appearance. While it lends a rustic and romantic feel to any room, its porous nature limits its versatility.

Stoneware is perhaps the most durable ceramic type due to its density and opaque look. Often used for flooring, stoneware tiles can stand up to most weights and liquid with ease. While typically gray in appearance, they can be colored or printed with designs to match the preferences of the homeowner.

Porcelain tiles are the kind typically used to grace the floors and walls of bathrooms. Of the three, porcelain?s translucence and low water permeability makes it the perfect choice for waterproofing surfaces. Normally baked white, they can also be colored and designed to suit the style of a particular living space.

Choosing the right ceramic tile from Wilmington NC outlets to cover a room or path can be tricky, considering the variety of tiles available. Homeowners who can?t decide for themselves can simply engage helpful contractors to handle all the planning and installation. The same experts should be able to repair any tile damage as well.

Solid Hardwood Floors

Solid hardwood is exactly that ? a tree simply cut into planks, treated, stained, coated and put on your floor. This is the typical type many people think of when they think of hardwood flooring.

It is durable, long lasting and can be sanded more than one time. However, solid hardwood is generally not installed over concrete slab floors and is usually nailed down into plywood sub-floors. Unlike engineered hardwood, solids typically are not floated over existing flooring or glued down if needed.

So, with solids, you may have more floor prep and labor costs associated with removing the existing flooring and getting your sub-floor ready versus engineered floors and laminate floors which have greater flexibility in terms of installation methods. Hardwood is affected by changes in humidity and is not recommended for bathrooms, kitchens or basements. Hardwoods are the most costly.

Tile flooring is a popular choice for homeowners here in the Wilmington area and all across the country, for good reason. Whether you choose ceramic or vinyl tiles, you?ll find a wealth of design options for your kitchen, bath, entryway, baby?s room, family room or anywhere in your home. Add a throw rug as a warm finishing touch or enjoy the beauty of the tile on its own. Other advantages of flooring tiles include:

Versatility.No matter which type of tile flooring you select, you?ll find a vast number of patterns and colors with which to create your own unique look. Whether your taste runs to the classic, modern, contemporary, sophisticated, understated or eclectic you?ll be amazed at the possibilities offered by tile floors. You can easily create a whole new look or match with any existing dcor.

Simple cleanup. Both vinyl and ceramic flooring are easy-care, durable and stain resistant, with no special cleaning solutions required. Spills disappear in seconds with a quick wipe. Routine cleaning takes just a few minutes with a sponge mop.

No-fuss repairs.Although tile is designed to last for many years, repairs, if needed, are also simple to accomplish. Any damaged tiles are easily removed and replaced with new ones. Hint: buy a few extra tiles to have on hand so that any repairs will match exactly. With its modular design, tile flooring makes it simple to keep your floor looking pristine even in the highest traffic areas of the house.

Installation is a breeze.A tile floor can be professionally installed, quickly and easily, with little disruption of your household or daily routine. Vinyl tile offers an especially simple installation process?just peel and stick to enjoy a new look for any room in the house. Create an elaborate, attention-getting floor design or produce a subtle layout as a finishing touch to complete your room.

Hardwood

With durability and reliability as their main points, hardwood tiles are one of the most sought-after bathroom flooring materials today. The engineered variants are especially in demand because of their resistance to water and moisture, the two common enemies of wood. With proper care and maintenance, hardwood tiles can even last for a hundred years. The only downside is that these tiles are usually expensive.

Porcelain

Porcelain is another material that is resistant to water and moisture. More importantly, it is resistant to odors, which makes it very useful in preventing foul smells in the bathroom from adhering to the tile surface. While this bathroom flooring material is certainly appealing, tiles could crack with enough physical force, and can also be difficult to install properly without the help of an expert.

Vinyl

Arguably the most commonly used material for household decorations, vinyl is renowned for its affordability, versatility, and resistance to heat and water. With the right design choices, vinyl tiles can mimic the appearance of all the other types of bathroom tiles, but with a much lower price. However, this synthetic material can easily be damaged by sharp objects; it is far more likely to get scratched compared to other tiles.

Carpet

As the name implies, carpet tiles are 18 x 18 inch squares made from carpeting material. Unlike the others, carpet tiles are very easy to install and replace, thanks to their shape?s uniformity. A homeowner can also create personalized flooring designs by employing different carpet tiles. Being susceptible to moisture, mold, and mildew, carpet tiles are not the best go-to option for bathrooms.

These many choices only mean that there is no all-around best bathroom flooring. The ideal choice actually depends on the homeowner and his or her bathroom?s needs. Thankfully, there are experts in Wilmington NC tile stores who can help customers choose the right tile for them.