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What are the Advantages of a Tile Floor?

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

Tile flooring is one of the most popular options in floor coverings today. From the easy to install vinyl tiles to the beautiful options for ceramic tile, there is something for just about every taste. Along with beauty, there are a number of reasons why tile is both practical and popular. It's usually easy to install and maintain, comes in a range of designs, and can be used in nearly any room.

One of the main benefits associated with a tile floor is its ease of maintenance. With both vinyl or ceramic flooring, the tiles require no special cleaning solutions, tend to be stain resistant, and make it much easier to keep clean. Spills can be wiped up easily. Routine cleaning can be accomplished with mild cleansing solution and a sponge mop.

Tile floors are easy to install.
Tile floors are easy to install.

The ease of installation is another advantage associated with tile. Often, the flooring installation involves nothing more than peeling a protective backing from each tile and setting it in place. This makes it possible for homeowners to do the job themselves, which can save a great deal of money.

There are a number of tile designs available, and consumers can choose from a wide range of colors, patterns, and designs. Especially creative homeowners may mix and match tiles to come up with own unique design. This makes it possible to integrate a tile floor into the general decor of the room much easier than other floor covering options.

Sealing toilet on a bathroom floor with caulk.
Sealing toilet on a bathroom floor with caulk.

Repairs are also easy to accomplish. When a tile is damaged, it can simply be removed and replaced with a new one. Even if the flooring is ceramic, the process is still relatively simple. The quick and easy repair process makes it much easier to keep looking new than many other flooring types.

Versatility is another hallmark of the tile floor. Tiles can be used with equal success to create a durable and attractive kitchen floor or a bathroom floor. It is not unusual for homeowners to also consider installing a tile in the den or family room. When matched with an area rug, the overall look of the floor is inviting as well as easy to keep clean.

Tile floors are easy to repair when a tile is broken.
Tile floors are easy to repair when a tile is broken.

Home stores and hardware stores are excellent sources for different tile flooring designs. In addition, simple tiles can also be purchased at many discount retail stores. When purchasing tiles, homeowners should be sure to buy more than is required for the job. This will make it easier to manage repairs to the floor, even if the pattern is discontinued.

Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including HomeQuestionsAnswered, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

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Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum

After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including HomeQuestionsAnswered, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.

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Discussion Comments

DylanB

If you buy cheap floor tiles, remember that they may not last as long as more expensive ones. I am currently renting a home with cheap tile, and several of them have started to chip off and curl up around the edges next to the walls.

If I had installed the tile myself, I would have invested in a higher quality version. When I buy a home, I won't settle for less.

wavy58

My favorite thing about this type of flooring is the endless variety of floor tile designs you can make by arranging different colored tiles in a pattern. I have three rooms in my house with different designs that I came up with on my own.

In my kitchen, I have a background of brown tiles with yellow tiles in the shape of a lemon in the middle of the floor. I used a few green tiles to make a stem and a leaf and to add a bit of color.

In my bathroom, I used blue tiles on a sea-green background to make a seahorse. The décor is all ocean themed.

Kristee

@backdraft – Laying tile floor is pretty easy, especially if you are already handy. Just get the kind that has a peel and stick backing. As long as you are careful about keeping everything aligned, you will be fine. The biggest challenge for me was not getting the tiles crooked, but there are tools out there that can help you with this.

cloudel

@bagley79 – Tile floor is so much better than carpet. I was a carpet fan for years, because I grew up in a house with carpeted floors and I liked the cushioning it provided, but once I moved into a house with tile floors, I saw all the advantages.

I have always suffered from allergies, even though I take medication for them. I didn't realize how much carpet can hold onto allergens and attribute to my symptoms. The house with the tile floor caused much less sneezing and congestion.

backdraft

How difficult is tile flooring installation? I have been thinking of redoing the tile in our kitchen and I would really like to avoid paying a contractor.

I am a pretty handy guy but I have never tackled a job like this before. Can I do the work myself or will I need to enlist buddies?

profess

@julies - That is actually my favorite thing about tile floors. Sometimes in the summer when it is blazing hot outside I will strip down to my underwear and lie on the tile floor in my bathroom. It is always cool from the AC and refreshing in a way that nothing else is.

julies

I have bathroom floor tiles and do like that they are easy to maintain, but they sure get cold in the winter. That is probably the only complaint I have about them.

If I get up in the night to use the bathroom, I want to make sure I have slippers on because the floor is so cold. I keep rugs right by the shower, but the rest of the floor stays cold.

This is where a heated floor would be really nice. My parents have a heated tile floor in their bathroom, and the floor is nice and warm when you step on it.

bagley79

When we moved into the house where we live, the basement and bathrooms all had ceramic tile flooring. This was the first time I had ever lived in a home with this type of flooring and I have found out that I really like it.

They are very easy to clean and you don't have to worry about them getting stained. We used to have carpet in our basement and it seemed like the carpet always smelled a little musty.

We use our basement a lot, so it is nice having something that is so much easier to clean and I don't have to worry so much about the kids spilling something on the floor.

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    • Tile floors are easy to install.
      By: Arpad Nagy-Bagoly
      Tile floors are easy to install.
    • Sealing toilet on a bathroom floor with caulk.
      By: sima
      Sealing toilet on a bathroom floor with caulk.
    • Tile floors are easy to repair when a tile is broken.
      By: yuriy
      Tile floors are easy to repair when a tile is broken.
    • A shag rug can add a different texture to a room with a lot of hard surfaces.
      By: Photographee.eu
      A shag rug can add a different texture to a room with a lot of hard surfaces.
    • It's common for homeowners to install tile in a den or family room.
      By: Greg Pickens
      It's common for homeowners to install tile in a den or family room.