Tile vs Marble

Both traditional tile and marble flooring can add a clean, polished look to any home, but figuring out which one to choose can be daunting.  With the help of a professional interior designer, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each material to help you decide which one to install in your home.

Tile Flooring

For years, tile flooring has been a top choice for homeowners across the country.  The benefits of tile floors abound, but since there are so many types of tile floors, it can be challenging to choose the best one for your spaces.  Since the floor frequently ends up being the focal point of any room in your house, you must be sure that it is designed and installed properly.

Pros of Tile

Tile flooring gives you so many options to choose from.  With tile, you can customize the colors, size, texture, style, and even shape of your floor.  Since it is so customizable, you are sure to create a look that is uniquely yours.  Because of the installation process of most tile, it can be laid without problems on even and uneven surfaces.  Tile is also much cheaper than marble, making it a more affordable way to customize a floor.  Additionally, tile can be installed on a do it yourself schedule and budget.  Tile is resilient, meaning it is easy to clean and will not stain.  Finally, tiles are free of allergens and maintain a high level of hygiene.

Cons of Tile

Tile can be cold to the touch, especially to bare feet.  This is most noticeable during the colder months of the year.  This problem is easily addressed by placing large rugs or mats on the floor to block the chill of the tile.  When tiles are damaged, they either break with unsightly crack lines or display chips on the edges.  If left untreated the condition of the tile worsens.  Additionally, tile becomes very slippery when wet, which means that all spills and messes should be cleaned promptly.  Finally, tile is known to amplify noise, so expect clicks and louder dragging sounds when moving items on tile.

Marble Flooring

In recent years, marble has proven to be one of the most desirable and trendy flooring solution for homeowners across America.

Pros of Marble

In recent years, marble has proven to be one of the most desirable and trendy flooring solution for homeowners across America.  Marble offers classic style and elegance in a very sleek and clean finish.  Marble is much tougher than traditional tile floors.  This means that you are less likely to see any chips, breaks, or scratches on the durable marble flooring.  Marble usually feels cold to the touch.  This is a bit of relief during the sweltering summer months.

Cons of Marble

Currently, marble is one of the most expensive flooring materials on the market.  A trained professional is required for installation due to the amount of technical knowledge and experience necessary to install a marble floor.  Since marble is so tough and hard, expect dropped items such as cookware and glasses to break on contact.  Marble is more of a high maintenance flooring solution compared to tile.  To maintain the shiny gloss finish, you must schedule time for regular polishing.  As previously mentioned, marble is always cold, so look at buying slippers or house shoes to combat the cold feel of the tile during winter months.