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[drizzellla]

We were looking at porcelain tiles today. We are going to get our bathroom done and the kitchen floor. Last time I picked out a textured flooring for the kitchen, I do not like it. Seems like alot of work to clean. So I was looking at smooth tiles. There were beautiful smooth and polished tiles. Now I wonder if they will scratch easily. And in the kitchen, if something is dropped on the tile, the tile will be damaged. The kitchen gets so much traffic I wonder if the polish will wear off.

I don't know what to aim for. There is a home show next weekend and my husband wants to go to get ideas for getting the work done. And maybe sign up with a contractor.

I can't imagine a flat tile in the bathroom, how do you ever clean it?

Any ideas?

[software]

Tile is usually pretty sturdy.   You are more likely to break whatever drops before the tile breaks.  I don't mind a textured floor, what didn't you like about it?

I don't care for the look of shiny tiles, to me the more matte finish tiles hide the dust better.

How do you clean a flat tile bathroom?    Same as anything you clean.  I'm missing something here.

My kitchen and dining room is all part of one big room.  If I ever decide to re-do it, I'll buy the long tiles that look like hardwood.    Medium color.

Going to a home show is a good idea.   It's good that you already have experience with tile in your kitchen, even though you don't like it.  Now you know what NOT to get.

@drizzellla

[RedTop]

I have ceramic tile floors in both baths, my kitchen and dining room.   I absolutely love them, and find them easy to keep clean with a wet swiffer cloth or steam mop.   

The tile in my dining room has a smooth finish, and everyone knows to be careful if their feet is wet, or the tile is wet.   The tile in my kitchen and baths have a rougher surface finish to them, and are not slick.  

The oldest tile in my house has been down 10+ years and there are no scratches.   Unless someone wears spurs on their cowboy boots inside the house, I don't know how it would get scratched.   My tile looks as good today as the day it was installed; the finish has not dulled, or worn.    

[drizzellla]

software - I guess I like the look of a shiny floor when it is all clean. With a textured floor, you would not get that effect. It will look the same.

And I have no idea what gets spilled on the kitchen floor. There are times I have to use my nail to try and get whatever gunk was spilled to try and get it cleaned. With a textured floor it would be harder to get the spot cleaned.

With my son and husband taking an active part in cooking, there are challenges cleaning up. They find a recipe and they are off and running to try it. I know that is where lots of the mystery challenges come from.

[ItsME]

@drizzellla  If you're concerned with the tiles cracking if something is dropped on them, go with porcelain tiles in the the kitchen.  I have ceramic, and a few have chipped when something hard was dropped on them (more commonly, though, the dropped object is the one that breaks!).  

Textured tiles can be harder to keep clean.  If you're concerned, you should opt for a smoother tile, and narrow grout lines.  As for cleaning, use only clean water... either a machine that puts down cleaning solution and then extracts it, or change the bucket of water very frequently.  Dirt from the dirty water will cling to the grout.  

I'd also go with a more matte tile, rather than shiny, and larger, rather than smaller, depending on the size of the rooms.

You'll get some good advice and ideas at the home show.  Just be sure to love what you buy!

[drizzellla]

Redtop - OK I am convinced - I do not want anyone to worry about slipping on a smooth tile. I like the look but if it causes concerns with people walking on it - I will pass. So I will go with a more textured finish. The kitchen gets too much traffic with the guys coming in from running, biking and the dog. It is not worth it. Thanks for your input. 

[ScrapHappy]

I just remodeled 3 bathrooms.  Used porcelin tile in each of them.  Two smooth, one slightly textured.  I have to say I'm finding the textured bathroom floor a little bit more difficult to clean.  I decided today I have to try a new method.  I have hardwood flooring in my kitchen, but if I had to choose a flooring for a kitchen, I'd really like to have the tile flooring that looks like wood. 

[drizzellla]

itsme - I think that is what concerned me about getting tile. My neighbor got her kitchen redone. It looked like a showroom, it was so nice. She also spent quite a bit of money. A couple of months after she got the kitchen redone, someone dropped a knife and cracked a tile, right in the middle of the kitchen. It was quite noticeable.

I have some great gadgets to clean the floors by Bissell and Hoover. So we are all set.

Thanks, you ladies were a big help stearing me away from my crazy ideas. I am starting to get excited. There are lots of nice tiles out there. I am so glad we waited until now.

[drizzellla]

ScrapHappy - we saw those "wood look"  tiles today AND they really look nice. I did not think my kitchen floor would hold up if I used wood flooring. There is too much stuff on shoes, salt and gravel in winter, wet and dirt in spring. So that is why I decided the kitchen floor had to be porcelain tile. But that is what made us to start looking. We saw those wood like tiles. And couldn't help but check them out.

Thank you

[Kachina624]

Buy some extra tiles in case you should crack one.  They're very easy to replace.  In fact I myself, all alone, laid the tile in my entryway.  It looks professional.

I would worry so much about cleaning them as I would sliding and falling when they're wet or feet are wet.  That's why they texture them.  I almost broke my neck in a salon, with wet feet, after getting a pedi.  Try before you buy.