Terra Cotta Vs Hardwood Floors

I agree with jeannie in that terra cotta makes for a beautiful floor with a very dramatic effect on the room.

Terra cotta vs hardwood floors.

But if you re looking for ease of upkeep real terracotta is not the way to go. Terracotta tiles are highly durable rough and crude in texture. Of course with tile flooring you can also install radiant heat underneath but this definitely adds to the cost. I am debating whether or not to install either traditional mexican saltillo or french terra cotta tiles in the living room and dining room or just stick with hardwood throughout flooring is such a big commi.

Hardwood flooring is usually less expensive than tile flooring. If possible i suggest having a little carpentry done in the opening to the kitchen to allow you to square up the line of the terra cotta and get rid of the distracting angle of the tile before laying hardwood. Hardwood floors are warmer on your feet. Terracotta tiles date back to the before christ era when the tiles were sun dried instead of being fired.

Terra cotta is often used glazed or unglazed to create a rustic weathered look. I like kelly s suggestion of the hand scraped flooring and think it would blend in nicely with the rustic terra cotta. Made from a mixture of red and brown clay these baked earth tiles are oven fired on elevated temperatures to produce raw and rugged floor tiles. I definitely want hardwood floors in the upstairs bedrooms.

Tile draws heat away so tile flooring feels colder especially in the winter. While high quality terra cotta will last forever it s difficult to assess the quality even for pros.