Tile flooring is a hard floor covering that is an excellent choice for long lasting strength  and durability. It is nonabsorbent to liquid or odor and relatively impervious to soiling and staining. It’s easy to clean and maintain with as little effort as soap and water. It is fireproof and can be installed in any part of the house with an array of colors to compliment any  design. Tile is a timeless classical element with aesthetic appeal that lasts indefinitely;  dating back to at least 4,000 BC in Egypt. Tile is also versatile, used in formal and  informal, structural or decorative, textured or patterned interiors.

When choosing tile for a surface, you must be familiar with the charecteristics of each type of tile to make an appropriate choice. Below are some of the most common used today.

Limestone Tile—a calcium carbonate stone with a light-grayish neutralized color. It has  little to no grain, with a typically matte or dull finish. Limestone is great in high traffic areas,  fireplaces and mantel pieces. One must take into precaution with the maintenance of this  stone. Since limestone is highly porous, moister is easily absorbed. If liquid is spilled, it  must be wiped away quickly before the stone takes on that color. If the liquid is wiped away  promptly with lukewarm water, no damage is done. Cost of limestone can be high.

Slate Tile—a metamorphic, finely grained rock that cleaves or splits naturally into layers.  It’s vibrant character always demands attention when walking into a room.  Colors vary  from grays to greenish or reddish grays to blacks and browns. Slate can be best used on pretty much any surface; floors, counters, backsplashes and walls. The cost can vary from
moderate to high.

Travertine Tile—a light-colored limestone rock formed near mineral springs. The trapped gas in the stone causes holes and all kinds of interesting textures. When used as flooring, the holes are filled with cement or epoxy. Travertine on floors, stair treads and fireplaces look beautiful and timeless. The major precaution is to be aware of the slipping when the stone is wet. The cost of this stone is high.

Ceramic Tile—man made tile made of white clays, formed and glazed before the first or second firing. Shiny or smooth to patterned to rough and dull. Mosaic tiles are small tiles set into a pattern; may be preset sheets, a face mount or back mount, ready to be set with grout. Ceramic is great for entryways, bathrooms/rest rooms, kitchens, high traffic areas and counter tops. Colors are endless and material used can be made out of recycled clay, making it an environmentally friendly product. Cost can moderate from low to high with moderate to high installation cost.

Quarry Tile—fine-colored clay and graded shale. Most is a terra-cotta rust/red, the color of natural clay. Quarry may be glazed but usually is left natural. Square or hexagonal shapes are most popular with this kind of tile. The best application is on floors and counter tops with similar product cost and installation as ceramic tile.

Porcelain Tile—is also made from clay, but it uses a greater percentage of feldspar than ceramic tiles and kaolin, white clay, instead of the redder, iron rich clay in ceramic tiles. Porcelain looks great in entryways, bathrooms/ rest rooms, kitchens, high traffic areas and counter tops. Cost can vary from low to high.

Granite Tile—tile is made from a very hard crystalline rock with small amounts of feldspar, quartz, and other minerals in crystal or rain form. Crystals vary from very fine to fairly coarse. The colors vary from light to dark values and variations of gray, pink, green, brown, and black. It may be rough-hewn or smooth and polished. Granite may be used on counter tops and floors with a precaution that if it is polished, it may be dangerously slippery when wet. Cost of granite can be high.

Marble Tile— is made from a metamorphic stone, granular or crystalline, white or colored, often with
streaks. It is the hardest and typically the most expensive of the stones. May be cut into
thin sheets or slabs and polished to a high sheen. Marble may be used for counters, floors
and fireplaces with a precaution that floors with a high sheen are very slippery when wet.