The Best Flooring/Countertops For Your Home
Maybe you are in the process of building and designing your own home? And you are torn between granite countertops, marble, etc..
It's a tough choice… Which one will hold up the best? Which one will clean the easiest after the cat walks on it? Is one more durable and will continue to look great with time, than another?
Building and designing a house is an incredible feat, but one that must be done carefully. Considering all your options, and building the highest quality home you can with your budget, is so pertinent!
What if you choose the wrong carpet? Or the wrong type of tile? Or the wrong countertops and cabinets?
And then in a few years you dread coming home because you can't stand to look at the way all the material blend together! Eck!
Of course, you want everything to blend well and be aesthetically pleasing. But you also want to consider durability, strength, cleaning ability, quality, etc,., of what materials you are choosing.
We've already helped you choose your carpet for your home. Now we're here to help you choose your tile and countertop material!- woohoo! We know you are so ready to jump in…
4 Factors To Consider When Choosing Tile/Countertop Material
While we are not contractors or architects, we DO know flooring pretty well. So trust on this one okay George?
1. Durability
Undoubtedly one of the most important factors to consider when choosing your tile/countertops! Consider who is living in the home, what kind of traffic you are going to have.
Do you have dogs, cats, children, wheelchairs, etc?
Are your Great Dane's thick nails going to forever scar the edges of your countertop when he jumps up to snag your T-bone steak? Are the kids running in and out of the house, soccer cleats and all? What about you and those 5″ heels you're wearing girl?!
Point is… your tile and counters may or may not be in danger of complete wreckage, depending on the type of traffic…
So the goal is to invest in some strong materials! Scratch resistant, won't chip or crack, and will hold up for all the years to come.
2. Maintenance
Consider that same kind of traffic going through your home. Is the material you choose going to be durable, but also easy to clean once it's all said and done?
Does your husband wear his work boots in the house after a long day shuffling around at the sewage treatment plant? Is your cat jumping on your counter, feet fresh from the litter box?
Are your kids spilling cranberry juice while eating at the island? Or tracking mud back into the house after a fun day in the rain?
Some tile/countertop materials may be more porous than others, therefore liquids, soils, etc, might get trapped in those little air pockets.
There's not hope of getting in there with your sponge mop! It shall remain there for good until you call Zerorez®!
3. Style
Of course, we must consider the look and feel of the material! What if the most durable and easy to clean tile on the planet is also the ugliest on the planet?!
You want it to look awesome, while also blending in well with the rest of your home.
We suggest choosing your favorite look of tile, granite, marble, etc., and from there, do further research on which might be more durable and low maintenance.
4. Price
Last but certainly not least (and also perhaps the most important), the price of the material you choose. While you consider what material you like the look of, you also choose based on how well that fits into your budget.
It's best to set aside a relatively high budget range for your tile/countertops. It is important to invest in a high-quality material, but also one that you fall in love with as well.
Remember- we get what we pay for. Limiting your budget for the flooring/countertops will result in a lower quality material that may not last as long as a higher quality one.
Do your research, and arrange your budget accordingly!
4 Best Materials To Choose From
Certainly, there are many more materials to choose from than the Four below- however, these are among the most durable, and elegant looking of all the material types.
If you feel prone to trying laminate, concrete, wood or stainless steel countertops- by all means, look into those as well!
Again, we are not contractors, or architects. But based on our own knowledge, research, and general expertise, we feel inclined to help provide some of our favorite materials to help in your process:
Granite
Our favorite material of all. Perhaps the most durable, strongest, and easily maintained of all the materials.
Highly scratch resistant, so that Great Dane of yours is fighting a losing battle! Not only that, but you can literally place a hot pot on your granite countertop- it'll be just fine!
As with most countertops, etc., some maintenance is required- such as cleaning and re-applying sealant to protect the granite for a longer lasting effect.
Yes, it is one of the best looking, and strongest of materials, but it can also be the priciest of all.
Granite is an igneous rock meaning it is an original- it has not been broken down yet, and re-created! It has been naturally created by mother earth, from molten hot magma! Durable, strong, natural, and simply magnificent.
Certainly a large investment, but well-worth it.
Marble
Our second favorite material! Marble is very similar to granite, in that it is also strong, durable, and gorgeous. However, it is not as hard as granite, so scratches are much more likely, and more visible.
While marble is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, it is also one of the more expensive, luxurious materials. Even more so than granite.
We suggest marble floors or countertops if you are looking at light traffic in the home. This material is too beautiful and too expensive to risk extensive damage from high traffic and Great Dane nails!
Quartz
One of the most common of countertop materials- strong, durable, and a slightly lower price than granite or marble. But not by much! Unlike marble, and granite, quartz is manipulated and engineered- not purely natural as those above.
Because it is engineered, there are likely to be more air pockets, cracks, and visible seams, making for a less easy clean.
Quartz is also not as scratch and heat resistant as its counter parts- marble and granite. But this countertop still has it benefits, for its price range. It is one to consider!
Tile
Of course the most traditional of hard flooring, and also fairy common in countertops! These are made commonly with ceramic tiles, glass, or porcelain tiles. Compared to marble and granite, tile is much more versatile- offering more looks and styles.
Tile is so popular because it is economical, while still maintaining strength. However, it is much more porous, and is man made- meaning more air pockets and more easily stained.
Because of its ceramic nature, tile may be strong, but it is more easily cracked and chipped than that of granite and marble.
Of course, that is nothing to worry about if you call Zerorez®. But as far as mopping and cleaning the tiles yourself- now that's a different story. And with tile, you have the problem of grout, and grout is extremely porous and dirt attracting!
It can begin to look very unappealing if it is not cleaned often.
How Can Zerorez Help?
Our granite cleaning process is unlike anything you've ever heard of!
We begin with a pre-inspection to make sure that the best result is obtained. We then pre-treat and agitate embedded soils to suspend the soil, followed by our extraction process. This is done using high-pressure Zr Water® that reaches into the pores and cleans out the hard to reach dirt and soil!
As an additional service, we can even apply our patented-sealant. This will provide that extra protection for your granite countertops and flooring.
At the same time, it will help to reduce the likelihood of food borne illnesses that may occur when food is prepared on the counter. When properly maintained, this patented Zerorez sealer can last for the life of the surface, unlike most sealers that will need to be reapplied annually.
But rest-assured, no matter what type of hard flooring or countertop material you choose- Zerorez can clean it all. In addition to mopping your floors, and disinfecting your countertops regularly, it is suggested that you get a professional clean on both at least once a year!
This helps to maintain the quality of your material, as well as remove any stains that may or may not be embedded in the porous material, grout, etc.!
It is a lifelong investment to build your dream home, and choose the best materials, but also to maintain those materials to the best of your ability! Zerorez is here to help!
