Timber Floors versus Tiled…Living with Pets, Kids, and Shoes, not to mention cleaning!

As home renovators, we are asked this question daily. What is the best flooring for my Home addition? What kind of flooring should I use in my home renovation? Let’s face it; we walk around day in and day out, not giving the flooring much thought. Now is the time to put in the work so that later, you can lounge in your socks or comfortably walk across that brand new floor of tile, wood or wood-look tile and not be concerned with how much thought actually went into the choice.

Trending right now in 2018 is tile that looks like wood. Yes, we said it, porcelain tile that looks like wood, but leaves behind all the maintenance of wood. This is helpful because a lot of people love the look of wood but hate the work that goes with it. Others hate the feel of tile. Either way, we want your home addition to fit your needs. We want your home renovation to promote the pitter patter of little feet, furry or otherwise and bare or stocking clad! In a word, comfort. Home renovations should still make you feel comfortable.

Timber Flooring: Important Factors

Let’s break it down to a few important factors, cost, durability, installation and cleaning. If we can narrow your choices down under those four headings, the choice will certainly be easier.

 

Flooring Type Cost Durability Installation Cleaning
 

Ceramic or Porcelain Tile

This type of flooring is at the low end of the budgeting options.  

Extremely Durable

Difficult to install. Should be done by an experienced professional. Easy to clean but the grout between tiles may attract extra dirt.

 

So you’re thinking great, tile is cheap, easy to clean and will last forever. Not so fast. Tile is most common in bathrooms, even kitchens but unlikely in living areas. Most items dropped on tile will break, with the exception of plastics and plush. It’s also cold to walk on, fine in summer but what about winter? Hmmm…what about it?

Tile Living

Tile is available in many color choices and patterns, even wood-look tile. So now you can have the beauty of wood with the ease of tile.  Ahhh this complicates the choice just a little. It still does not change the fact that tile is cold, unless you install radiant under floor heating and supplement with area rugs. But, you can quickly mom the area and cleaning is basically done.

 

Flooring Type Cost Durability Installation Cleaning
 

Timber Flooring

Hardwood or Engineered, wood flooring is on the high end of the budget.  

 

Extremely Durable

Difficult to install. Should be done by an experienced professional.  

Easily swept up, vacuumed or dry mopped.

Wood flooring provides a warm, welcoming look in a home. Your home renovation will definitely make a statement with all wood flooring. It’s not something you can install on your own. Wood flooring requires professional installation and is time consuming as well. The dust alone makes us cringe! However, it is easily cleaned up and will be but a distant memory once your flooring is installed and you are enjoying the durability of your new wood flooring.

What about scratches? Rest assured wood flooring scratches. Is that part of the charm? It can be. However others will hold the scratch in extreme dislike. Just remember, with wood, you can sand the surface and refinish it several times over the life of the flooring.  As for color choices well, you can choose from blonde to brunette to almost black basically. Color choices are much more limited than tile.

Most importantly look at your life style and decide what works best for you. It’s your home renovation, your home extension and only you know what will make your home renovation in Pert WA stand out as a winner in your eyes.

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Adam Stanley

As a cabinetmaker, Adam gained an appreciation for fine craftsmanship, where a millimetre makes the difference between masterpiece and mediocre.
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