So you are thinking doing some retiling work in your home and have heard about these new stainless steel tiles that are on the market. No doubt they are attractive, and could really spruce the place up. Yet you wonder what the advantages to these tiles are? Why should you pay a little more for stainless steel tiles when you could use regular ceramic tiles or plain old linoleum tiles on the floor? Well, you came to the right place! Let’s take a look at some of the advantages steel tiles have over traditional tiling.
First, they are aesthetically pleasing and make a statement. Let’s face it, our homes are all a reflecting of who we are and we want to make an impression on everyone who visits us in our home. Stainless steel tiles are modern and unique. They are relatively new to the market so you could literally be the first person on your block with them – heck, you might be the first person in your whole town! When it comes to designing a home, we all want to stand out above the crowd and stainless steel tiling providing that platform from which we can not only stand out – but way above!
Now that we’ve looked at the psychological reason we might want stainless steel tiles, let’s get into the practical reasons. Many stainless steel tile manufacturers advertise their tiles with a lifetime guarantee. They do this because by its very nature stainless steel can take a lifetime of wear, use and abuse and keep holding up strong. We all know that stainless steel is rust proof, but it also is “kid proof” and “husband dropped the bowling ball proof” as well. Whereas a ceramic or linoleum tile might crack or break from years of use and a heavy drop, a stainless steel tile will stand up to such abuse with hardly a scratch to be found. Sure, you wouldn’t want to drag a sharp object across the tile as it would deeply scratch it, but the same would happen to any other type of tile!
Another popular reason that stainless steel tiles are showing up in more and more homes is there ability to withstand a wide variety of elements, such as rain and snow from the outside, and bathroom humidity and kitchen temperature ranges on the inside. In a bathroom the humidity may fluctuate wildly as people shower and get ready for work or ready for bed. Normal tiles will absorb that humidity and over time start to break down and lose their ability to stick or hold together. With stainless steel the protective chromium layer that protects against rust also protects against the tile from absorbing moisture. Once the tile is installed, it is installed for life!
Ease of cleaning is a factor that many homeowners also enjoy with stainless steel tiling. Unlike some tiles that can stain easily and be hard to clean because of their porous surfaces, stainless steel by its very nature resists staining and can be cleaned easily without holding onto dirt and grime. Many manufacturers of stainless steel tiles for floors actually tout the fact that normal cleaning procedures for their tile consist of nothing more than a slightly dampened dust mop – and what do they dampen it with? Would you believe vinegar or club soda!
Hopefully we have helped answer some of your concerns about why you would want to use stainless steel tiles in your home. Of course, with any new product on the market they will be more expensive than other types of tiles. Consider the lifespan of the tiles, the maintenance factor and finally your own aesthetics when deciding to go with stainless steel. Sometimes a few extra dollars spent can really take the ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary.