The Best Indoor Tiles for Staying Cool in the Summer
With summer right around the corner you might already be thinking about the heat in your home. Keep reading to discover the best indoor tiles for staying cool.
Spring is well underway, and while many of us are enjoying the warmer weather, you may be dreading the return of summer. There are few things worse than sitting in a hot house, sweating and wishing things would just cool off a little. But did you know that installing new floors can be a great way of staying cool this summer?
Tile floors can help to keep your home cooler and more comfortable during the warm months this year. Read on to learn more about these floors and which tile material is the right choice for you.
Porcelain Tile
It may come as no surprise that porcelain tiles are one of the most popular options for staying cool this summer. Porcelain tile comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors, shapes, and patterns and is almost maintenance-free. It doesn’t need to be sealed or specially cleaned, and, as long as it’s installed the right way, it’s quite durable.
If you’ve ever walked across a cold tile floor in winter or stepped onto a tile floor after a hot shower, you’ll know how cool they can get. This is because tile is an excellent conductor of heat, meaning it moves heat away more easily than carpet or wood. Your porcelain tiles can pull heat out of your home and keep you from melting into a puddle this summer.
Polished Stone Tile
If you want the cooling properties and low maintenance of porcelain, but you want to step things up a bit, you might consider getting a polished stone floor. Polished stone tiles are mined from natural materials, rather than being manufactured by humans, as porcelain is. But after it’s mined and cut to shape, the stone is polished to give you that gorgeous gloss.
Polished stone can be made of a variety of stones, including marble, granite, limestone, or travertine and tend to feel very soft underfoot. Depending on how they were manufactured, these floors may need to be sealed periodically and may need special cleaning measures. They do tend to show stains more than porcelain, so you may want to stick to low-traffic areas with these tiles.
Natural Stone Tile
Of course, if you want a natural look along with the amazing cooling properties, natural stone floors may be your choice. These floors are mined, just as the polished stone is, but they only have their roughest edges smoothed off. They maintain their matte finish and even some of the natural texture of the stone.
Slate is an especially popular choice for natural stone floors, since it tends to split into layers that lend themselves to making floor tiles. These floors will need to be sealed from time to time to keep them from absorbing stains or becoming damaged. The good news is that if you choose slate, the dark color should hide most stains.
Find More Ways of Staying Cool
With hot weather on the way, you may be desperate to find ways to keep your home cooler this summer. Not only will tile floors keep you cool, but they’ll also give your home a gorgeous facelift. Now all you have to decide is what type of material you want for your new tile floors!
If you’d like to find more ways of staying cool this summer, check out the rest of our site at Standard Tile. We provide award-winning service and design with the best tile from around the world. Schedule an appointment with us today and start planning your gorgeous home upgrade.
