Best Types of Flooring and Countertops
Maybe you are in the process of building and designing your own home? And you are torn between granite countertops, marble, etc..
It’s a tough choice… Which one will hold up the best? Which one will clean the easiest after the cat decides to walk on it? Is one more durable and will continue to look great with time, than another?
Building and designing a house is an incredible feat, but one that must be done carefully. Considering all your options, and building the highest quality home you can with your budget, is so pertinent!
What if you choose the wrong carpet? Or the wrong type of tile? Or the wrong countertops and cabinets?
And then in a few years, you dread coming home because you can’t stand to look at the way all the material blend together!
*shivers* Can you imagine?!
Of course, you want everything to blend well and be aesthetically pleasing, but you also want to consider durability, strength, cleaning ability, quality, etc,., of what materials you are choosing.
Luckily, Building Flooring Source is here to help you choose your tile and countertop material, by showing you the Best Types of Flooring and Countertops For Your Home! Let’s dive in folks:
4 Factors To Consider When Choosing Tile and Countertop Material
We like to think we know flooring pretty darn well. So trust us on this one okay St. George?
1. Durability
Undoubtedly one of the most important factors to consider when choosing your tile and countertops! Consider who is living in the home, what kind of traffic you are going to have.
Do you have dogs, cats, children, wheelchairs, etc?
Are your doggo’s thick nails going to forever scar the edges of your countertop when he jumps up to snag your T-bone steak? Are the kids running in and out of the house, soccer cleats and all? What about you and those 5″ heels you’re wearing girl?!
Point is… your tile and counters may or may not be in danger of complete wreckage, depending on the type of traffic…
So the goal is to invest in some strong materials! Scratch resistant, won’t chip or crack, and will hold up for all the years to come.
2. Maintenance
Consider that same kind of traffic going through your home. Is the material you choose going to be durable, but also easy to clean once it’s all said and done?
Does your husband wear his work boots in the house after a long day shuffling around at the sewage treatment plant? Is your cat jumping on your counter, feet fresh from the litter box?
Are your kids spilling cranberry juice while eating at the island? Or tracking mud back into the house after a fun day in the rain?
Some tile and countertop materials may be more porous than others, therefore liquids, soils, etc, will inevitably get trapped in those little air pockets.
Either way, you go, you’ll need to have your floors professionally cleaned at least once a year for the best results, but opting for a material that is easy to clean in the meantime is a good way to go. You’ll want a type of tile that doesn’t have large grout traps!
We’ll talk about that in just a second though, so bare with me!
3. Style
Of course, we must consider the look and feel of the material! What if the most durable and easy to clean tile on the planet is also the ugliest on the planet?!
You want it to look awesome and able to blend in flawlessly with the rest of your home.
We suggest choosing your favorite look of tile, granite, marble, etc., and from there, do further research on those other factors we talked about (i.e. which might be more durable and low maintenance).
4. Price
Last but certainly not least (and also perhaps the most important), the price of the material you choose. While you consider what material you like the look of, you also choose based on how well that fits into your budget.
It’s best to set aside a relatively high budget range for your tile/countertops. It is important to invest in a high-quality material, for a longer last, but also one that you fall in love with as well.
Remember- we get what we pay for. Limiting your budget for the flooring/countertops will result in a lower quality material that may not last as long as a higher quality one.
Do your research, and arrange your budget accordingly!
4 Best Materials To Choose From
Certainly, there are many more materials to choose from than the four below– however, these are among the most durable, and elegant looking of all the material types.
If you feel prone to trying laminate, concrete, wood flooring or even stainless steel countertops– by all means, look into those as well!
It is also important to note that every type of flooring and countertop you choose has pros and cons, but your choosing process should, of course, be based on your budget and own personal preferences! So let’s talk about those pros and cons!
Based on our experience, knowledge, research, and general expertise, we feel inclined to help provide some of our favorite materials to help in your choosing process:
Granite
Our favorite material of all. Perhaps the most durable, strongest, and easily maintained of all the materials.
Highly scratch-resistant, so that doggo of yours is fighting a losing battle! Not only that, but you can literally place a hot pot on your granite countertop and it’ll be just fine!
As with most countertops, etc., some maintenance is required– such as cleaning and re-applying sealant to protect the granite for a longer-lasting effect.
Yes, it is one of the best looking, and strongest of materials, but it can also be the priciest of all.
Granite is an igneous rock meaning it is an original– it has not been broken down yet, and re-created! It has been naturally created by mother earth, from molten hot magma! Durable, strong, natural, and simply magnificent.
Certainly a large investment, but well worth it.
Marble
Our second favorite material! Marble is very similar to granite, in that it is also strong, durable, and very obviously gorgeous. However, it is not as hard as granite, so scratches are a bit more visible to the naked eye.
While marble is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, it is also one of the more expensive, luxurious materials. Even more so than granite.
We suggest marble floors or countertops if you are looking at light traffic in the home. This material is too beautiful and too expensive to risk extensive damage from high traffic and big doggo nails, right?!
Quartz
One of the most common of countertop materials- strong, durable, and a slightly lower price than granite or marble. But not by much! Unlike marble and granite, quartz is manipulated and engineered– not purely natural as those above.
Because it is engineered, there are likely to be more air pockets, cracks, and visible seams, making for a less easy clean.
Quartz is also not as scratch and heat resistant as its counterparts– marble and granite. But this countertop still has it benefits, for its price range. It is one to consider!
Tile
Of course the most traditional of hard flooring, and also fairly common in countertops! Traditional tile is made commonly with ceramic tiles, glass, or porcelain tiles. Compared to marble and granite, tile is much more versatile– offering more looks and styles.
Tile is so popular because it is economical, while still maintaining strength. However, it is much more porous, and is man-made– meaning more air pockets and more easily stained.
Grout maintenance is the downside to traditional tile, simply because grout can begin to look very unappealing if it is not professionally cleaned regularly.
Tile is still very durable, but it is more easily cracked and chipped than that of granite and marble, because of its ceramic nature.
Of course, that is nothing to worry about if you call Building Flooring Source!
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are a beautiful American classic and can look simply divine with the right surroundings (and the right flooring company I might add).
Hardwood remains the worldwide gold standard for floor covering… and with good reason!
This is because there are endless benefits to hardwood flooring, because of it’s low-maintenance and durable properties. Not to mention its timeless look often adds a nice increase to the value of your home as well.
However, there can be some downsides to this type of flooring. Hardwood is susceptible to scratching and, of course, can get damaged from excessive moisture. And unlike tile or granite flooring, hardwood will show wear a bit more, especially in heavily-trafficked areas.
Laminate
Ahh, another great, timeless look for the home!
What many people don’t know is that laminate is actually just pressed wood! In fact, while older, more traditional homes still boast the original hardwood flooring, many newer homes today are using laminate. It offers a natural look similar to wood but at a lower price!
As we said before, laminate wood flooring is simply made from composite wood pressed together at high temperatures. The image of hardwood is then placed over the composite wood, covering it to form the laminate.
Not only are the materials themselves cheaper, but laminate wood installation cost is, on average, 50 percent less than hardwood installation as well.
Something to look into, eh? You can hardly tell the difference, am I right?
And because laminate is made from pressed wood, it is more durable and can resist light scratches and wear and tear better. Laminate flooring is also easier to clean without the added worry of too much moisture ruining it..
How Can Building Flooring Source Help?
Our floor laying process is unlike anything you’ve ever heard of!
Rest assured, no matter what type of hard flooring or countertop material you choose- Building Flooring Source will do the absolute best job installing it!
Your floors are the heart of your home. Its a lifelong investment to build your dream home and choose the best materials to put inside of it, while also maintaining those materials to the best of your ability!
When you choose Building Flooring Source, you are served with the best customer service around, and the cleanest, quickest installation process you could ever imagine. If you are in the market for new flooring, remember to keep our name in mind. Building Flooring Source is here to help!