When people think about the most important rooms in their home, they tend to picture kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms. The hall is often underappreciated, which is a shame since it's the first impression people are going to get of your home and arguably sets the tone for the rest of the property. Additionally, it tends to see plenty of foot traffic, so picking out the right flooring material is extremely important.
For most people, that comes down to wood vs. tile. While both have their benefits, here are just a few reasons you should choose tile.
No Moisture Problems
One of the major problems with natural wood is that it isn't naturally resistant to moisture. When it gets wet, moisture will be absorbed, and the wood will swell – this is why wood flooring isn't often seen in bathrooms. Of course, your hall isn't going to see nearly as much moisture as your bathroom, but rain can still splash in from outside or drop off shoes, umbrellas, coats and pets. With that in mind, it's best to floor your hall with tiles, which are entirely moisture-resistant.
Harder to Damage
Wood is exceptionally durable in that it's very hard to cause serious damage. However, it's relatively easy to make marks. Even moving a chair can create a scratch, and heavy foot traffic can leave worn down trails across the surface. Some people like the character that gives their floor, but others aren't so keen. If you want to keep things pristine, tiles make a better option since they are very hard to crack and don't wear down.
Reduced Maintenance and Easy Repairs
Because wood is a naturally porous material, it needs to be refinished every now and then to ensure stains aren't made – this often needs to happen more than normal when wood floors are in the hall due to the large amount of foot traffic sustained while people are wearing shoes. With tiles, you'll never need to sand down or refinish. And if a tile does get damaged, it's easy to replace since one single tile can be prised up. Replacing a damaged floorboard is considerably harder.
Wider Array of Designs
Your hall should make a statement about your home, and it's generally easier to make the property feel 100% your own when you choose tiles over wood. While wood does look nice, tiles can be found in thousands of styles and designs, plus in every colour you can think of. You can mix and match to create something more daring, or you can simply choose a wood-effect tile to replicate the appearance of timber without committing to any of its drawbacks.