Porcelain/Ceramic Tile Flooring v. Wood Laminate?? (wood floors, houses)

[Snow-Flake]

How do people feel about wood laminate flooring as opposed to porcelain/ceramic tile in the kitchen, entry, dining, and study? I've been pleasantly surprised to see some really nice, high end looking laminate wood floors. I don't know if I should go with a nice tile or wood laminate for my house remodel. I want something that will be aesthetically pleasing, durable, and good for resale. I like real hardwoods but with children and pets it's tougher to maintain. Do home buyers prefer tile over wood laminate or vice versa? Thoughts?

[Cathy4017]

I went 100% tile a few years ago in three houses, and I have 100% tile now. I would not ever go back to anything else.

Tile, if properly cared for, will last for years--good ceramic tile with a good rating, 40+ years, even with pets.

Real hardwood is very expensive, and even the best hardwood won't look all that great in a few years under high traffic, kids and pets. For resale, I'd personally go with a very neutral, quality tile. It will still look great when it comes time to sell!

[G Grasshopper]

Laminate to me is basically a plastic floor - a real turn-off when house hunting. I realize that there can be higher quality versions, but really, I would go with porcelain or another good quality tile. It isn't fake anything. (Although there are some tiles that try to look like stone.)

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Snow-Flake

How do people feel about wood laminate flooring as opposed to porcelain/ceramic tile in the kitchen, entry, dining, and study? I've been pleasantly surprised to see some really nice, high end looking laminate wood floors. I don't know if I should go with a nice tile or wood laminate for my house remodel. I want something that will be aesthetically pleasing, durable, and good for resale. I like real hardwoods but with children and pets it's tougher to maintain. Do home buyers prefer tile over wood laminate or vice versa? Thoughts?

we have tile in the high traffic areas (entry, kitchen, path to garage, bathrooms) then wood in the rooms (living, dining,study,master bedroom).

[centralaustinite]

When I was looking for a home in 2008, all tile homes were a real turn-off, I would not consider them. I hate tile in living areas and bedrooms.

I don't like wood laminate much either, prefer real hardwoods. But I would prefer a mix high-quality laminate and tile over all tile.

[Idlewile]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

When I was looking for a home in 2008, all tile homes were a real turn-off, I would not consider them. I hate tile in living areas and bedrooms.

I don't like wood laminate much either, prefer real hardwoods. But I would prefer a mix high-quality laminate and tile over all tile.

I agree 100%. I know that tile is durable but I hate it's hardness on the feet and for small kiddos and I HATE cleaning it. When looking at homes, unless it's a very high-end tile (stone) which is nice, tile is a drawback for us. I much prefer hardwood, solid or engineered.

[motherofthree]

Is there any tile where you don't need grout lines or very small grout lines? I would love tile if it didn't have grout lines. Laminate so much easier to clean.

[G Grasshopper]

Personally, I would put tile/porcelain in the kitchen, and either solid or engineered wood in the entry, study and dining room. It has a much warmer, homey feel than tile. I wouldn't put laminate anywhere. Sometimes tile/porcelain can work in an entry way, too, with a nice entry area rug. If you get solid wood, make sure a really tough, multi-layered finish is applied. If you go with engineered, be sure to buy some extra to keep in case you need it. All surfaces have draw backs and can be damaged. I have chipped many a tile by dropping a knife or pan on the kitchen floor, although porcelain is harder and perhaps less prone to that.

[eichlerfan]

A stone tile floor will give a room a much higher end look than a plastic floor any day.

[tazbigdog]

Laminate=CHEAP.
Tile/Ceramic=Quality.

Wear and tear issues, I'd go with tile!