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Hard Surface Flooring

Hard Surface Flooring Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Hard Surface Flooring for Your Home

When it comes to upgrading your home’s flooring, Hard Surface Flooring offers a perfect balance of style, durability, and versatility. Whether you’re a homeowner looking to renovate or a shopper exploring options for a new project, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know. With a variety of materials to choose from—including ceramic tile, porcelain, and natural stone—hard surface flooring is a timeless option for any space.

Why Choose Hard Surface Flooring?

Hard surface flooring is a category of flooring materials that includes concrete, ceramic tile, porcelain, glass tiles, and natural stone products. This type of flooring is well-known for its resilience, ease of maintenance, and stunning aesthetic potential. If you're considering a renovation project or simply updating a room, hard surface flooring delivers on both beauty and functionality.

Features & Benefits of Hard Surface Flooring

  • Durability: Hard surface flooring materials are designed to withstand heavy foot traffic, making them an excellent choice for high-traffic areas like hallways and kitchens.
  • Low Maintenance: These floors are easy to clean, and with the right care, they can maintain their appearance for decades.
  • Aesthetic Appeal: With a wide range of styles, textures, and colors available, you can customize your floors to match your home’s design perfectly.

Exploring Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Flooring

When it comes to ceramic and porcelain tiles, these materials are particularly known for their strength and versatility. Ceramic tile is formed from clay and fired to create a hard, durable surface, making it an ideal choice for high-moisture areas. Porcelain, a subtype of ceramic, offers even greater water resistance, making it perfect for rooms like bathrooms and kitchens.

Benefits of Ceramic & Porcelain Tile

  • Water Resistance: Both ceramic and porcelain tiles are highly water-resistant, making them ideal for areas prone to spills and moisture.
  • Variety of Designs: These tiles come in countless shapes, sizes, and patterns, allowing you to create a completely unique look in your home.
  • Easy to Clean: Their hard surface makes them resistant to stains and easy to wipe clean, perfect for busy households.

Best Rooms for Ceramic and Porcelain Tile

Due to their durability and water-resistant properties, ceramic and porcelain tiles are ideal for:

  • Kitchens: These tiles can handle spills, stains, and heavy foot traffic, making them a popular choice for this busy area.
  • Bathrooms: Their water resistance makes them perfect for bathrooms, where they can stand up to moisture and humidity without warping or staining.
  • Entryways and Hallways: These high-traffic areas benefit from the strength and easy maintenance of hard surface flooring, ensuring long-lasting beauty with minimal effort.

Natural Stone and Concrete: Elevating Your Space

If you're looking for something truly unique and luxurious, natural stone flooring—such as slate, marble, or terrazzo—offers unmatched elegance. Each stone tile is one of a kind, adding a natural touch to your home. Additionally, concrete floors are gaining popularity for their industrial-chic vibe and unmatched durability.

Benefits of Natural Stone & Concrete

  • Uniqueness: Each stone has its own pattern and texture, giving your space a one-of-a-kind look.
  • Longevity: Properly maintained stone and concrete floors can last a lifetime, providing excellent value for your investment.
  • Versatility: Concrete floors can be polished, stained, or resurfaced with epoxy to create a wide range of finishes.

Inspiration for Your Next Project

Hard surface flooring isn’t just practical—it’s also an opportunity to express your style and creativity. Whether you’re drawn to the sleek elegance of polished concrete, the timeless beauty of marble, or the classic appeal of ceramic tiles, you’ll find endless possibilities to transform your space.

For a modern, minimalist look, consider polished concrete with a high-gloss finish. For a more traditional or rustic aesthetic, ceramic tiles in warm, earthy tones can create a cozy atmosphere. The possibilities are endless, and the choice is yours.

Ready to Transform Your Space?

Now that you’ve explored the benefits of hard surface flooring, it’s time to take the next step. Whether you’re updating a bathroom with beautiful porcelain tiles or adding a touch of luxury with marble flooring, hard surface flooring is a versatile, durable, and stylish choice for any home. Get started on your project today and bring your vision to life!

Your Dream Floors Are Just One Step Away

Don't wait any longer to create the home of your dreams! Explore our range of hard surface flooring options and discover the perfect fit for your space. With endless designs and materials to choose from, we’ll help you find the perfect flooring that meets your needs and style preferences.


Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented, we make no warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the content. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. We recommend consulting with professionals for specific advice tailored to your project’s needs, particularly regarding building codes, regulations, and product specifications.

Under no circumstances shall we be liable for any loss or damage, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information provided in this article.



Top 5 Types of Hard Surface Flooring


Ceramic/Porcelain - 405

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile are clay products which are formed into thin tiles and fired. Ceramic tiles are set in beds of mortar or mastic with the joints between tiles grouted. Varieties of ceramic tiles include quarry tile, porcelain, terracotta.

See our collection ceramic tile brands like Shaw Tile Flooring, Daltile® Tile, Florida Tile, American Olean® Tile, Crossville Porcelain Tile, and more... Click below to see our whole selection of ceramic tile brands!

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Natural Stone Floors - 156

Natural Stone Flooring

Natural stone can be cut into a variety of sizes, shapes, and thicknesses for use as flooring. Stone flooring is uses a similar installation method to ceramic tile. Slate and marble are popular types of stone flooring that requires polishing and sealing.

See our collection natural stone flooring brands like Daltile® Stone, Shaw Stone Flooring, Arizona Tile Natural Stone , Questech Tile, Bedrosians® Natural Stone, and more... Click below to see our whole selection of natural stone flooring brands!

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Terrazzo - 233

Terrazzo Flooring

Terrazzo, can used instead of raw cut stone and are available as either preformed tiles or to be constructed in-place using a cement binder.

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Paver/Quarry - 243

Paver/Quarry Tile

Pavers and quarry tile are an outstanding choice for commercial and residential application that require durable, affordable flooring. Quarry tiles are naturally stain and slip-resistant, and are available with an abrasive grain for even greater traction

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Ceramic/Porcelain - 953

Earthen Floor

Earthen floors were predominant in most houses until the mid 14th century in Europe, and persist to this day in many parts of the world.

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Featured Brands

The Best 1 Hard Surface Flooring Brands


Shaw Tile Flooring
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Shaw Tile Flooring

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Shaw captures the ancient art of ceramics in its versatile collection of ceramic and porcelain tile products. Seven of our porcelain tile collections are manufactured with the environment in mind. At Shaw Floors, we are committed to doing the right thing for the environment, and we partner with Eco-friendly suppliers who share in that commitment. Working with like-minded companies is crucial to creating a healthier ecosystem by reducing the amount of natural resources we consume. Learn More

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