Timber or Tiled Flooring? Let's Compare the Two
The right flooring can turn your home into something special, but how to decide? Let's look at the pros and cons of each
Karyn McRae
25 January 2016
Houzz Australia Contributor. Interior Designer at McRae & Lynch Design.
Flooring plays a huge part in the overall look and feel of your home, whether you use it as a subtle backdrop or want to make a bold statement. The two most commonly used flooring types are natural timber and tiles, with many variations of these in between. Both are easy-to-clean, non-allergenic flooring options with aesthetic appeal, so choosing between the two isn’t always easy. Here’s how to make a smart choice.
TIMBER
Softer underfoot than tiles, timber can give your home a warm and natural ambiance, whether its style is traditional, contemporary or out of the ordinary.
Softer underfoot than tiles, timber can give your home a warm and natural ambiance, whether its style is traditional, contemporary or out of the ordinary.
TILES
Padding around on a cool tiled floor in summer is a blissful feeling and if it gets cold where you are, a heated tiled floor in winter is just as appealing.
Padding around on a cool tiled floor in summer is a blissful feeling and if it gets cold where you are, a heated tiled floor in winter is just as appealing.
What to consider when choosing between tiles and timber
Apart from their very distinct looks, natural timber and tiles each have quite different properties that could greatly affect your choice – it comes down, in part, to lifestyle.
To gain a clearer understanding of your wants and needs, ask yourself the following questions:
Apart from their very distinct looks, natural timber and tiles each have quite different properties that could greatly affect your choice – it comes down, in part, to lifestyle.
To gain a clearer understanding of your wants and needs, ask yourself the following questions:
- How much and what type of traffic comes through your home?
- How durable does the floor need to be to cope with this traffic?
- Is practicality or looks the most important to you?
- How much time and patience can you afford for cleaning and maintaining your floors?
You must also take into consideration comfort underfoot, noise, budget and, of course, appearance. It will then be a matter of weighing the pros and cons to make an informed decision.
TIMBER
Pros
Pros
- Softer to walk on
- Warmer underfoot
- Retains heat beautifully in colder climates
- Its good looks won’t easily date
- Works well with all home styles and will complement almost any decor
- Longevity. Can be sanded back several times to look like new again
Cons
- One of the more expensive flooring types
- Can scratch
- Can be noisy. May creak until settled due to its natural movement
- Colour will change slightly over time
- Timber is ‘hydroscopic’, which means it absorbs moisture from the air. Not suitable for homes located in very humid climates
- Requires sealing and regular maintenance
TILES
Pros·
Pros·
- There’s a tile out there to suit every budget
- Endless design choices due to the variety of colour, patterns and textures available
- Can date depending on choice of colour and style
- Delivers a contemporary, clean look, although you can also achieve a rustic look with the right tiles
- Hard wearing and long lasting. Tiles may date before they wear out
- Easy to clean and less maintenance than timber. May require regular sealing if tiles are natural stone
Cons
- Many tile ranges tend to be discontinued after a period of time, which could cause problems if you wish to add onto your home at a later date
- Due to limited stock and varying batch lots, it can be difficult to match tiles for repair down the track. It’s wise to order extra and store for this reason
- Harder and colder underfoot than timber, which can be unpleasant in winter
- Can be reflective and cause glare if highly polished
- Can be slippery. Check on a tile’s ‘slip rating’, particularly in wet areas, before purchasing
- Dropped items will tend to break or shatter easily
- Heavily textured tiles tend to trap dirt, making them hard to clean
Still can’t decide?
Like the look of timber but the properties of tiles? Timber-look tiles could be the solution!
YOUR SAY
If you’ve faced the great debate over timber and tiles, we’d love to hear about it. Did you make the right choice? Tell us in the comments section below.
MORE
Choose the Right Hard Flooring for Your Open-Plan Living Area
Which Kitchens Go With What Flooring?
Find Your Match: Floating Floorboards
Like the look of timber but the properties of tiles? Timber-look tiles could be the solution!
YOUR SAY
If you’ve faced the great debate over timber and tiles, we’d love to hear about it. Did you make the right choice? Tell us in the comments section below.
MORE
Choose the Right Hard Flooring for Your Open-Plan Living Area
Which Kitchens Go With What Flooring?
Find Your Match: Floating Floorboards
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I have previously had tiles and loved them. I currently have timber floors and you need a high tolerance for marking and damage if you want to live a normal (not neurotic) lifestyle.
I really strongly dislike laminate timber and timber look tiles- so fake if you want timber, have timber, if you want tile, let it look like tile
would love to have either large format rectified tiles or matt concrete in next house but need to work out the weight/ engineering implications as two stories and on raised floor/ stumps
Timber floors would be my number one choice. We have to choose timber like tiles on the first floor though as we have an atrium that runs in-between our dining, kitchen and lounge area. So if the doors are left open and rains it could cause a lot of damage. We found these beautiful timber like chevron tiles and will be using coloured grout that matches the lightest colour of the tiles to create a more seamless look and minimise that dirty grout look. they're called Timberland Dark Oak Chevron Tiles. I've recently seen them on display in a flagship store in Harvey Norman and also on Reece's website under, 'Bathroom Trends'. We will also be able to place these in the atrium giving a seamless look across the whole first floor.
You can see in the second photo they have applied a darker grout which we will be going for.