At Marmol, we’ve recently added wood-look porcelain tiles to our showroom, and for good reason: these tiles are an attractive, low-maintenance alternative to traditional wood flooring. If you love the look of classic wood flooring (but had doubts that this material made sense in your home or office), you’re in luck! Here are a few of the reasons that it might be worth picking porcelain wood tiles over traditional wood flooring:

1. You Live in South Florida

Porcelain tiles are water-resistant and non-porous, meaning that, compared to natural wood, they hold up better to environments with higher ambient moisture (like humid South Florida) as well as to direct water exposure. In addition, porcelain tiles are cool underfoot– a welcome treat in our tropical climate.

2. You Like Options

Porcelain tiles, even with the wood look, come in an endless variety of shades and patterns, allowing you to truly customize your flooring. Whether you like the look of the classic wood flooring, or envision a more modern take on a wood floor (perhaps in a dramatic black or white look), there is sure to be a wood-look porcelain tile to suit that vision.

3. You Don’t Like Maintenance

On balance, porcelain tiles require less maintenance than wooden flooring. The strength of natural wood varies among source woods, but as a whole porcelain tile is consistently stronger and more resistant to scratches. In addition, wood will need to be refinished periodically, while porcelain tiles will only need occasional cleaning with a mop and a gentle soap to stay in top shape.

4. You Know What You Want

With natural wood, you reserve some possibility to modify the appearance of your floors over the years. Some changes might be unintentional as wear from sunlight and stains affect the wood. However, a fresh look can be achieved by stripping and refinishing a wood floor that you grow tired of. Porcelain tile gives you many more up-front options, but is harder to change down the road. This is largely thanks to the things that attract most people to porcelain tiles: durability and longevity. If you have a long-term vision for your home, porcelain tiles might be the right material for your flooring.

Of course, there are many more factors to consider when picking the right materials for your home project. To see more design options and figure out if porcelain tiles are right for you, speak to one of our Marmol design experts.