Should we get tile, hard wood, or laminate floors for the first floor (1250 sq ft) our new home in Arizona?

Question

How much should your recommended flooring cost me? And why do you advise one over the other?

Answer 1

I lived in phoenix for 3 years and have been a flooring installer for 24 years. natural wood needs a certain amount of humidity to keep it healthy or else it will dry out . it's beautiful, but not very common in the desert. The most practical floor you can have is tile. I have put tile in entire homes in arizona, bedrroms and all. it's easy to clean, dust free, bug free, you won't ever have to replace it and it is available in so many styles, colors and shapes that you can be very creative with borders, designs and inserts. As far as cost, that all depends on your taste and budget.

Answer 2

I just got a laminate floor for the first time. I got in in a weekend home because it was less expensive, but am sorry I skimped. I have had hardwood and tile in other homes. I have to say I am disappointed with the laminate. It is hard to get it clean and you can't use any kind of wax to make it shine. I thought my hardwood was the most beautiful. I stipped and waxed it 4x a year and just dusted it in between, but if you have a flood, it will be damaged. The tile is the easiest yet to maintain. It isn't the most beautiful, but the overall experience is the best.

Answer 3

We have a nice laminate hard wood floor in our Arizona house. It is cheaper than real hard wood, and we dont worry if we spill something. Clean up is easy and it looks very real.

Tile is cool in the summers, which is very nice for the Arizona heat. But if you have children, accidents can happen with dishes and its very easy to break things when dropped on tile.

Real hard wood floors are great too, just a bit expensive though.

I think laminate hard wook floors work great, look great, and the price is reasonable.

Answer 4

I'll take laminate over hard wood any day. Just installed laminate last winter and love it. Dogs nails don't scratch it the way they did the hard wood. Easy to clean - just spray with vinegar and water and wipe with a swiffer. Tile is great also, but will be cold and more expensive to install, and if your sub floors have any movement the tile will shift, grout will crack, etc.

Answer 5

Hard wood is the best -- it makes my wood hard! It ages the best, looks the best, and will add the most value to your home. Tile's nice for kitchens, but it can be a bit much all over an entire floor. (Except in certain styles, it can be nice). Laminate floors are kinda blech.

Answer 6

hardwood is very nice, only in living areas, in the kitchen and bathrooms i would make it laminate, bad thing with tile that is if you drop something hard on it it can crack the tile and a pain in the butt to fix and replace

Hardwood will cost a good amount if yu get true hardwood, and it depends on the type of wood, laminate would be the cheapest, tile pretty expensive but easily broken.

Answer 7

Tile can get annoying. It makes a room loud and echoy and really hurts if you fall on it. But it might be nice if it gets really hot where you live.
Hardwood is my favorite but it's also the hardest to take care of.
Laminate looks like wood but it's a lot cheaper than wood and easier to take care of. But it also feels sticky in warm weather.

I'd say go with the hardwood if you have the money and are willing to put the time into it.

Answer 8

cost comes first how much can i pay tile is fairly easy and lasts well hard wood costs the most but it looks so good the new laminates are less look good but have no idea how they last as they are new product but on well used floor still look good after 4 yrs.

Answer 9

Laminate flooring is very noisy to walk on - sounds hollow. But it is inexpensive - about $1.59/square foot.
Tile is beautiful and cool to the bare feet. But you will need to add some rugs to keep the echo down. Depends on the quality of the tile you choose. Mine was $4.00/square foot.
Hardwood is beautiful but very expensive.
I put vinyl plank wood flooring in my kitchen and couldn't be happier. It was about $4.00/square foot and looks like real wood (ridges and all). And if a piece gets damaged, you can pull it up and glue another piece down. And it is very quiet to walk on. I get tons of compliments.

Answer 10

It really depends on how good the tile is, but 9 times out of 10 hardwood is really beautiful.

Also, think about how you may want to decorate the rooms; would hardwood be suitable for versatility?