We are looking to buy a house and we‘re choosing between tile and hardwood floor. I prefer hardwood because I feel its easier to clean and more comfortable. Husband prefers the tile. Is it just personal preference or is one better than another, cleaning wise.
Hardwood floors by all means. Especially if you live anywhere but the south or southwest. Wood floors have a bit of give to them so they are better for your feet and legs, particularly if you are on your feet alot. They make sense in an area where you want to make things cool as possible, but wood floors give a warm cozy feeling. In terms of long term value, hardwood floors add to the value of a house and often tile gives it a dated look.
Pros and Cons: 1)Porcelaine and ceramic tile are harder and will wear better with sand and water. However, you have grout to deal with (seal it and use the right cleaners and that wont be a big con) 2) Wood is beautiful and warm. It can warp with moisture, and scratch, especially with sand. Of course durability should be an issue, and it really depends on how much sand you will track in, and how much moisture will be on the floor. They do make some tiles that look like wood. One that is really nice is Interceramic's Timberland series. That might be a nice compromise.
hardwood. definitely. it lasts longer, and a bit easier to install if you are both installing the floor manually. tiles are a bit harder to install, and on top of that may crack easily, depending on what type you get. Hardwood is cooler on the feet, but tiles are even colder. If you live in areas where it snows lots you'd be wearing socks if you have tiles. that's why hardwood's the best in my opinion.
cleaning hardwood floors or tile will more than likely be the same, cleaning wise. My personal preference is hardwood. They do have to be cleaned alot and you can feel any speck of dirt on them. I have tile floors in my kitchen and it is the same way. Sorry I don't believe this helps. compromise get both, my house has hardwood floors throughout and then in the kitchen and bathroom we have tile.
I would go with the hardwood floor. As the styles change and you redecorate your house, the wood will match anything you do to the house whereas the tile may not. If a tile cracked and the ones in your house are not sold, you will have to replace the entire floor otherwise you will have a patch that doesn't match in the floor. Also, tile has to be regrouted more than the hardwood would need to be refinished. If you decided down the road that you wanted to go with tile, you could remove the hardwood much easier than tile. Hardwood is just a classic type of flooring and if it gets cold, you can just throw some floor rugs here and there (which would be a good idea in high traffic areas any) and it is as cozy as ever.
