What are Floor Tiles All About?
Do you have a carpet at home? Carpets are a great choice to bring style and comfort to any room. Some of my rooms have carpets, but I have also opted for floor tiles over them. I like to make some of my rooms soft and comfortable, whereas
Floor tiles make a durable shield over the carpet. They are long-lasting, waterproof, low maintenance, and available in a variety of colors and styles. However, depending on the room and the comfort criteria, carpets can have a preference over floor tiles due to their inexpensive cost and soft texture.
People use floor tiles for many reasons. It also depends on you and what you want your floor to feel and look like! It’s not necessary that all tiles will be hard. Even in floor tiles, you can get softer options such as foam and carpet tiles!
Namely, you must have come across the following in the world of floor tiles over carpet:
- Hardwood floor tiles
- Laminate floor tiles
- Foam floor tiles
- Carpet tiles
- Vinyl floor tiles
So, who’s the winner in the floor tiles vs carpet battle? Let’s find out!
Why Floor Tiles Over Carpet Are a Good Idea
1. Strong and Durable
Wood or ceramic vs fabric – We have a clear winner here.
There’s a straightforward benefit to floor tiling. It’s strong, it lasts longer and that’s certain since it goes through a variety of glazing processes before the final layer is sealed. Depending on your tile selection, you can even pick one that is anti-scratch!
Tiles are made of many materials. The durability usually depends on the quality of the tiles. If you maintain your floor tiles well, they can last for decades! Even foam floor tiles can last as long as up to 5 years, although they may get worn out due to dents!
All floor tiles have a solid base to which they adhere to. Even carpet floor tiles are attached to some sort of plywood. As for the wooden floor tiles, they are as hard and as durable as they can get!
Nothing beats the durability of wood flooring! Check out the scale of hardness for various wooden floors by NWFA!
2. Low Maintenance
Floor tiles over carpet make cleaning simpler. Who wouldn’t like them?
Carpets look pretty and feel soft to touch. But of course, they’re extremely hectic to maintain. For tiles, the least you would be needing is sweeping. Some floor tiles may require extensive cleaning but it hardly becomes a hassle.
For instance, ‘soft’ textured floor tiles such as carpet tiles can easily be cleaned using vacuum. On the other hand, hardwood and other wooden floor tiles need sweeping only. Any stains on wooden floor tiles can easily be washed using a damp mop.
FLOOR TILES MAINTENANCE WARNING
AVOID USING EXCESSIVE WATER!
Avoid using water altogether for carpet and foam floor tiles. The best way to clean wooden floor tiles is with a damp cloth or a mop. Never have a bucket of water with you when you’re cleaning. Too much water can harm the wood, especially if there are not many layers underneath.
FLOOR TILES PRO-TIP
MAINTENANCE OF FLOOR TILES DOESN’T DEPEND ON COLOR!
The maintenance level of your carpets also depends upon the color you choose. That can be a hectic decision. Suppose you love white but it can be a hassle to maintain a white carpet. However, having floor tiles of the same color will cut down the maintenance costs. Even white carpet tiles will be easier to maintain due to less dense textile.
3. An Array of Styles in Floor Tiles
There’s as much style in floor tiles as there is in carpets!
As is the case with carpets, tiles come in different sizes. To add to the fun, you can even get patterned ones! And there are a lot of colors to choose from. These patterns are readily available in carpet tiles and they are so easy to assemble, you can make up your own designs too!
On the harder wood side of floor tiles, you will find various wood colors. Oak, cherry and birch, for instance, all provide tones of different intensities. Although there are no patterns in the wooden floor tiles collection, the grain-like texture is enough to take over any room with its natural ambiance!
FLOOR TILES PRO-TIP
CHOOSE YOUR COLOR AND PATTERN WISELY!
Light hues will make the room look more spacious and airy. On the other hand, dark floor tiles can be overwhelming and make the room feel smaller. If you like the original color of your carpet, but you find it gets dirty now and then, you can pick tiles of similar hues.
4. Floor tiles will shield you from allergies
Carpets can become safe haven for dust, dirt, mites and stains.
Carpets can store a lot of dust. If not cleaned regularly, the dust can turn to dirt and cause many allergies. Even if you do clean daily, it’s no guarantee that you every inch of the carpet would be spotless. Hidden dirt can become an open invitation to mites!
On the other hand, floor tiles are hard. All you have to do is clean the above layer. And as long as you’re not using water, stay assured that you’ll be save from allergies and diseases.
If you have a carpet in your home, and you’ve been sneezing lately, it’s best to go check with a doctor. And even more so, it’s important to get floor tiles installed over your carpet!
FLOOR TILES RED ALERT
REFRAIN FROM USING TOO MUCH WATER!
If you use too much water while cleaning your floor tiles, it will sink deep down into the bottom layers. This can create mold and distort the wood. More so, it will also damage the carpet underneath and create smell or ruin your floor entirely.
5. Floor tiles are Great for Busy Areas
Floor tiles over carpets for crowded areas!
It’s no wonder that floor tiles are so common in public spaces. Even offices that prefer the look of a carpet, opt for carpet tiles rather than a wall-to-wall carpet itself. However, floor tiles of any sort are not restricted to public spaces only.
If you have a busy room or space, I would suggest that you get floor tiles over your carpet. They’re simple to maintain but they are also less likely to get disfigured.
FLOOR TILES RED ALERT
FOAM FLOOR TILES ARE INCONVENIENT FOR HEAVY TRAFFIC!
Foam floor tiles are a good choice for gyms and children’s rooms. However, if you have a public space where people walk around all the time, these tiles will wear out sooner than expected.
6. Set a Cool Environment With Floor Tiles
Carpets in winter seem like a good idea, but what about summer?
With floor tiles, you can be more open with your options. Carpets can usually feel warmer to walk on when the temperature gets too hot. You can use floor tiles in some areas to balance the temperature.
7. Waterproof
Spilling something on floor tiles won’t cause any harm!
Spill anything on floor tiles and you can clean it up in one way or the other. Even spilling water on your carpet can get hectic. If you spill something like juice or any other colored substance, the stain can become a nightmare to clean!
Other than that, many rooms won’t adhere to carpet flooring. For instance, bathrooms and other high-moisture spaces would require floor tiles for proper cleaning and low maintenance in the long run.
8. Floor Tiles are Good for Managing Heavy Weights
Expecting a lot of heavy items on your floor? Getting floor tiles is necessary!
Carpets can easily get distorted from heavy weights placed for too long. If you have a space where there are a lot of heavy items, I recommend you to get floor tiles over your carpet. The best option for rooms like these would be wooden floor tiles.
9. Floor tiles are excellent against heat resistance
Having floor tiles over the carpet can protect you from unnecessary heat!
No matter which floor tile you choose to put over your carpet, they will be always resist heat. Although this is a pro, it can also be a con depending on your needs! What if you prefer the warm feeling of carpet over floor tiles?
In a nutshell, here’s why you need to have floor tiles over your carpet:
People can develop allergies to carpets Maintaining carpets can be tricky They are not as long-lasting as floor tiles Floor tiles are good for crowded places
Why Floor Tiles Over Carpet is Not a Good Idea
Carpets are not all bad. Floor tiles may not be a good choice all the time either. Keeping certain factors in mind, you may choose not to install the floor tiles over your carpet at all. Although the pros may be outnumbered, we cannot ignore these cons!
10. Installation Costs and Procedure
Don’t install floor tiles yourself!
If you’re running low on budget, floor tiles may not be for you. Their installation is definitely not a DIY thing and it can cost a handsome amount of dollars! There are professionals out there for this purpose, who will follow a step-by-step procedure to make sure your installation doesn’t go wrong! I would suggest you to hire an expert if you are considering getting wooden floor tiles of any sort, especially hardwood and laminate!
FLOOR TILES GUIDE
SOME FLOOR TILES ARE EASY TO INSTALL!
Vinyl floor sheets or stick-on floor tiles can be installed easily. These usually come in the form of planks and all you have to do is arrange them! They are very easy to fit together! Same goes for carpet and foam floor tiles too!
11. Purchasing Costs
Floor tiles can be heavy for your budget.
Since floor tiles are more durable and long-lasting, it makes sense for them to be more expensive than carpets. It’s not just the cost of the final product, but the entire preparation process of floor tiles that ends up in a cost so high.
Nonetheless, there are less expensive options such as laminate floor tiles. However, none of the tile alternatives are as cheap as carpets!
12. Floor tiles may get uncomfortable
Depending on your needs, floor tiles can be pretty uneasy!
What if you’re not looking for strong and durable? What if it’s comfort and softness that you really want? Floor tiles can get extremely hard to sit on, wooden planks in particular. Even if you choose carpet tiles, they won’t provide the same dense textile texture as carpet does.
In a nutshell, here’s why you may not need floor tiles over your carpet:
Installation of floor tiles is harder than that of carpet. They are also more expensive in purchase. Floor tiles can be uncomfortable if you want a softer feel.
The Final Verdict
All in all, floor tiling is great if you’re not low on budget. It can do wonders, like protect you from allergies, give you a more durable solution, and easy maintenance. The best part is, you won’t have to compromise on color and style as there are plenty of options to choose from. On the other hand, carpets are soft to touch and less expensive, but they can be hard to clean. If you’re low on budget, free of allergies and you don’t mind frequent cleaning, carpets are your best bet.
Do you wish to learn more about which floor tile is right for you? You simply cannot miss this guide to 5 flooring alternatives to put over your carpet!
The Best 5 Flooring Alternatives to Put Over Carpet
Depending on your budget and style needs, these are the top 5 flooring options to put over your carpet!