Types of Tile Flooring
When it comes to tile flooring, there are nearly infinite possibilities. Deciding on the best choice of tile can be overwhelming due to the vast assortment of materials, sizes, shapes, textures, and colors available. Luckily, the experienced team at Intrepid Marble and Granite in Portland are here to assist you. Our showroom stocks an array of natural stone tile and slab options, in addition to a variety of other materials, including glass, metal, ceramic, porcelain, and even specialty lines. If you’re looking for beautiful tile flooring, give us a call or stop by our showroom to view the wide selection of materials available to you.
The most popular types of tile flooring are natural stone and porcelain. Other materials can also be used to create unique designs. Our staff members are happy to assist in finding the perfect tile for you. We can help narrow down the best choices based on your preferences and application. Indoor versus outdoor, high or low traffic and the space’s moisture level are all key factors in choosing the best tile for your home.
Marble Tile
Marble is a material well-known for its elegance and jaw-dropping beauty. Two of the most popular and recognizable marbles are Carrara to Calacatta. These materials are distinctive for their striking grey, gold, and white coloration. Beyond these popular forms, marble also occurs across a wide range of colors, from pinks and greens to blacks and browns. Some shy away from marble because it is calcium-based and will etch when exposed to acidic household products like vinegar, wine, toothpaste, and shampoo. However, many homeowners are attracted to the patina that marble develops over time. With proper care and maintenance, marble flooring will outlast the house they’re installed in.
Limestone Tile
Limestone is a natural material that is available in a wide range of neutral colors. Most limestones occur with low variation, making color-matching a breeze when finishing a space. As with any tile, an important factor to remember when choosing limestone tiles is their finish. Most often, limestone is honed, polished, or tumbled. These different finishes affect not only the look but also the feel of the tile under your feet. Limestone is a fantastic alternative to marble flooring that offers a similar classic style. Like marble, limestone tile is calcium-based and requires regular maintenance.
Slate Tile
Slate is another striking natural material that is popular as flooring. From solid to multicolor, the color variations can range from minimal to high contrast. Depending on their origins, most slates are incredibly durable. This, and the fact that slate’s coloration means that it easily masks signs of wear and tear, makes this material an excellent choice for high-traffic areas like entryways, hearths, and kitchens. And while slate does require moderate maintenance, including regular sealing to prevent stains, it is a beautiful flooring choice that will last.
Travertine Tile
Travertine is a form of limestone that offers beautiful, earth-toned colors. This material is naturally very porous, which gives it a unique visual texture. Travertine will develop a patina over time, similar to marble, which is one of the most appealing factors about this material to many homeowners. In addition, travertine is available in various finishes, including honed, chiseled, and tumbled. Travertine requires regular maintenance to preserve it as a beautiful, natural flooring solution.
Basalt Tile
Basalt is a natural stone that boasts various shades of light and dark grey, and that is prized for its uniformity in color. Basalt tile serves as a solid neutral, which can help prevent excessive busyness in a space that also contains colorful elements from countertops, wall colors, and cabinetry. Basalt tile provides relatively low maintenance and reasonable durability. The dark hues of basalt tile mean that this material lends itself to a wide range of design applications. The sleek look of this natural material is an excellent choice for modern homes.
Onyx Tile
A slightly unusual but stunningly beautiful flooring choice is onyx. This special material occurs in pink, green, white, and blue tones. Onyx tile offers an entirely unique appearance that other materials can’t mimic. Onyx tile boasts an almost transparent appearance and, with the right lighting, creates a luminous ambiance. And while each piece of onyx presents diverse patterns, they flow together harmoniously to create an elegant flooring design. This material is best used for applications with low traffic.
Porcelain Tile
Porcelain is an incredibly popular flooring choice. Not only is this material highly durable and water-resistant, but it is also available in an enormous selection of sizes, shapes, designs, styles, and colors.
Porcelain tile is a highly versatile product that can be used nearly anywhere in the home.
Because of its durability, porcelain can be used in high traffic areas like entryways, hallways, kitchens, and often even outdoor applications.
Cement Tile
Cement tile is available in an incredibly large selection of patterns. Some designs are printed on single tiles, while others are designed to spread across several tiles so that the pattern can be arranged in various unique ways. Cement tile designs range from simple to intricate, giving you the freedom to choose the pattern that best fits the rest of your decor. Because cement is highly porous, this material is best used in low-traffic, low-moisture areas.
Glass Tile
Glass tile is most commonly used for backsplashes and facades, but when used as flooring, it creates a beautiful and luxurious ambiance. This is especially true in bathrooms, where the use of glass tile flooring transforms an ordinary bathroom into a spa-like retreat. Because of the glass’s reflective quality, it aids in illuminating a room instead of absorbing the light like a matte surface would. Glass is not always the first choice for flooring because of its lack of texture. The smooth surface of glass becomes quite slippery when wet. As a result, glass tiles intended for the floor are often quite small. Smaller tiles mean more grout lines, which create more texture. In addition to all the visual aspects that glass tile has to offer, it is also low maintenance and impervious to stains, mold, and mildew.
Flooring Near Me
The friendly staff at Intrepid Marble and Granite in Portland are eager to help you choose the perfect tile for your home. Our showroom stocks a large variety of in-stock and special order products for you to peruse. When you visit our store, you are free to wander independently or meet with one of our experienced staff members, who can guide you to specific products that would best accommodate your needs. Our goal is to provide our customers with products that fit your lifestyles while simultaneously taking your breath away with natural beauty, unique designs, and even specialty and customizable collections. Give us a call today and explore all the possibilities available to you!