If you have decided that real hardwood floors won’t work for your family but you don’t want laminate, there are other options that still look like wood. In our previous blog, we discussed laminate versus engineered wood. Because wood-look tile is growing in popularity and tile is a common choice for Pinellas County homeowners, we wanted to address the differences in wood-look tile floors and engineered wood flooring today.
Most people understand that real hardwood flooring provides the biggest return on investment as it’s the flooring material of choice for most home buyers. However, there are benefits of choosing a wood-look tile over hardwood and reasons you may want engineered wood rather than hardwood or tile.
Why Wood-Look Tile Floors Might be Right for Your Home
Perhaps the biggest advantage of wood-look tile floors is their water-resistant nature. If you have a backyard pool, are close to the beach, or are replacing flooring in a bath or laundry room, but want the look of hardwood, your best option is wood-look tile flooring. Homeowners with pets tend to gravitate toward tile flooring. It’s scratch resistant and easy to clean up the occasional accident. The same goes for households with small children pushing cars or other toys along a floor. If you don’t want to worry about water damage or scratches but want the look of wood, consider wood-look tile floors.
Why Engineered Wood Floors Might be Right for Your Home
If you spend a lot of time standing on your floors, you will find that engineered wood feels better to stand on. Engineered wood flooring looks and acts more like real hardwood. It is more forgiving than tile if you drop something on it.
Maintenance
Engineered wood needs to be cleaned and cared for. You should pay attention to water spills and clean them up promptly. If you don’t sweep it regularly, you will end up with scratches. Even though wood-look tile is laid with very thin grout lines between the tiles, there is still grout that sometimes needs deep cleaning. Overall, it does require less care and maintenance than any wood product.
There really is no such thing as a perfect flooring option. Wood-look tile floors can crack on an uneven slab or when your home settles. An improperly sealed sub-floor will lead to buckling in your engineered wood flooring from ground moisture. The key is to work with an experienced flooring installation company. Seer Flooring will look at your home, family, and lifestyle and help you choose the right flooring option and install it properly. Call (727) 785-1930 or complete our contact form for your free in-home estimate.