Floors Again !!!!!

to refresh the original question:
in florida, redoing house, engineered wood or tile throughout?
for a number of reasons i had pretty much decided on ALL TILE, so back to the tile store i go and the salesman shows me a sample of italian porcelain tile that looks like wood..
now, i'm thinking "i can have the best of both worlds". the look of wood, but the durability and easy care of tile.
so my question to you is... has anyone actually used this type of tile in their house, or know of anyone that has it in their house and the pros/cons of this tile?
the PICTURES they show look really nice, but, how much can you really tell from a picture.
please help as my head is about to EXPLODE!!
TIA

I know nothing about the look of the wood tile.

I highly recommend porcelain tile. It is so easy to clean. It looks great. We had a major remodel and put porcelain tile in and we have been very happy with it.

Don't they have a sample that they can show you?

elaine

I found this website that shows pictures of the wood tile installed. There is an odd reflection to the tile to me that makes it look like wood that has been mopped instead of waxed.

I have had 3 separate homes where I have had hardwood floors installed.

On the first two, I used red oak with a coffee colored stain.

The first one, I had shiny polyurethane and I did not really like the look of it. The second, I had a matte polyurethane. I liked the matte finish better. Scratches did not show as easily.

In this house, I have hardwood in the living and dining areas. It is chestnut or hickory, I do not remember which one. It is lighter than the coffee stain. It has a special oil finish to it that I have really enjoyed. This is a Bruce Wood product.

The first two were wood planks that were installed by hardwood flooring specialist. I have not and would not use the "engineered wood" products because they cannot be refinished.

elaine

irish said:

to refresh the original question:
in florida, redoing house, engineered wood or tile throughout?
for a number of reasons i had pretty much decided on ALL TILE, so back to the tile store i go and the salesman shows me a sample of italian porcelain tile that looks like wood..
now, i'm thinking "i can have the best of both worlds". the look of wood, but the durability and easy care of tile.
so my question to you is... has anyone actually used this type of tile in their house, or know of anyone that has it in their house and the pros/cons of this tile?
the PICTURES they show look really nice, but, how much can you really tell from a picture.
please help as my head is about to EXPLODE!!
TIA

Click to expand...

I haven't seen a wood-print tile that looks like anything other than a cheap knock-off. And because of the moisture, I wouldn't put real wood on a Florida floor (unless you have a time machine and can lay your hands on Dade county pine). But if something has come out that looks like wood, by all means go for it.

I'd go with roto-printed porcelain, preferably rectified.

Roto-printed means each tile has a slightly different pattern -- closer to the marble/travertine look. Non-roto-printed tile has that "man-made" look which I personally dislike. That wasn't invented when we laid our floor. So we went with travertine.

Rectified means each tile is exactly the same size -- means thinner grout lines, if you don't mind paying extra for the installation. Most installers will want to install with 1/4" grout lines, no matter what you buy. Expect installation costs to skyrocket the thinner the grout lines become.

glypnirsgirl said:

I found this website that shows pictures of the wood tile installed. There is an odd reflection to the tile to me that makes it look like wood that has been mopped instead of waxed.

I have had 3 separate homes where I have had hardwood floors installed.

On the first two, I used red oak with a coffee colored stain.

The first one, I had shiny polyurethane and I did not really like the look of it. The second, I had a matte polyurethane. I liked the matte finish better. Scratches did not show as easily.

In this house, I have hardwood in the living and dining areas. It is chestnut or hickory, I do not remember which one. It is lighter than the coffee stain. It has a special oil finish to it that I have really enjoyed. This is a Bruce Wood product.

The first two were wood planks that were installed by hardwood flooring specialist. I have not and would not use the "engineered wood" products because they cannot be refinished.

elaine

Click to expand...

LOVE the look of this tile. I am going to be watching this as we will be redoing our floors in the next couple of years.

irish said:

to refresh the original question:
in florida, redoing house, engineered wood or tile throughout?

Click to expand...

Why do every room the same? I have tile in the kitchen and bathrooms and engineered wood in the living areas. The 'clic' engineered wood floors are very easy to install and could be a lot less to install when you include labor. You wouldn't want to put wood flooring in a bathroom and I would think twice before putting it on a kitchen floor.

glypnirsgirl said:

I found this website that shows pictures of the wood tile installed. There is an odd reflection to the tile to me that makes it look like wood that has been mopped instead of waxed.

Click to expand...

Personally, I don't like the look of that. It is clearly tile with a wood design. The benefit of wood is the warmth and feel of it - not just the appearance. If I'm putting in tile, I'd choose a different pattern. I like the idea of mixing it up a bit with different patterns in different rooms/areas.

Deb

zinger1457 said:

Why do every room the same?

Click to expand...

Having the same neutral flooring in all the living areas will make the place look more spacious and the overall impression will be one that flows from area to area without being broken up by different "looks." On all the design shows on HGTV when people are getting a house ready to sell, the designers mention this.

The OP is preparing a condo to sell not to live in with her own personal likes and dislikes, I think. She should try to appeal to as many buyers as possible and keep things neutral, especially the wall color and the floor materials. A new buyer can come in and add splashes of color with paint or area rugs or whatever to give it their own personality, but if they have to stop and ponder how they could change this or that, they may move on to another house that won't require as many changes. The main thing is that everything looks clean and new.

The pictures of the wood-look tile show a kitchen with dark wood cabinets and it just looked like too much wood to me. I do like procelain tile, though. We had it in our Washington state house and it was superb. The salesman said that kind of tile was used in auto showrooms and took lots of abuse, but retained it's great look.

I don't know the

products that you are referring to....but don't pick a dark color unless you want to spend all your time with a dust mop/vacuum. Been there, done that! Grrr.....