We're in the same boat. I'm going back & forth too between real wood & fake wood. What's the price of the WoodTec, may I ask?

I've had both wood & ceramic floors before and like them both very much. Ditto vinyl tile. But our wood floors were always in the "nice" rooms where there wasn't much wear & tear. I wonder how careful you have to be with wood floors like, say, in a family room that gets a lot of indoor/outdoor traffic & the occasional food & drink spill. In retrospect, I was glad to have easy clean floors in the family area (sealed slate).

I keep reading that wood floors help with resale value. In my area, that's a real concern. Buyers here go for the snob appeal, even if it is impractical. How about in your area?

Finally, do you have dogs? They're hard on wood floors.

Hope this is some help in sorting out a few issues.

awm03, thank you for your insightful comments! Yes, considering how large an investment this would be, we are concerned with resale value. Today we going to visit a lady who has the Porcelana fake wood throughout her home and she loves it and says the grout lines are thin. I'll post later how that went.

You ask the price of WoodTec. Well, officially, it is listed at $15.99 a square foot installed in the tile outlet here, but beings the house is 1600 square feet we can get it at $9.99 a square foot and $3.00 a foot for installation, so $13.00 a square foot actually. This stuff is said to be very high quality.

We have a small half-chihuahua. My sister just got beautiful maple floors and says her two dogs have done no damage as yet. Maybe it's too early to tell.

I'm really taking note of your comment, "In retrospect, I was glad to have easy clean floors in the family area."

We had 3 boys who were hard on homes. They're early 20s now, all 3 are still at home, commuting to colleges or first jobs. And they're still hard on homes! Their friends like to hang here, which means food & drink, & hours of TV sports with roughhousing, & going in & out to toss a football or to play driveway hockey. My husband & I garden, & the quickest access to a bathroom is through the family room. So we still need easy clean & low maintenance flooring. We're replacing previous owner's cheap berber; it's so dirty now that I'm embarassed to have company over.

So that WoodTec tile sounds great for my purposes. It's just that nagging issue of resale & the fact that people here in our snooty corner of Connecticut "don't go for faux."

I'm thinking maybe distressed pine plank with a tung oil finish. The distressed finish would mask new dings & scratches, & tung oil allows for spot refinishing as needed. But good ol' damp-mop-&-ignore-it flooring like ceramic or vinyl still beckons.

Well, yesterday we went to a lady's house who was kind enough to let us check out her flooring and it was throughout her entire house except for one bedroom. She was disappointed that she hadn't done the bedroom also. The wood-like TILE was warm and appealing, though not what we would prefer --- she said that everyone has to stoop down and touch it and asks, "This really isn't wood?"

She exclaimed, "I LOVE the low maintenance! I can clean this flooring in 10 minutes! I don't have to worry about spills, stains or scratches!" She was quite convincing.

I really don't know how WoodTec would figure in as far as resale value. It seems too new a product to really know. Yesterday, my wife and I just happened to spot a tile place, Tanner Tile & Stone. We walked in and talked to the owner Tom Cruse. We were so impressed with him! He was A WORKER! It was late in the day and we were just walk-ins, but he dragged out sample after sample, spreading them on the floor. I felt bad, knowing he'd have to pick them all up after we left. He was very knowledgeable and total professional, and was an expert on installing. We have been to countless tile stores, outlets, expos, but after we walked out, my wife commented, "He's the best I've talked to!" His father started the business many years a go. He's is Arizona and California. He had EVERY wood-like tile and porcelain sample.

Any way, he said that WoodTec from Porcelanosa is "the cadilac" of tile, a bit pricey, the best quality available. WoodTec is commerical grade. He commented that he's had people come in who said, "I had hardwood installed two years ago, it's already scratched up and pitted, I need to go with something else."

This Tom Cruse has a web site (www.tannertile.com), but it appears to be under construction still as the links don't work, though the contact info is there.

Thanks for the update. Yes, what makes these decisions so difficult is that there are some terrific fake woods on the market. They're beautiful, in fact. And they have the advantage as far as upkeep.

I installed wood look tile several years ago. Pamesa Teslin Coral. Now discontinued. When I was looking i found two distyinct types of wood look. One was a very good quality photo of wood on a flat tile. the other was a textured wood grain surface. I ended up with the textured type, although it was a tough choice. I got 5" X 16" tiles, and layed them with a 1/16 grout line. Longer tiles were considerably more expensive, and I heard they were more likely to be slightly warped and uneven, which would require a wider grout line.

one thing I would recomend is buying 1 or 2 boxes of tile, use rubber cement and tile spcers to lay them on a sheet of 3/4" plywood, Grout them. and then put this in the middle of your room and look at it and walk on it for a couple of weeks.

If you decide it's not what you want, you've only blown $100 or so instead of a couple thousand. If it is what you want , the tiles can be easily pried up and reused. (the plywood can be reused also) . Don't use construction adhesive, the tiles can't be removed without breaking. You could also do something similar with wood flooring.

I think a tile floor in perfect condition would have more snob appeal than a beat up warped faded wood floor.

Tile is tougher on your back than hardwood!

Good luck.

Teresa

"I think a tile floor in perfect condition would have more snob appeal than a beat up warped faded wood floor."

Well some people find that charming. Patina, I believe they call it :)

I've been hanging out in the Kitchens forum for several years. Occasionally over there you read comments about ripping out fairly new kitchens because the kitchens don't conform to one's tastes. Perhaps it's the same these days with flooring: don't worry about resale because if the new owners don't like the floor, they'll just rip it out & put in their preference.

Ditto the 'don't worry [too much] about re-sale: if they like your house otherwise, a flooring they don't care for won't matter much. Despite the 'designed to sell' type shows, it seems like most people re-do the entire decor when they move in anyway, in order to really 'own' their new home.

As to the actual quesion at hand, no one is more fond of wood than I am, to the point that white painted cabs leave me a little queasy.

But I'm a low maintenence guy. I don't want to have to baby my floor, sand it, oil it, wax it, poly it; or cringe when a guest arrives in spike heals. I want my dogs to be able to run and the smallest family members play with their hard plastic toys without worrying *at all* about my floor.

I don't want to worry about an overwatered, overflowing houseplant [or Christmas tree]; the occasional aquarium mishap, or tracked in snow. It's certainly not that I ignore such things, but I don't want to have to be eternally vigilant, either.

So real wood isn't an option for me. I'd regret the damage, hate the maintenence, and waste way too much time stressing the small stuff.

I'd rather have a floor that's stain and scratch proof and will last my whole entire life without needing much in the way of care other than the occasional mop. To me, the hardness issues are a small price to pay.

oruboris, my sentiments EXACTLY !!!!!

"don't worry about resale because if the new owners don't like the floor, they'll just rip it out & put in their preference."

GREAT POINT! Thank you!!

Tom Cruse of Tanner Tile And Stone sent these pictures, commenting:

HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF THE PORCELANOSA ROBBLE ROJO WOOD LOOK.

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I wish the grout were darker in those pics: it would look more like wood, and darker grout is much, much easier to care for.

Otherwise, it looks great.

Well, oruboris, don't know if this will make a difference: I should have mentioned, only in the middle picture is the grout in. In the first and third pictures the grout is not yet between the tiles, though it sure appears so.

I saw the Porcelenosa tile at their showroom in Anaheim. It is a gorgeous product! They laid it with extremely small grout lines and it looked exactly like wood. I don't know why some tile people insist on large grout lines. Maybe it has something to do with expansion\contraction.

I have wood porcelain in my guest bath and love it. It is laid with extremely small grout lines (1/32"?) and you'd have to touch it to know it's not wood.

I'd do my whole house in it. It's so low maintenance and so durable.
-Hal

I forgot to mention the tiles in my bathroom had spacer lugs molded into them, so there was no need for tile spacers when they were laid. The install went very fast because of this.

I don't know if the Porcelanosa tiles have the spacer lugs. I do recall when I saw them they seemed very thick compared to other brands of tiles. I assume, but don't know for sure, they were probably designed for commercial use.
They started at about $8 square foot.

(The showroom also had this same line of floor tiles in steel cross-hatch design, mirror designs, and leather. I take back what I said in my first post - if I had it to do over again I'd choose the brown leather with faux stitching over the wood - but all of them were some of the most beautiful floor tiles I've ever seen.)
-Hal

"don't worry about resale because if the new owners don't like the floor, they'll just rip it out & put in their preference."

That's the attitude we took about 3 years ago when we put in 1900sf. of the porcelain tile wood. We have no regrets what so ever for doing it and have enjoyed our floors without the worry of water damage or pet damage. Our Grandkids can get out of the pool and run in the house without me making them get dry to the bone before stepping on my floors.
We did get lucky and were able to see the exact floor we wanted installed and just happened to be there when the tile crew was finishing up and they were pushing the grand piano back into place. That sold us.
We installed this tile in what we thought was going to be our retirement home but things have changed and we have all ready purchased our next retirement home which was built in the 1920s and is full of pine flooring. We're doing a lot of work on that house before we move in and it will include redoing the pine floors that have been in the house since the beginning. So now were back to wood--in short we've had both floors and like them both. Tile is hard, cold and even though ours has the hand scraped- texture, it gets pretty slippery when you get on it with wet feet. Wood is easy on the back, looks just like wood, as it is wood, but you do have to worry about the water which is always in the back of your mind.

hald and pieinsky, we printed up your posts and are studying them. Would love to know exactly what you installed and would be great to see a picture. We want to check out the "steel cross-hatch design, mirror designs, and leather." Your posts are insightful and so helpful! Thank you very much!

RE: grout lines in the pix-- I almost mentioned how much nicer they were in the middle picture, but decided it was probably a matter of the lighting.

I would (and did) use porcelain for the ease of maintenance and every day ease of living with it, especially on a slab foundation. Aditionally, our house is near the beach, so we get sand tracked in during the warmer seasons. However, we chose a more "natural looking" tile rather than a "faux" wood-look tile. I like to choose materials for what they do best...if I wanted a wood look (and a wood feel, I'm barefoot much of the time), I'd get wood.

-Roger

I hear you, Roger, when you say, "I like to choose materials for what they do best...if I wanted a wood look (and a wood feel, I'm barefoot much of the time), I'd get wood." Kinda like my wife saying, "Why get fake wood when you can have real wood for less?" My argument with her has been, with this beautiful Woodtec from Porcelanosa, we'd get the best of both worlds. If you love wood, but don't want the worry and high maintenance, here's an option where people can hardly tell the difference. It's her decision and she is about to make it, but I have no idea what it will be, but I think the comments in this thread, and from dealers also, have convinced her that she doesn't want wood, though it was very tempting for a bit there. There's always projects going on at our house, substantial traffic, a dog, etc., and there truly would be stress about scratches and other damage to wood flooring. I want the Block Frassino from Woodtec, but will be happy if we at least don't get actual wood. I will post it here soon as the decision is made and hopefully a photo or two also when it is installed. I'd also like to post a picture of the granite counter tops we got. I've seen a thousand different granites, and feel that we got best. She was on her way to one dealer to choose between two she liked when they just got a new one in --- one look at it and she knew she had to have it. I'll see if I can post a pic of it soon. Thank you for all the comments! They truly have made a difference.

I didn't read all through the responses, however - we looked at high end home here in FL and it had tile wood floors. *IF* it had real wood floors, or just nice tile floors we might have entertained the idea to purchase the house, but it wasn't worth the expense that it would be to rip the tile out and replace it.

Roger, et al: I hear what you are saying about authenticity, but I think there's more involved in the decision. Is a tile that looks like stone more authentic than one that looks like wood? What does a tile that looks like tile look like? Flat, single color?

Sort of an analogy: I love natural fibers-- 90% of my normal clothes are cotton, wool or leather. But I'm an avid skier and biker. I own a lot of goretex, poly and nylon sports gear because it performs better, keeps you cool and dry in summer, warm and dry in winter: if you are working up a sweat, especially in the cold, cotton is a passport to hypothermia. Wool is fine as an insulating layer, not that comfy next to your skin and tends to be too bulky on the bike.

I guess what I'm suggesting is that-- *for me*-- performance is just as valuable as authenticity. If I can have a floor that looks like wood at first and maybe second glance [subjective, of course, but the new stuff is amazing], with a tenth the maintenence and no wear issues, I'm a happy boy!

Here is the web address of Porcelanosa:
http://www.porcelanosa-usa.com/

You might want to check their European site if the tiles aren't shown on the US site. I've tried posting pictures before and never had any luck (or understanding).

Be sure and do a web search for other makers. Spanish tiles have led the way in terms of modern design. I'll look on the boxes of tile if I can find them, and post the makers names. The bathroom has 2 kinds of wood look floor tiles, the ones I already described, and another porcelain floor tile that looks like rough weathered wood, which we used as an accent tile. We were aiming for a rustic lodge look.
-Hal

What an interesting thread! My decisions are almost always predicated on cost more than any other factor, which is why we bought a less expensive wood flooring a few years ago, rather than the one I would have liked more. But assuming that a person can bear the cost and it's just a matter of use and aesthetics, then, I think you just need to make up a pros and cons list.
For sheer maintenance issues, I don't think there's a contest. The tile will be the easier product to keep looking good. Wood does ding, it does respond poorly to spills and leaks, and it does require more steps to do a really nice cleaning job. For people with children and toys, or dogs with damaging claws, the tile would also be advantageous. Wood is softer and more comfortable for people standing for long periods, and even for the general walking through the house. I have plantar faciatis (heel pain) and if I do decide to walk through my home without shoes (not a good idea according to Dr. Doom, my podiatrist) the wood feels pretty comfy, but when I hit the tile in the kitchen, I feel it. So, that's an issue. Also, for resale, if I were in a house to LIVE and only considering resale as a remote possibility, I would do what I want. There will be buyers completely impressed with the high-quality tile that still has the ambiance of wood, and there will be the ones who turn up their noses. That is always the case, anyway, no matter what you do, right? But if I knew that a sale was in my fairly immediate future, maybe 3-5 years, I would probably opt to spend less and just get the wood, even if I liked the tile wood-look better. That way, I could enjoy the warmth and comfort of the wood and not have any explaining to do at sale time.

Red

We have both porcelain and wood in our house. I love them both. We have porcelain tile in the kitchen, bathroom, foyer, and the traffic areas, and engineered wood in the living, dining, and family rooms. Our through body gray porcelain doesn't show the dirt and is easily cleaned. Our wood floor does not have a lot of texture and our footprints with bare feet and our dogs spots from chewing her feet show up in the light. It's an easy wipe down, though, but it really shows the dirt sooner.

About our feet, my husband really has foot pain with the porcelain when he's in the kitchen. I, on the other hand, do not have a problem. He never had trouble with the vinyl floor we had before, so it must be the tile. Truthfully, we really like both.

In mho, I think that porcelain should look like porcelain if you have it. Trying to similuate another product doesn't do it for me. If you want the porcelain, there are plenty of beautiful kinds to choose from. I don't like the little squares of wood or floating floors that look like tile either. I say choose your material than choose something beautiful that truly represents the material.

We have both porcelain and wood in our house. I love them both. We have porcelain tile in the kitchen, bathroom, foyer, and the traffic areas, and engineered wood in the living, dining, and family rooms. Our through body gray porcelain doesn't show the dirt and is easily cleaned. Our wood floor does not have a lot of texture and our footprints with bare feet and our dogs spots from chewing her feet show up in the light. It's an easy wipe down, though, but it really shows the dirt sooner.
About our feet, my husband really has foot pain with the porcelain when he's in the kitchen. I, on the other hand, do not have a problem. He never had trouble with the vinyl floor we had before, so it must be the tile. Truthfully, we really like both.

In mho, I think that porcelain should look like porcelain if you have it. Trying to similuate another product doesn't do it for me. If you want the porcelain, there are plenty of beautiful kinds to choose from. I don't like the little squares of wood or floating floors that look like tile either. I say choose your material than choose something beautiful that truly represents the material.

kristinfl,
Your floor is beautiful! What hardwood did you use?

Wood absorbs noise better.Tile and stone bounce sound around. If noise is an issue, I'd go with wood. It is also easier on your whole body. If you want it is to always look brand new probably the porclean would be better. We have had a light maple for about four years now and it still looks great to us. We have friends who put down really nice grey stone tiles at the same timeand it looks great too. Their only complaint is that every thing you drops breaks... always. It is so much a matter of personal preference that you will very likely be happy with what ever you pick. Good luck.

johnnytrainor,
DH and I have had hickory hardwood floors for 14 years and have no regrets. They wear well and we had a dog, live on riverfront property, and put up with lots of rain :( They are a cinch to maintain and always look good!
See for yourself........

I'll throw one more item to consider in here. We have both tile and (real) wood floors. Tile is definitely colder and depending on what area of the country you live in, you may find it quite uncomfortable in the dead of winter. It is also noisier, as another person mentioned. I will say I don't notice much temperature fluxuation in our rooms with wood floors, but the room that is tiled, definitely feels alot colder in the winter. (It does feel great in the summer though when it's 98 degrees outside!)