5 Reasons to Choose Wood Effect Tiles
Discover Why Ireland and the UK have gone Wood Effect Mad
Our Ballymena showroom changes with time. As trends across the country change, we adapt our space to showcase the styles to the people of Ireland. Because of this – and spending every day in the showroom, it is very easy for us to see the changing crazes with time. 5 Years ago, 90% of the tiles were cream tones. The past few years, the same can be said about grey tiles. A recent development in the market is the explosion of wood effect tiles. Obviously, these are tiles which have been manufactured to look like wood, but why are the people of Ballymena, Dublin, Manchester, Birmingham, London, Cork and Glasgow going crazy over this look? Why should you invest in this sort of tile?
1. Wood Effect Tiles are Gorgeous!
The number 1 reason why anyone buys anything for their home is because of how it looks. This couldn’t be more true for Timber Effect Tiles. Technology is amazing, and in the 21st century our manufacturers in Spain, Italy and further afield have incredible capabilities to create any look they desire. There are tiles to mimic Oak, Walnut, Beech and more, not to mention the wood ‘mixes’ such as Canapa from La Fenice (Right).
Other styles that can be captured using Timber Effect tiles is bleached effect or burnt wood. So whether you are making a feature of your floor, or if your trying to match a Kitchen Cupboard and Worktop colours, there will be a range of wood effect tiles available.
2. Timber Effect Tiles are Really Durable
We all work hard in our jobs and put loads of effort into saving. When we finally use the savings to spend in home improvement, we want this to be a long lasting investment. Tiles provide a perfect mix of durability and price. Most tiles these days are Porcelain bodied, which is a clay that is fired to 1500°C to form a solid tile. This is great as it means that tiles are extremely heat resistant, allowing them to take a lot more abuse than other flooring options such as carpet.
Tiles are also very hard compared to other flooring options. They will not scratch as easy and can come in a range of different surface finishes e.g. anti slip, semi polished etc. This means that you can walk across your living room floor with high heels on without stressing about what’s going to happen your new tiles. This also allows wood effect tiles to be utilised in commercial areas where high footfall may cause other flooring options problems.
3. Wood Effect Tiles can be used inside or outside!
It’s well known that wooden floors can be troublesome when exposed to water. This is when wood effect tiles can be a great alternative. Perhaps you want to have a wooden floor in your bathroom, for the rich look and feel that this brings. However, your friend Susan had a wooden floor in the bathroom and had loads of problems with the floor lifting due to the floor absorbing water and warping. Never worry, because you can still have your wood floor, without these problems – well, sort of. With tiles, as long as they are porcelain, they will not absorb any water and so can be used in areas that will will be exposed to it. Whether this be the kitchen, bathroom, shower or outside patio, wood effect tiles are a solid solution.
4. Your underfloor heating works better with Tiles
This is maybe a selling point for tiles in general, but if you have an underfloor heating system, its benefits are enhanced if you have a ceramic based flooring. This is due to their amazing thermal properties, as well as their great conductive nature. The thickness of flooring makes little effect however does increase the time it takes to heat up. A floor thickness of 20mm is best for a highly responsive system – the majority of our tile range are 10-12mm thick.
5. Wood Effect Tiles will Retain Their Look
When we like something, we like for it to stay that way. We don’t choose a floor for it to look differently next year, any why should we? With wood effect tiles, once installed, the tile will retain its look and keep its colour regardless of how much light it is exposed to. Also, they will not absorb anything that is spilled, rather only the surface will absorb anything, and this can be easily fixed with a soft sponge.
