Why Is Natural-Stone Tile Better Than Ceramic?
When it comes to flooring options, homeowners these days have choices ranging from hardwood and laminate to ceramic and natural stone. Once you get into tile flooring, you have two main categories: fabricated and natural.
Ceramic tiles have always been fabricated. In the past, all raw materials used to manufacture ceramic tiles were natural, but advanced porcelain fabrication techniques include polymers bonded into the clay with synthetic glaze.
Natural-stone tiles are cut from blocks extracted from quarries where the Earth's crust is excavated. Ancient builders in Mesopotamia fabricated bricks before they got around to making glazed tiles, but stonemasons had previously cut naturalstone into slabs and panels for flooring purposes.
Ceramic tiles are still a popular option, but natural stone is clearly better for various reasons.
Timeless Aesthetics
Even though skilled fabricators can work wonders with ceramic tiles, they’ll never match the unique craft of Mother Nature. Modern porcelain tiles are often made to look like natural stone, particularly marble and granite, but it doesn’t take long to detect the artificial uniformity of ceramic fabrication. With natural stone, contractors lay the tiles in a way that allows veining patterns to flow across the flooring surface. Ceramic tilesmust be laid in a way that doesn’t look awkward, which often results in repetitive patterns.
Greater Durability
With proper maintenance, natural-stone tiles can last for many decades. In fact, many of the residential properties in the United States National Register of Historic Places feature stone floors. Some porcelain tiles fabricated with the highest quality can compare to natural stone in terms of durability, but only to a certain extent, and their higher costs make them less appealing. As long as natural-stone tiles are regularly cared for with a high-quality granite sealer and cleaner, they’ll easily outlast ceramic tiles.
Property Value Appreciation
When appraisers conduct full valuation inspections, they assign greater values to properties that feature natural-stone flooring versus those that have ceramic tiles. The timeless appeal of natural stone can translate into equity, and this is something real estate professionals know well because it’s easier to boost the sales price of listings that feature marble, granite, travertine, and limestone flooring.
Natural Feel
When you walk into modern living spaces that are all decked out with ceramic tiles plus vinyl and other laminate materials, you can almost feel the heat emanating from all surfaces. Natural-stone tiles always feel cool and refreshing to the touch because of their inert thermal properties, and this is a relief in warmer climates. When ceramic tile installations call for a soft underlayment to dampen noise, the result is often a warmer living space.
For tips on caring for tiles made of natural stone such as granite, marble, and limestone, get in touch with Granite Gold® at 1-800-475-STONE (7866). If you’re on Twitter, make sure to follow us there as well for regular updates on natural-stone care.
