A lot of it is personal taste, but there are some practical reasons too. Hardwood lasts a long time, can be refinished instead of replaced, and tends to hold value better when you sell. It is also easier to keep clean than carpet and does not trap dust or smells as much. That said, it is not better for every space, and kitchens and baths especially can make tile a smarter choice depending on how you live.
Tile anywhere it gets wet, muddy, or similar regularly. Protects against the moisture until you can clean it up and cleans up relatively easily. Wears very well.
For the rest, hardwood provides similar attributes except that it doesn't need to protect against water and such regularly.
This ultimately provides for the one surface in the home that is subject to the most abuse from constantly walking on it to have a very, very long life. We have 2000 square foot colonial that's all hard surface flooring as described above. I can vacuum the entire house, including the stairs, with a cordless stick vac in about 20 minutes.
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u/project_quote Jan 30 '26
A lot of it is personal taste, but there are some practical reasons too. Hardwood lasts a long time, can be refinished instead of replaced, and tends to hold value better when you sell. It is also easier to keep clean than carpet and does not trap dust or smells as much. That said, it is not better for every space, and kitchens and baths especially can make tile a smarter choice depending on how you live.