Tiles and Sustainability

What are qualities of good tiles?

Sustainability and the health of our planet are becoming more and more a priority for homeowners everywhere. However when it comes to sustainability, tiles aren’t always the first thing that comes to mind. Today we’re going to talk about why, maybe they should be.

The fossil fuel intensive manufacture process is one of the biggest aspects of tile production that could lead to people’s misconception on how sustainable a material tiles can be. While it is true that the manufacture is somewhat resource heavy, when compared with similar materials like timber; this is offset by the longevity of tiles. The average lifespan of tiled surface and a wooden one for example is very significant. In addition to this, wooden flooring is one of the more eco friendly materials out there. This disparity is increased further when things like vinyl are considered. Vinyl is also very resource heavy and not only does it not offer the longevity that tiles do, but it’s often times not recyclable either. With this in mind, a tiled surface can last a lifetime if maintained which makes it significantly more sustainable than other available materials that may need to be changed multiple times in the same time frame.

It is also important to consider the wide range of materials that tiles can be manufactured from. Some eco-friendly options, such as porcelain and recycled glass, are very sustainable. Whether this is due to the extremely long lasting porcelain or the easily recyclable nature of glass.