When you think of high traffic rooms in your home, your mind likely goes right to the kitchen. If you’ve got a big family with kids and pets, the den or family room might also be a heavily-trafficked area. Of course, few spaces take more abuse than your entryway. After all, that’s the way most people, including your family and your guests, will enter and exit your home.
That’s why it’s so important to choose entryway floor tiles that will stand up to lots of use day in and day out, week after week and year after year. The good news is that you don’t have to give up style to get durability if you choose the right tile and make smart decisions about how you install it.
Keep reading to learn more about entryway floor tiles that’ll take some serious abuse and look like a million bucks with minimal maintenance.
Porcelain Tile
Porcelain tile is durable and designed to come in a wide variety of different looks, making it a go-to solution in residential and commercial entryway spaces. Made predominately from ultra-dense clay that’s fired at extremely high temperatures, porcelain tile is considerably stronger than standard ceramic floor tile.
The Benefits of Using Porcelain Entryway Floor Tiles
- Porcelain is extremely durable. Since it’s fired at very high temperatures, it resists chipping, cracking and wear patterns that are common in high-traffic areas like an entryway.
- It’s easy to maintain. Day to day cleaning requires little than a broom and dust pan. Wet-mopping is also very easy since water wipes right off porcelain tile.
- Porcelain is non-porous. Water damage is nearly impossible when you choose high-quality porcelain tile.
- You can get porcelain tile in a wide range of styles. From tiles that mimic natural wood to Italian marble and stylish slate, porcelain can provide an authentic look to match your home.
- Porcelain tile flooring is cost-effective compared to many other materials. While porcelain tile installation does require experts that understand the process, installation costs are in the same ballpark as other hard, heavy flooring materials.
Vinyl Tile and Vinyl Plank
When you think of vinyl flooring, you probably imagine old-looking linoleum that’s seen better days. While linoleum was popular for many years, new vinyl flooring options look much better and considerably more modern. That’s why vinyl flooring has become extremely popular in residential and commercial applications in the last decade.
A big part of that vinyl flooring comeback is that this vinyl now comes in a wide range of styles that mimic natural materials and highly sought-after designs. Vinyl is also a smart choice for design minded buyers working with a small budget.
In homes, vinyl tile is a particularly popular choice, and in many cases, it’s used to provide the look of porcelain or ceramic at a lesser cost. Vinyl plank flooring is also being widely used in design projects today.
The Benefits of Using Vinyl Entryway Floor Tiles
- Vinyl is extremely cost-effective. Unlike materials natural hardwood and stone, vinyl doesn’t require a huge budget. Installation is also cheaper than installing many other flooring materials.
- Flooring made of vinyl is durable and designed to last. They also resist scratching, which is great for homes with pets and active kids. Vinyl tile is also easy to replace without changing your whole look if you order a few spare tiles and keep them on hand.
- Vinyl is water and stain-resistant. That makes it especially good for busy entry areas and mudrooms.
- Vinyl flooring is easy to clean. Sweeping and light mopping are all you need to do to keep your vinyl flooring in tip-top shape.
- It comes in a wide range of different looks. While vinyl floor tile is commonly used to mimic porcelain or ceramic tile, vinyl plank can give you the appearance of dark, stained hardwood or more natural light hardwood
Opt for Dark Entryway Floor Tiles
The entryway floor tiles or plank flooring style you choose for your home depends greatly on your taste and your existing furnishings. The style of your home’s façade should also play a major role in picking out the right tile for your entry area.
Choosing a dark color can help you hide dirt in busy high-traffic areas. A style with a little bit of pattern – like porcelain tile that looks like natural stone or vinyl plank flooring that looks like distressed hardwood – can also make dirt less visible. That means less regular cleaning for you, which is definitely a good thing if you live in a busy family home.
Choose Traffic-Friendly Grout
Tile needs to be held in place, and for that, grout is used to provide a uniform look that’s solid and stable for many years. While you might consider choosing grout to match your paint trim or other design features in your room, high-traffic spaces typically benefit from darker colored grout that won’t show dirt quite as easily.
If you choose a lighter entryway floor tile design, opt for a medium grout color instead of going for bright white. In high-traffic areas, bright white grout can look very dingy quickly. Medium to dark grout colors will obscure that dirt and make it much less noticeable.
After all, you don’t want to spend hours on your hands and knees cleaning grout with a brush each month, do you?
Making an Impression
Your home’s entry area is the first thing visitors will see once they get past your façade and landscaping. It’s also the first space you’ll enter and the last one you’ll see before you head out for the day. So why not make your entry area space on you truly love?
With durable flooring options for your entryway like porcelain tile, vinyl tile and vinyl plank, you can get the look you want. Best of all, you can maintain that look with ease for many years to come.
Still not sure what type of entryway floor tiles are best for your high-traffic spaces? Reach out to us today and we can help you find the ideal option for your space.