Ditch The Tile: The Stylish Floor Alternative That's Twice As Durable

If you're renovating your kitchen, flooring is likely top of mind. The importance of choosing the right material can't be overstated — the floor not only plays a massive role in setting the aesthetic tone for your kitchen, but it's also one of the areas that will see the most wear and tear, so you want something durable. When considering different kitchen flooring materials, there's one option you may have not thought much about before but definitely should: sintered stone.

Sintered stone is a composite of different materials like feldspar and quartz fused together. Combining multiple natural minerals known for their hardiness creates a supremely tough material that stands up against scratches, stains, wear-and-tear, and moisture. In fact, sintered stone is significantly more durable than tile flooring. Compared to ceramic and porcelain tiles, sintered stone is the least porous; this is important because too much moisture can break tiles down over time. In terms of scratches, chips, stains, and general banging-up, ceramic tile is the most vulnerable with porcelain right behind it, while sintered stone is far more resilient. Sintered stone is also easy to clean and care for because of its non-porosity. For these reasons, sintered stone is more expensive than ceramic or porcelain tiles by about 15% to 30%, depending on factors like thickness. However, it also lasts two to three times as long as tile.

Because of its substantially extended lifetime and durability, experts consider sintered stone worth the added cost. You may never have to replace your kitchen floor again, and it will remain looking in great condition for years. 

Speaking of looks, sintered stone happens to be a gorgeous option aesthetically, too. It's reminiscent of marble and has a natural stone look since it's made from real minerals. You can choose color palettes and natural, abstract patterns that work for your space, and sintered stone can skew from very earthy, natural motifs to sleek, modern ones depending on how you style it. 

Bearing in mind its durability and its appealing style, installing sintered stone is actually one of the best ways to save money on kitchen flooring, higher price tags aside — you'll be sparing your wallet in the long run by avoiding future replacements. It's best to have sintered stone professionally measured, cut, and installed; the cost of the material plus installation tends to run between about $60 and $120 per square foot. Thanks to its scratch-, stain-, water-, and heat-resistance, sintered stone is a great countertop material choice, too. This is good news if you want a clean, cohesive, pulled-together look — and, of course, if you want to avoid future pricey countertop renovations, too.