Are you having a rather difficult time trying to sort out the best bare flooring tile option for your home?
Let’s face it; the search will most likely narrow down to two superior bare floor tiling names, porcelain and travertine. Which leads us to the question, porcelain tile versus travertine, which is better?
This may seem like a rather difficult question as both the porcelain and travertine tile are extremely beautiful tile varieties, and deciding between the two, which is better, could be quite challenging.
Despite sharing one or two similar attributes, their distinctive features may go slightly beyond a margin.
This article will try to draw out the varying superiority between porcelain tile versus travertine, scoring each by their level of durability, installation cost, lifespan, and other high-grade tiling features.
Read: How to clean matte porcelain tiles
Porcelain Tile versus Travertine: Superior Features
Table of Contents
In this part, we will uncover the superior features of both the porcelain and travertine tiling options in great detail, so you don’t have to go through the stress of deciding between both tiling options, which is better!
Lifespan
When picking the best tiling option for your home, you want to make sure it will last its worth, as these high-grade tiles are quite an expensive purchase.
Also, not forgetting their high installation cost, picking a tiling option that will see you through a lifetime will be the perfect reward for an expensive buy.
When it comes down to lifespan, the travertine tile easily stands out. This is because it is a natural stone, and these types of tile are known for their high durability level, which boasts an above-average lifespan compared to porcelains.
When weighed side-by-side against the porcelain, the travertine is much rooted to last over 100 years. Considering the porcelain has a lifespan between 75-100 years with proper handling, it isn’t such a bad floor tiling option either.
Read: How to make porcelain tiles shine
Durability
Every homeowner seems to consider long-lasting floor tiling options when purchasing a tile; the reason for this isn’t far-fetched.
While spending quite a lot on floor tiling, it would make no sense if it doesn’t live up to its price. As such, a tile that cracks easily wears out or loses its shine before time is considered not to be durable.
A tile is considered durable if it is resistant to moisture, doesn’t wear or tear easily, and is strong enough to withstand sharp pet claws and being walked upon.
In conclusion, a tile that can do fairly well with harsh conditions is considered durable.
Speaking of durability, it is pretty easy to put off the porcelain because it is made of ceramic which drives homeowners to worry if it won’t crack easily as most ceramic tiles do.
Well, for starters, the porcelain tile is much denser and built more for damage situations. Additionally, the porcelain tile is water-resistant, making it an excellent option for high moisture areas.
Don’t get me wrong, the travertine tile is also durable, although it has its setbacks. One drawback to the travertine is its porosity; this leaves spaces for water to be absorbed.
The travertine features holes in its structure, making it more susceptible to wears when exposed to air or moisture and even more exposure when you have pets trooping around.
If you desire a tiling option that can withstand everyday activity like walking or water spills and pet claws while also boasting a superior resistance to tears, then we would recommend the porcelain over the travertine.
Read: How durable is hardwood floor
Cost
The cost factor plays a very significant role when picking a floor tile option for your home. Many homeowners try to cut down on funding and save a little cash while spending on tiling.
It is essential to know that cutting corners on your home tiling is an unfavorable path to tread as you may have to change your tile early than expected!
When considering the cost factor between both tiling options, the porcelain, also known as ceramic tile, is sold at a lower price per square foot when compared to the natural stone travertine.
The travertine tile costs more when it comes to price, and this doesn’t even include the cost of installation, purchase of adhesive and other materials needed for installation.
Both porcelain and travertine offer immense quality, with the only problem being that the travertine could cost twice the price of a porcelain tile in a situation where pricing is considered a priority.
So if you’re trying to cut down on cost and still get some good quality and features in terms of durability and lifespan, then go for porcelain!
Read: How to clean travertine flooring
Installation
Asides from the cost of purchase, another cost you need to bear in mind is the cost of installing whichever tiling option you go with.
Purchasing is one thing, and installation is another; you can have the tile installed by a professional. This will obviously bump up the price, or do it yourself, which we wouldn’t recommend.
Porcelain tiles cost less to install compared to travertine. Again, the installation price differs from the tile cost itself plus, you will have to purchase some additional materials like grout.
Here is an average cost rate for the installation of both tiling options. However, you should note that these prices may differ due to region, size of the job in square feet, and other factors associated with tiling.
A porcelain tile will cost somewhere between $4 and $15 on average per square foot of tile installed; this doesn’t include flooring. But with flooring, you should expect to pay between $15 and $20 per square foot.
Also, it is worth noting that hiring a professional to install porcelain will cost more per square foot.
For travertine, it is a different story entirely as the installation cost is higher than the much cheaper porcelain option.
For travertine, expect to pay somewhere between $10 and $30 per square foot on average. And even more, than $30 if it includes flooring.
Read: How to retile a shower floor
Pros and Cons of the Porcelain and Travertine Tile
To round up, we will take you through each tiling options’ advantages and disadvantages to help you better decide which is better for your home according to the feature preferences.
Pros of Porcelain
- Significant resistance to wears
- Superior moisture resistance
- Porcelain is an excellent option for areas with high traffic; because porcelain is more durable compared to travertine, it will withstand the pressure of walking upon it without cracking or breaking easily.
- Not high on maintenance
- Porcelain offers a range of varieties giving your more options in terms of design and look.
- Appealing look
- Cleaning porcelain is easy
Cons of Porcelain
- Installing porcelain is difficult; due to its heavy nature, it is quite difficult to cut the porcelain in an effort to resize it.
- Having to repair porcelain could be quite a challenge
- They’re quite an expensive buy
Read: How to steam clean travertine floor
Pros of Travertine
- Easy to install
- Long lifespan;
- Looks beautiful
- It is durable
Cons of Travertine
- Prone to wears and tears
- Susceptible to difficult or impossible stains if not sealed properly before cleaning
Read: How to polish travertine floors
Conclusion
When it comes to bare floor tiling, both porcelain and travertine are easily the two best tiling options. If you are looking into porcelain tile versus travertine, it might be a tough one as they are both great floors
If you want a floor with a decent lifespan, easy maintenance, superior resistance to everyday havoc, more durability, and a low cost of purchase and installation, then opt for porcelain tile.
But if you require a tiling option with an incredible lifespan, easy installation, though it may be a little high in price but still rocks its look even after 100 years, then you can opt for the natural stone travertine tile.
