Trends today have gone back to simpler products with hard surfaces while taking on new high-quality solutions that are durable and long lasting.

Ceramic tiles are great for walls but the best for floors are made of porcelain. Porcelain is very strong and durable. These tiles come in many sizes and configurations. Wood grain tiles are the rage, while giving that woodgrain appearance, it takes moisture better in high traffic or wet areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and mud rooms. Grout joints should have a minimal width with 1/8 of an inch being the most desirable. Floors use a durable sand finish for the grout. Most tile floors are the most practical when the tiles have a texture to help reduce slipping as well.

Traditional solid hardwood is very desirable as well. Nowadays, wider widths are becoming available in a multitude of finishes and colors. The advantage of a solid hard wood is that years later they can be refinished 2 or 3 times. Engineered hardwood looks great as well and since there is hardwood on the top surface and plywood on the bottom, it is a stable product that goes down well. Light colors versus dark is determined by the atmosphere and color combination you want to invoke.

Luxury vinyl click floors are terrific as well. These are floating floors which have a very durable vinyl finish in a multitude of colors, textures and widths to suit your taste. At the same time, many come with a cushion underneath to provide bit of a cushion and have proven to be better for a person’s health if standing on these floors for long periods of time. Also, in kitchen areas where dishes sometimes drop on a tile floor and smash the dish itself and cracks the floor tile, vinyl click flooring many times prevents this and comes out virtually unscathed.

In our opinion there are other flooring products out there, but these three types give you the most bang for your buck and durability over the long haul.