Ceramic tile manufactures have made significant technological advancements and have many new tile designs and tile applications are available for both homeowners and commercial facilities. If you have never used ceramic tile before or it has been a long time since you have done so, you will be amazed at the wide selection of colors, sizes, shapes and new textures that are now available. Ceramic tiles come to two basic constructions, glazed and unglazed.

Unglazed tile have no glazing on the surface. The color of the bisque goes all the way through the tile from top to bottom. The through color means the tile won't show wear form scratches like glazed tile. Tiles lies quarry tile are unglazed and used in both commercial and residential areas. Depending on the type of unglazed tile you may need a special sealer.

Glazed tile allows ceramic tile to be offered in unlimited colors and designs. If the glazed surface is scratched or damaged you cannot repair the tile, just replace it. Glazed ceramic tile are generally used in residential areas only, such as bathrooms, kitchens, walls and countertops.
 

Porcelain Tile

Porcelain tiles are growing in popularity with homeowners and interior designers. They are denser and less porous than glazed ceramic tile. Plus, porcelain tiles are highly resistant to moisture, stains, bacteria, odors and even harsh cleaners. For homeowners, porcelain tile is especially resistant to staining, scratches, fading and is available in both polished and matte finishes. They are available in a variety of sizes, colors and textures.

Natural stone offers a distinct and beautiful alternative to your flooring choices. Each stone has it own unique visual appearance. Unlike glazed ceramic tiles, stone tiles do not have a protective glazed coating on top and the color goes all the way through the tiles. Natural stone may be marble, granite, slate or travertine.
 

Marble tile is a timeless fashion classic that has been used for many centuries as a building material as well as for sculptures and monuments. Its natural beauty is seen in many outstanding masterpieces including the famous Taj Mahal in India. Today, many homeowners are finding it adds an aura of slender and elegance to a room's decor.
 

Slate Tile

Granite is one of the hardest and most durable of all stones used in flooring. The speckled colorations found in granite a beautiful and subtle fine pattern of color. Polishing the granite adds a visible sheen and depth to each tile. Like marble, no two pieces are a like and color variations add to the natural beauty and appeal. Professional installation is highly recommended for installing granite floor tiles.
 

Slate is more of a fine grained rock with traces of metal that were present during its slow, natural formation in the earth. Natural shade variations are an inherent characteristic of slate and enhance the distinctive details of each piece. Slate has a rustic charm that appeals to our senses for natural materials.

Travertine tile has a natural rich beauty that has been adored and used as a building material since the Roman Empire. The beautiful, natural stone tiles have unique veining and a subtle blend of beige color variations caused by the sedimentary rocks, minerals and limestone deposits that crystallize over hundreds of years. These tiles are characterized by their irregular edges and surfaces.

Limestone has been used in many of the world's most recognized landmarks, a favorite stone among architects. Composed primarily of calcite, limestone withstands the test of time and weathers exposure well. With its smooth granular surface and minimal graining, limestone offers a variety of hardness. But while durable and functional, you'll find that limestone brings a natural beauty to just about any setting.

Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors have been used for centuries by people through their homes to add warmth and charm. Hardwood floors never seem to go out of fashion and can add real value to your home. Today, many designers recommend hardwood floors as the main base-layer and then suggest a rug to enhance the room's overall interior color scheme. Hardwood floors can either be solid, engineered, parquet, floating, long-strip, exotic, and hand-scraped hardwood floors.

Bamboo floors (natural floor) are becoming a popular alternative to the hardwood floors. Bamboo is a fast growing, renewable resource that is a very hard and dimensionally stable. Most American homeowners do not know that bamboo is really a type of very long, hollow grass (not wood), once it goes through the manufacturing process it becomes hard and rigid like wood Floors made from bamboo can be used in any area of the home where you might use a wood floor. They are also installed and maintained in the same manner as a hardwood floor.

Cork Floors

Cork floor (natural floor) is made from renewable resource, is soft and warm underfoot and has natural sound-deadening and insulation characteristics. Most American homeowners are not familiar with all the benefits of cork floors. For instance, cork is antimicrobial, resistant to mold and mildew and is a naturally sustainable resource.

Carpet has the newest trends and more sophisticated elegant patterned designs. Many patterned textured carpets such as multi-looped berbers are becoming popular with homeowners. The result gives a more three-dimensional appearance and pattern-on-pattern gives carpet a more artistic and elegant look and also helps hide traffic patterns.

Vinyl floor offers the variety of colors and patterns as vinyl flooring like no other floor covering. Thanks to some great advancement in styling and technology, today's vinyl floors (also called resilient floors) have been changed forever.

Stone Quartz Surface

Stone quartz surfaces and countertops offer the ultimate combination of form and function, allowing for a more diverse, durable, and practical countertop surfacing material than either granite or marble. With its stain, scratch, and heat-resistant properties, stone quartz is the ideal choice for care-free countertops.

Glass tile offers limitless colors and combinations. Due to the glass tiles’ light reflecting affect it can make any room look bigger and brighter. It is popular among kitchen and bathroom projects because glass tile is non porous tile, so it resists stains, mold and mildew. Glass tile has also made its way onto commercially designed projects. It can give any commercial project an upscale, elegant and artistic appearance.