The floor that doesn't care about water.

Where tile actually earns its keep

Tile is the right call anywhere water shows up regularly — bathrooms, kitchens, entries, mudrooms. Porcelain is denser and less porous, which is why we lean on it for floors and wet areas; ceramic is softer and usually less expensive, and works well on walls or lower-traffic floors.

What most people aren't told: the tile itself rarely fails — the grout does. Grout needs to be sealed, and it needs resealing over time or it stains and absorbs moisture. Tile is also hard and cold underfoot without in-floor heating, and if a single tile cracks a few years in, matching the old batch is often impossible — it's usually a real repair, not a quick patch.