which tile is best on a kitchen floor? ceramic or granite?
Answers:
I have to say that Ryan C has probably offered the best advice so far.
Travertine is also a stone and will also offer high maintenance in a kitchen cooking area.
Porcelain is one of the most durable man made products on the market today,properly installed (as I agree that installion and proper substrate is paramount) the porcelain tile will offer the most durability with the least amount of maintenance.
Porcelain also offers the highest wear rating usually of a PEI 5.
(5 out of 1-5 that is)
Most of your procelains today are textured to resemble the natural stones and will have a minimal slip factor also.
Hope you find this info useful and best of luck to you.
bellzie
Other answers:
i know that cermamic is very slippery.. it is what we have in our kitchen and i can't tell you how many times i've almost fallen and busted my head open....
i know that cermamic is very slippery.. it is what we have in our kitchen and i can't tell you how many times i've almost fallen and busted my head open....
if you cook a lot, you will hate them both - very hard on your feet standing on them for any length of time, things break when you drop them - either the utensil, or the tile, and keeping the grout clean is more work than you think.
I would use something like Pergo or a generic equivilent - quieter, easier to clean, softer. Also pretty durable.
And, you can install it yourself with limited skills!
I've laid both, and both perform great. If they crack, it's a problem with the installation not the tile. Any natural stone can be stained, which is always a risk in the kitchen, but with the new sealers that allow you to stand and spray everything it's a snap. Ceramic is lighter and cuts easier, and there are more options for your thinset--if this is your first tile job, I would lean toward ceramic for the ease of installation. Also, way more options for finishing pieces--bullnose, half round, etc....
But what about travertine? That's my all-time favorite.
(P.S. I've just read the other answers, and I should probably add that I'm the contractor in the family, not the cook! What it's like to live with either choice is not my department.)
Installation determines durability. Porcelain tile with a textured glaze would be worth checking out. As long as the substrate is approved for tile (preferably tile backerboard i.e. Wonderboard) and the floor is stable, then the only thing the installer needs to do is apply the proper thickness of flexible thinset mortar to the substrate, and allow proper dry time, as well as use the right grout with a good sealer. If these are done properly the floor should outlast you.
granite, if installed correctly, will look like a sheet of glass on your floor. It is a natural stone, so you will have some maintenance, but not often.
Ceramic can have almost any look you want given all the colors, sizes and shapes available and is little to no maintenance except for keeping the grout clean.