Tile - A Timeless Surface for Any Style of Home

In the world of surfaces, tile flooring is quite the golden-ager. From counter tops to roofing to flooring, there are many materials that have only made their way into homes in the last few centuries. Engineered hardwood flooring, laminates, and carpet are all neophytes to the scene in comparison to time-tested building materials like tile flooring. Even solid hardwood flooring, particularly as we now know it now with tongue and groove construction and relief channels, is only a recent development due to modern milling techniques in contrast to veteran building materials of human history like tile.

Tile has its first traces in history as early as 4th century BC in Greece in the form of tile roofing. The Greeks depended on tile to keep rain out and to repel the elements. While the Greeks' tiles were mainly comprised of terracotta at this point, modern homeowners have a variety of other tile flooring materials to choose from, including stone, porcelain, ceramics, and glass to name a few.

There are some divisions in the type of tiles that provide different benefits and disadvantages for homeowners: Some natural stone is slightly softer than ceramics, and is there fore probably not a great bet for areas of the home with a lot of foot traffic. However, if scratches occur on ceramic tile floors, these will make the floor look worn, whereas scratches on a natural stone blend in more naturally. Like any flooring material, homeowners should research the mechanical qualities of their tile flooring options to find the format that best suits their living situation as well as their decorative vision.

Tile has already been around for nearly three millennia, and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. When it comes to a floors and countertops, particularly in moist environments such as bathrooms and kitchens, tile is an excellent choice to consider.