Floor Tiles Vs Engineered Floorboards

Choosing the best flooring for your home can significantly impact its style, durability, and even resale value. At Ross’s Discount Home Centre, we draw on over 50 years of experience helping Perth homeowners make informed, practical choices, including the critical decision between floor tiles and engineered timber floorboards. According to the latest Kitchen Trends Study, natural materials are increasingly popular, with over 70% of Australian homeowners seeking flooring options that balance aesthetics with long-lasting performance. This aligns well with both floor tiles and engineered floorboards, which each bring unique advantages to various areas of the home.

Floor tiles offer robust durability and water resistance, often well beyond 20 years—ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, and high-traffic spaces. Meanwhile, engineered floorboards provide a timeless, warm aesthetic and can last 15 to 25 years with proper care, making them an appealing choice for living areas and bedrooms. In this article, we’ll leverage our extensive experience in flooring solutions to break down the pros and cons of each option, ensuring you have all the insights you need to choose the right flooring for your space and lifestyle.

Key Takeaways

• Floor tiles offer unmatched durability in high-traffic and moisture-prone areas, requiring minimal maintenance and providing a low-maintenance, long-lasting solution.
• SPC hybrid engineered floorboards combine the visual warmth of wood with excellent scratch and water resistance, making them versatile and durable for both dry and moisture-exposed spaces.
• Floor tiles come in a vast range of styles, textures, and patterns that suit various aesthetics, while SPC hybrid flooring offers a natural wood look ideal for creating a cohesive flow in open-plan areas.
• Tiles provide a firm, cool surface ideal for warm climates or areas with minimal standing time, whereas SPC hybrid floorboards offer a warmer, cushioned feel, making them more comfortable for high-use areas.
• The installation of floor tiles generally requires professional help and involves higher upfront costs, while SPC hybrid flooring can be installed DIY, offering a cost-effective alternative for budget-conscious homeowners.
• Tiles contribute to sustainability through longevity, while SPC hybrid floorboards, made from recyclable materials with low VOC emissions, support eco-friendly indoor air quality.
• Both floor tiles and SPC hybrid flooring are waterproof, making them suitable for wet areas, though SPC hybrid flooring allows for a consistent look throughout the home without risking water damage.
• Floor tiles typically last over 20 years and can increase property value, while SPC hybrid flooring offers comparable durability with a wood-like appearance and lower maintenance requirements.

Floor Tile vs. Engineered Floorboard Comparison

Now, let’s dive into more details on each option to help you select the perfect flooring for your home.

Durability and Maintenance

Floor Tiles: Floor tiles are among the most durable choices for high-traffic and moisture-prone areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and entryways. They’re highly resistant to scratches, dents, and daily wear, making them a low-maintenance, long-lasting option. A quick sweep and mop are all it takes to keep them looking pristine. For customers wanting a worry-free choice in busy households, tiles are a reliable and hassle-free option. Read our Tile Cleaning & Maintenance Guide for more information.

Engineered Floorboards: When it comes to engineered floorboards, our SPC hybrid flooring stands out for its durability. SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) hybrid flooring combines the strength of engineered boards with advanced water resistance, giving it a major advantage in areas that may experience spills or moisture. The dense SPC core resists dents and scratches, making it comparable to tile in high-traffic areas. Like tiles, engineered flooring requires only regular sweeping and occasional mopping for maintenance. These features make it an excellent option for homeowners looking for the warmth of wood with tile-level durability.

TL;DR: Both floor tiles and engineered flooring are durable and low-maintenance, but each excels in different ways. Floor tiles shine in high-traffic, wet areas with their extreme durability, while SPC hybrid flooring combines the wood look with tile-like toughness and added water resistance, making it versatile for multiple spaces.

Aesthetic Options and Style

Floor Tiles: Floor tiles offer an extensive range of colours, textures, patterns, and sizes to suit any aesthetic—from sleek and modern to rustic or traditional. Tiles can even replicate natural materials like stone or wood, allowing homeowners to achieve high-end looks without the upkeep. At Ross’s, our diverse selection of tiles provides something for every style, making it easy for customers to design distinctive spaces.

Engineered Floorboards: Engineered floorboards, including our SPC flooring, bring a warm, natural wood aesthetic that’s hard to replicate. With the look and feel of real wood, SPC hybrid flooring is available in various finishes and wood grains to suit both modern and traditional designs. It creates a continuous flow in open-plan areas or living rooms. If you love the look of wood but need more durability than standard wood floors, engineered flooring offers the best of both worlds—providing both style and resilience without the maintenance of real wood.

TL;DR: Floor tiles are unparalleled for customisation, offering endless style options to fit any vision, while engineered floorboards, especially SPC hybrid flooring, deliver a warm, wood-like aesthetic that works beautifully in both open-plan and small spaces. Choose tiles for maximum versatility; choose engineered SPC hybrid flooring for a natural, wood-like look with added durability.

Comfort and Feel

Floor Tiles: Floor tiles are known for their cool, firm surface, which is refreshing in warmer climates but may feel hard or cold in cooler seasons. If you’re looking for long-term comfort in areas where standing is frequent, such as kitchens, tiles might feel less forgiving underfoot. However, tiles are a great option in bathrooms and kitchens where their durability and easy maintenance make them a strong contender.

Engineered Floorboards: Engineered floorboards, particularly our SPC hybrid flooring, provide a softer and warmer feel underfoot than tiles. SPC hybrid flooring has the added benefit of a cushioned underlayment, which enhances comfort without needing additional installations like underfloor heating. This makes SPC hybrid flooring a popular choice for living rooms and high-traffic areas where comfort is key, providing a warmer, softer surface that’s ideal for everyday use. Learn more about our SPC Hybrid Flooring.

TL;DR: SPC hybrid flooring offers a warmer, more comfortable feel underfoot, which is ideal for high-use areas like kitchens and living rooms. Floor tiles remain a durable, cool option best suited to warm climates or areas where a firm surface is preferred. For comfort, SPC hybrid flooring is the superior choice; for a cooler, more rigid surface, tiles are a solid option.

Installation Process and Cost

Floor Tiles: Floor tiles are known for their long-term durability, but installation requires careful placement, grouting, and often a subfloor layer, which makes professional installation highly recommended. In Australia, the cost to install floor tiles ranges from $30 to $150 per square metre, depending on the tile material and the complexity of the layout. While this upfront investment may be higher, the tile’s durability and low maintenance make it a solid choice for high-traffic or high-moisture areas, especially when longevity is a priority. If you’re keen to have a crack at laying floor tiles yourself, check out our guide to laying floor tiles.

Engineered Floorboards: Engineered floorboards offer a simpler and more budget-friendly installation option, which many customers tackle themselves. With a user-friendly click-lock system, SPC hybrid flooring can be installed as a floating floor without professional assistance or the need for an underlayment. This DIY potential can significantly save installation costs, as hiring a professional to install engineered floorboards typically ranges from $45 to $65 per square metre. By choosing SPC hybrid flooring and opting for DIY installation, you get the look of real wood at a fraction of the cost.

TL;DR / Verdict: Floor tiles require professional installation, with costs from $30 to $150 per square metre. SPC hybrid flooring, however, can often be installed DIY, saving homeowners on labour and costs and making it an affordable and flexible option for those on a budget.

Environmental Impact

Floor Tiles: Tiles are durable and long-lasting, reducing the need for frequent replacements, which many of our eco-conscious customers appreciate. However, traditional tile manufacturing can be energy-intensive. Eco-friendly options, like recycled tiles, are available for those looking to minimise environmental impact while enjoying tile’s durability.

Engineered Floorboards: SPC hybrid flooring is a sustainable choice thanks to its recyclable materials and low VOC emissions, which help maintain indoor air quality. Our SPC flooring combines natural calcium carbonate with recyclable PVC, creating a formaldehyde-free product that aligns well with environmentally conscious goals. Its durability also reduces the need for replacements, further minimising waste.

TL;DR: Floor tiles offer sustainability through longevity, while SPC hybrid flooring provides an eco-friendly, low-VOC alternative that supports indoor air quality, making it a responsible choice for sustainable design.

Water Resistance and Ideal Room Placement

Floor Tiles: Floor tiles are fully waterproof, making them ideal for high-moisture spaces like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms. They resist warping and staining even with frequent exposure to water, which is why they remain a popular choice in these areas. Read our Bathroom Floor Tile Guide if you plan to use tiles on your bathroom floors.

Engineered Floorboards: For a wood-like look with similar water resistance, our SPC hybrid flooring is 100% waterproof, making it suitable for bathrooms, kitchens, and other moisture-prone areas. Many of our customers choose SPC hybrid flooring for its ability to provide a seamless, cohesive look throughout the home without worrying about water damage, combining style with practicality.

TL;DR: Floor tiles are a top choice for moisture-heavy areas due to their waterproof nature. SPC hybrid flooring offers comparable waterproofing with a wood-like appearance, providing flexibility for consistent use throughout the home.

Longevity and Value

Floor Tiles: Floor tiles offer excellent longevity, often lasting 20 years or more with proper care. I’ve seen tiles hold up beautifully in both residential and commercial spaces, even in high-traffic areas. Their durable, water-resistant surface means they can maintain their appearance and functionality for decades, which can increase property value and reduce the need for frequent replacements. Although tile installation may be more expensive upfront, the long-term durability and low maintenance requirements make them a cost-effective choice over time.

Engineered Floorboards: Engineered flooring also delivers impressive longevity, lasting between 15 and 25 years, depending on usage. Our SPC hybrid flooring combines a scratch-resistant wear layer with a waterproof core, meaning it withstands daily wear and moisture better than traditional engineered wood. SPC hybrid flooring is durable and performs well in high-traffic areas, all while maintaining a wood-like appearance that adds value to your home. Its resilience, combined with the cost-effective DIY installation, ensures long-lasting benefits without the maintenance needed for natural wood or the frequent replacement costs associated with other flooring options.

TL;DR / Verdict: Floor tiles offer maximum longevity and add long-term value, especially in wet or high-traffic areas. SPC hybrid flooring offers similar durability with a wood-like aesthetic, providing lasting value with reduced maintenance.

Conclusion

Both floor tiles and engineered SPC hybrid flooring bring unique strengths to the table, offering excellent durability, style options, and overall value. Floor tiles are ideal for high-moisture spaces like bathrooms or kitchens, where their waterproof nature and long lifespan shine. On the other hand, engineered SPC hybrid flooring provides the warmth and appearance of wood, along with a waterproof core that allows for consistent use throughout the home—even in moisture-prone areas.

At Ross’s, I’ve helped countless homeowners find the right flooring for their specific needs, and I recommend floor tiles for those prioritising ultimate durability in wet areas. For those wanting a seamless, wood-like look with practical benefits, SPC hybrid flooring offers a versatile and budget-friendly option.

Still not sure which to choose? Forbes has a great article that offers a different view on this popular comparison. I recommend checking it out! And if you are torn between knowing tiles are the better option but you want a wooden floor, then you should consider wood-look tiles. That way, you’ll get the best of both worlds.

For additional buying advice to help you decide between the two, check out the following resources:

• The Ultimate Hybrid Flooring Buying Guide
• Everything You Need to Know About SPC Hybrid Vinyl Flooring
• How to Choose the Right Floor Tiles for Your Home
• Benefits of Wood-Look Tiles Over Wooden Floorboards