Beautiful and luminescent, marble tile or slab floors can lend an elegant and luxurious look and feel to any space. Keep in mind, however, that marble tiles or slabs come in varying degrees of quality. The higher the quality, the more expensive it becomes. That being said, higher quality marble flooring is certainly worth considering and is generally preferred, since a lesser grade marble is more likely to crack or break within just a few short years, especially with heavier traffic.

Marble is a porous stone and requires sealing to prevent staining and scratching. It should be sealed upon installation, and then each year, following. Installing marble flooring is best left to flooring professionals who have experience in handling the material, and since it is a heavier stone, it’s necessary to ensure your subfloor will support it. High quality marble floors usually last about 25 years or longer when well cared for.

Slate tiling, with its wide variety of textures and color choices including charcoal, rust brown, tan, red, green, yellow, blue and purple – is also considered to be a very elegant choice in flooring. Slate is very durable, but it is also heavy and can be brittle, so, again, it’s important to ensure that your current floor system is solid and is in adequate condition to handle slate. If your current floor has a bounce to it or feels “spongey,” you could end up with cracks and costly repairs. It’s best to consult a professional inspector to assess the current state of your flooring structure.

Slate is generally very easy to care for. As it is only slightly porous, it is a hardy material that doesn’t stain and is scratch-resistant. Nevertheless, annual sealing is highly recommended for a slate tile floor. Otherwise, it can be dust-mopped or vacuumed and mopped like any other hard-surface floor, and it should be done often since dust and dirt particles can scratch slate tiles.

Porcelain or ceramic tile floors are a great choice for many, as they offer more affordable options; especially when compared to high quality natural stone tiling. Additionally, porcelain and ceramic tiling are long-lasting (reports vary from 25 to 50 years and higher) and easy to maintain. Another great aspect of porcelain is its ability to mimic other materials, so if a natural stone look is appealing to you, but you like the added benefits of porcelain, it can be a great compromise.

Concrete flooring in home interiors has greatly increased in popularity in recent years; however, it isn’t for every home. It makes sense in the case where there is an existing concrete slab; for example, homes with a slab-on-grade foundation, but otherwise it isn’t a practical choice. Decoratively speaking, from color choices to etching and inlays, there are many ways to go with a concrete floor design. With proper installation and care, it can last a very long time; perhaps as long as the life of the home. Though it is a very hard surface, concrete is a highly porous material for which sealing is necessary, as it will prevent moisture from entering your home, and can prevent unwanted staining or premature damage. Beyond that, sealing and polishing or waxing is recommended every 1-3 years.

Heating marble, tile or concrete floors

To add more comfort to hard-surface floors, radiant heating can be installed under any of the aforementioned flooring materials. While it may cost a bit more to have heated flooring installed, it ends up being a highly efficient system over the long haul. Ceramic and porcelain tiling are largely considered to be the best choice for radiant heating systems, but natural stone and concrete are also excellent options. Marble and other natural stone options usually take a little longer to heat up, but they retain the heat really well. Concrete flooring is highly conductive as well, and heats up quickly.

Marble tile and concrete floors are all easy to clean

Aside from having a beautiful floor to enjoy, each of these flooring types can be easily cleaned. From mops to floor cleaners, Bona has everything you need to keep your hard-surface floors looking brilliant and beautiful.