Tile and Stone Flooring in Dallas, Texas

Tiles are tough, durable flooring products that can last decades if properly installed and well-maintained. Depending on the type of tile, they are resistant to stains, scratches, water, and even minor fire damage! Timeless in its looks, you can install floor tiles indoors or outdoors to fit the aesthetics of your home. Maintaining tiles doesn’t have to be a chore either; you can clean most tile flooring with ease. With a simple mild soap and water solution, there’s no need to use harsh chemicals to keep your floor clean.

Ceramic Tile Flooring: Ceramic tile is sold in 4 grades, and the higher the grade, the more resistant it is to scratching and chipping.

• Grades I and II are sufficient for residential use.
• Grades III and IV are the most durable and are more common in commercial use.

Ceramic floor tiles are available in various sizes, colors, shapes, and patterns. Ceramic is more affordable than porcelain tile and offers a similar aesthetic. However, ceramic is generally not designed for use in areas that accumulate water or moisture.

Porcelain Tile Flooring: Porcelain tile is a type of ceramic fired in a high-temperature kiln. Its non-porous nature means that it doesn’t absorb liquids easily. The material is an excellent solution for areas that commonly deal with moisture or water, like bathrooms or kitchens. A properly installed porcelain tile floor is resistant to stains, warping, and even mold. Porcelain’s surface is so hard and smooth that it generally won’t collect dust and grime like other flooring options. This not only makes cleaning easy, but it also means fewer potential allergens in your home.

Engineered Floor Tiles: Engineered tile is an excellent alternative to stone, ceramic, or porcelain tile. You can install the tile indoors, and it accommodates both grouted and groutless installation methods. Engineered tile is commonly constructed with a sturdy stone composite base. Manufacturers top the composite with a durable surface that’s water, scratch, and stain-resistant. Modern material science gives this material the ability to retain more heat and feel soft underfoot while still providing the same strength and durability as its traditional counterparts.

Natural Stone Tiles: The properties of natural stone are highly dependent on the particular stone picked and the proximity of each quarried section of stone. This is most obvious in the visual look of each stone. The coloration, texture, lines, and movement of natural stone will vary from piece to piece. The porosity, hardness, and aesthetic will also vary based on the type of stone picked. For example, marble is not as strong a material as slate or granite, so it is ideal for bathrooms or kitchens which have less foot traffic. On the other hand, slate and granite are suitable for living rooms or hallways due to their naturally hard surface. With proper installation and maintenance, all types of natural stone flooring should last for decades.

Ceramic deals with small spills without problems, but it is not fully water-resistant. On the other hand, porcelain is highly water-resistant and passes the ASTM C373 water absorption test. This means that after being boiled for 5 hours and submerged for another 19 hours (total 24 hours), it has taken on less than 0.5% of its original weight in moisture. In fact, this designation is commonly used internationally to certify that a product is porcelain rather than ceramic.

Hardness & Durability
Porcelain offers superior hardness and durability because its clay comprises finer grains. Porcelain is also fired in a kiln that operates at much higher temperatures, for a longer time than ceramic. This extreme heat causes more of the silica material in the clay to liquefy, which results in a more cohesive material at the microscopic level. Therefore, porcelain becomes a much denser, heavier material renowned for its durability and water resistance.

Porcelain Vs. Ceramic Cost
Ceramic has a lesser value than porcelain, though their appearances are almost identical. The difference in cost arises because porcelain is made of finer and denser clay containing more feldspar. Therefore, it requires more raw materials to make the same number of tiles.