Southern state residents can spend hundreds of dollars to keep their homes cool, especially in the summer months. If you’re living in a hot, humid climate, consider choosing tile floors to cut down on cooling and HVAC costs. It’s one material that will keep energy costs low and maintain its cool elegance even on the hottest days.

Have you noticed that when you walk on a tiled surface, you feel cooler? Tile floors pull heat from your feet when touched, which helps regulate your body temperature because tile repels heat. Tile is better at conducting heat than just about any other flooring. Let’s compare our options.

Porcelain tile

wood look tile bedroom
Vitromex

You can install porcelain tile anywhere in your home. Made from dense, non-porous clay materials and crystal powders (feldspar), porcelain floors are virtually waterproof. Because it does not absorb moisture, it is an excellent flooring choice in humid climates. Impervious to scratches, porcelain is safe in high-traffic areas of your home. Because porcelain tiles are human-made, they can come in a variety of colors and textures. With the use of inkjet printing, porcelain tiles can even resemble wood floors. Porcelain is more affordable than natural stone tile depending on the caliber (facial dimension, size) and easy to install.

Natural stone floors can also be great heat conductors. Here are some popular options:

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Travertine

tile dining room

Give your home a Romanesque feel with travertine tiles! The Coliseum is a famous monument built of travertine. Travertine stone comes in an assortment of natural colors from white to coral-red. You can leave your travertine floors shiny, or give them a matte finish. Travertine stone will help to regulate the temperature swings of your home as this stone is always relatively cool to the touch. Using natural stone cleaning products and a microfiber towel will help maintain travertine’s beauty.

Marble

tile family room

Marble floors are an excellent heat conductor and will maintain your home’s desired temperature on even the warmest days. Its luxurious aesthetic is often replicated in man-made materials like porcelain and ceramic tile, and even vinyl. The real thing is incredibly unique – no two marble tiles are exactly alike. Make your space 100 percent unique when you choose from the many patterns and colors marble comes in.

Keep in mind that marble is one of the more high-maintenance stone flooring options, and will require sealing on a regular basis, and should be cleaned with specific cleaning products. But, it’s worth it in the end!

Slate

tile bedroom

Like marble and travertine, slate floors also feel cool to the touch. It’s also slip-resistant, making it a great choice for high-traffic areas. Made up of thin sheets of clay, quartz, and shale, you can find slate tiles in a pretty broad range of colors and styles, from classic dark grays and cool blues to rustic browns and greens.

Now that you have decided to decorate with tile to cut down on cooling costs, it is good to consider today’s aesthetic (trends) and costs. Browse all your options and reach out to one of our flooring experts for advice.

About The Author

Brit Yeager

June 24, 2019

Brit Yeager is a freelance writer with a degree in News-Editorial Journalism with an emphasis in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She previously worked for the Yoga Journal magazine, primarily writing the beauty and style pages, and is working on her first novel.

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