The process of building and decorating your home is an almost endless stream of decisions: what decorating style is closer to my taste, should I go with a granite or a marble countertop, should I go for a bathtub or a shower (by the way, have you read our post on that?) and a million more. A happy headache one would say, as you get the chance to pick what is best for your home and most importantly, what is best for you. This is your own, private space and you should feel, well, right at home! 

One of the decisions is the material you should go with when deciding on the floor or wall tile finishes. While there are some other options, the vast majority of tile finishes usually fall in either the gloss (such as marble) category or the matte category. 

So, which one to choose? Which is the best one? We prepared a quick Pro/Con list for you to make your choice easier! 

Matte finish 

Cons: 

1.       Cleaning is a challenge 

As the matte is not smooth, food, water stains, dust and various debris have a tendency of persisting. So, regular cleaning and thorough scrubbing is advised. 

2.       Makes dark rooms, darker 

Another con with matte finishes -either as a floor tile, wall tile, or countertop, is that is not ideal for darker rooms. As it is not a reflective surface, it will not illuminate the room with natural light. As a result, the room appears to be smaller than it actually is as the absence of natural light closes up space.

Pros  

1.        Low maintenance 

If one is careful and cleans stains and food/water debris quickly, matte tiles are much easier to maintain than marble tiles. Matte tiles are also good at hiding scratches and general damage making it ideal for areas where you would expect a lot of people to move through, such as the area around a swimming pool. 

2.       Non-slippery 

An obvious advantage here, matte tiles are not as slippery as marble tiles, making them the obvious choice for bathrooms and pool areas. Additionally, not being on a slippery surface is great when you have children or dogs as it will be harder for them to slip while playing. 

Gloss finish

Cons: 

1.       Shows all 

There are no secrets when it comes to a gloss finish surface, such as marble. All imperfections, smudges, scratches, stains or even an oily fingerprint are visible and even amplified under the correct circumstances. Since this is the case, gloss finish tiles are more high maintenance, requiring frequent cleaning. 

2.       Slippery even when not wet 

The smooth, mirror-like surface of marble or any other tile that has a gloss finish is slippery, something you should take into consideration if you have children or if you are accident prone! The tile reflective surface can also mess with the design of a room, as under the correct angle it can reflect natural light in a way that is irritating.

Pros: 

1.       Wax on, wax off 

Gloss finish surfaces are the easiest to clean. It may require more frequent cleaning but that process is made easier by the nature of the material, as debris, stains and other dirt can be simply wiped off. 

2.       The room, the room looks bigger 

Gloss finish tiles light up a room. Literally. Their reflective surface makes all rooms look brighter and by extend, makes it look bigger and more spacious than it actually is. This kind of tiles are ideal for rooms that don’t get much natural light as they will amplify it. 

While we could talk tile finishes for hours, it all depends on your personal style and home. Our experienced staff can guide you through the perfect tile for your home so come by our showroom, allow us to give you professional advice and see for yourself the plethora of designs and materials available!  

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