Choosing a flooring option for your home or cottage is serious business because so much rides on the decision. Flooring is costly, both in terms of money or the labour required for less-expensive DIY options. And different materials vary widely in their durability, too. Here’s a look at three popular flooring choices.

1) Ceramic Tile Flooring

Ceramic tiles are a durable and beautiful option, with a heritage that few other options can match. All ceramic tile installations rely on a rigid base, without which tiles will crack and come loose with disappointing speed. Years ago a solid base could be created in only one way -- by laying a 1 to 1 1/2-inch thick layer of steel-reinforced mortar onto a tarred wooden subfloor.

Nowadays there’s an easier and equally good modern solid base alternative:

• Beef up an existing subfloor with a second layer of plywood or cement-based backer board.
• Both the original subfloor and the added layer must be screwed to the underlying floor joists so they don’t move.
• Tiles can then be fastened directly to the plywood with thinset adhesive before grouting.
• The best book I’ve read on ceramic tile installation is Setting Ceramic Tiles by Michael Byrne.

Pros:

• Very durable if installed properly.
• Classic good looks.

Cons:

• Requires a solid base.
• Sometimes cold under foot.