Ceramic Tile Flooring:
Pros, Cons & Comparisons
Tossing around bath or kitchen design ideas? Take a look at ceramic tile
flooring. Ceramic tile has considerable benefits without some of the concerns
and/or costs of other floor tile materials.
Ceramic tile flooring is durable, easy to clean and maintain, water and stain-proof and extremely versatile.
Installation anywhere in your home from countertops to bathroom floor tile to showers, walls and outdoor patios or entryways is possible.
No worries finding that perfect color to go with your bathroom or kitchen remodeling ideas... ceramic tile comes in nearly every shade with interesting patterns and textures too including decent imitations of natural stone like travertine floor tile.
On the previous Ceramic Floor Tile page we detailed everything there is to know about ceramic tile.... on this page we'll cover the pros and cons and compare ceramic to other floor tile options.
Pros & Cons
- Water and stain-proof
- Good Traction and slip-resistance
- Wide variety of shapes and sizes
- Glazed ceramic doesn't need sealing
- Won't crack or deform in heat or frost
- Colors won't fade
- A multitude of colors, patterns & textures
- Easy to clean with just hot water, steam mop or standard cleaning products
- Durable, extremely wear-resistant and long-lasting
- A low cost or discount floor tile
Cons
- Chips and scratches remove the colored glaze
- Difficult to repair or re-surface
- Can look a bit plastic
Depending on the level of style you are trying to achieve with your bath or kitchen tile design, installing ceramic floor tile can be an excellent choice. It is not considered a high-end or upscale flooring, but it certainly presents well and the cons are minimal. So, for the price, ceramic floor tile is hard to beat.
Comparisons
Marble, travertine and limestone will not stain easy if polished, but most floors are honed and thus need to be sealed to retard staining. Glazed ceramic tile does not need sealing.
Also, marble, travetine and limestone will etch upon contact with acidic foods like wine, coffee, soda, mustard and you need to only use cleaning products made for marble, which can be more expensive than typical household cleaners.
Of course, hot water will work just as well on marble as on ceramic tile flooring. Ceramic does not etch and you can use any standard household cleaner.
The cheaper cost of ceramic is again the main advantage... it is a durable discount floor tile. The simple care and maintenance is also an advantage for ceramic; however, marble, travertine and limestone will be easier to repair if chipped, scratched or otherwise damaged than ceramic tile.
Ceramic vs. Porcelain Tile
Ceramic tile flooring and porcelain floor tile are made essentially the same way. Porcelain claims all of the features of ceramic, but in addition porcelain is harder and more durable.... almost as good as stone.
Like ceramic, porcelain provides a wide range of colors and styles, shapes and edges and is easy to maintain and clean.
The big advantage of porcelain is that the color is consistent throughout the tile (like stone) so if porcelain is chipped or scratched it can be repaired much more easily than ceramic. Porcelain is more expensive though.
For overall quality, ceramic is a close second to porcelain, but again it's a discount floor tile that is more friendly to your wallet!
As you can see, ceramic makes an excellent floor tile that's long-lasting, easy to maintain and relatively cheap to install.
If you are willing to spend a bit (to a lot) more and learn the more particular (but not too difficult) maintenance needs of natural stone, you can achieve a more stylish, elegant and upscale look for your kitchen remodel or bathroom tile design.
Ceramic tile flooring will still look very nice and all considered, is a great bargain.
Check out our flooring design trends post for more ideas.
