There are many homeowners that no longer want carpeting because they find it too difficult to maintain, especially if they have pets and live in areas closer to the tropics that have plenty of insects that constantly get into the home. Homeowners that live in colder climates do not have these issues with carpeting and have an easier time maintaining it. Additionally, carpeting keeps their homes warmer.
However, these particular individuals that no longer want to carpet face the dilemma of whether to cover their floors with tile or epoxy. One particular example was that an Arizona resident was concerned about this issue because this person had dogs and wanted to know if it was wiser to cover the floor with epoxy or tile.
The issue with this is that maintaining a concrete floor with epoxy alone would be difficult with the dogs around because of it easily being scratched up. Tile would also be scratched up by the dogs. This individual would be better off cleaning up the slab and adding a thin coat of concrete. Then adding a stain over it, which will keep the flooring protected by the dogs’ claws. That said, this would be the best choice for this particular resident because epoxy alone and tiling would not be ideal. However, there are some epoxy finishes that would handle the dogs just fine! The best thing for this individual to do is to speak to someone who specializes in epoxy flooring to find the best fit.
However, as time goes on, you can easily see there are more and more choices in regards to flooring. Tiles were the choice from back in the day, but it is not always the best choice anymore. Epoxy and polished concrete flooring are becoming the choice of floors by not just commercial building owners, but also by homeowners as well.
Tiles are not easy to maintain, as they become scratched up and the grout becomes filled with dirt and grime that accumulate over time due to daily activities. The maintenance that tiled floors require is high, whereas the maintenance of epoxy flooring and polished concrete flooring is not that high. Additionally because of the fact maintenance is easier, it is less expensive to maintain these floors.
Both epoxy and polished concrete floors are very easy to clean and are naturally hygienic because they do not attract bacteria and fungi like tiled flooring does. It is not the tiles themselves that attract the crud, but the grout does which makes the floor less hygienic as a whole.
Not only does grime and dirt easily get trapped in the grout but there are pores inside which trap moisture which means mold and mildew will grow. That can become hazardous in the home or office which has this type of flooring.
You may think that tiles are still the best choice because they come in a variety of colors, styles, and textures. However, that is not true because of the fact that epoxy flooring, as well as polished concrete, do as well, and they come in all kinds of interesting finishes.
That in itself would make epoxy and polished concrete flooring a better choice than tiled flooring overall.
