Sarasota Floor tile and flooring

Which floor for which room?

• Living areas: porcelain tile, engineered hardwood or luxury vinyl. Cool porcelain, warm wood or easy-going luxury vinyl, often running through the whole home.
• Bathrooms: porcelain tile or mosaic tile. Water every day: grip on a wet floor, and small mosaics in the shower.
• Kitchens: porcelain tile or luxury vinyl. Spills, heat and a lot of foot traffic.
• Entries: porcelain tile or natural stone. Sand from outside, and the first impression inside.
• Outdoors: outdoor pavers or porcelain tile. Only tile the maker rates for outdoor use.

How are wood-look plank tiles laid?

Usually with each row shifted by a third of a tile or less, not by half like bricks. Long tiles can have a very slight bow along their length, and a half offset puts the high middle of one tile right next to the low ends of the next, which leaves edges you can feel. A shorter offset keeps them flush. Ask to see the layout before the floor goes down.

Tile, wood or luxury vinyl?

Porcelain tile is dense and tough. Water, sand and pets don't bother it, it stays cool underfoot in summer, and it comes in wood, stone and concrete looks.

Engineered hardwood is real wood, warmer and quieter to walk on, and built in layers so it stays steadier in humid air than solid boards. Luxury vinyl is the easy-going one: softer and quieter than tile, and many boards handle spills. Both come in our Signature Collection, our curated range.

Natural stone is one of a kind, and asks for sealing and gentle cleaners.

How does a new floor go in?

1. The old floor comes out. We take up the old floor or tile and haul the debris away.
2. The base gets checked. Flat for tile, dry for wood and vinyl, as each maker's instructions ask.
3. The new floor goes down. Certified installers who work with us regularly install it, with the materials delivered to your home.
4. Grout, trim and cleanup. The joints are filled, the edges finished and the rooms left clean.

What is the most durable floor?

For most homes, porcelain tile: it barely takes in water and stands up to years of wear. Among the softer floors, luxury vinyl is the tough one.

Do you take out the old floor?

Yes. We take out the old floor or tile and haul the debris away, from a single room to a whole home, and delivery of the new floor is included when we install it.