[joyce evans]

Originally Posted by KazzyK810

Staining depends on the tile.

Ceramic tile is easy to find in many colours & patterns, cheap, not real strong, so better have a very flat floor, as it is more prone to breakage. Great choice for large areas if money is a major factor.

Porcelain tile is stronger than ceramic, so a little more costly. The better choice for a large area if you can spare just a few extra pennies.

Natural stone tiles, slate, granite, travertine, marble, etc., are usually the most costly, and are easy to stain if not sealed. Urine is highly reactive with most natural stones and will permanently stain if not cleaned up quickly.

I'm an avid DIYer and have worked with all of the above. You have to remember with any tiles, grout lines are a highly porous area for moisture. I'd recommend sealing grout lines. Alternately, there are some great epoxy type grouts, but they do have a higher learning curve and might prove a challenge to an amateur grouter as they have a much shorter work-time than standard sand-based grouts. Laticrete Spectralock is my favourite.

Wow Karen DIY! I wish you lived closer to me! I would hire you to do my floors. I should have elaborated a little more. I have ceramic in my kitchen, dining, bathrooms and living room and I love them so they are staying. I will probably do area rugs so Hannah can still play fetch and do her zoomies. I guess I'll have to keep the doggie gate at the stair case entry and keep my bedrooms closed until bed time so my sneaky little devils don't get any ideas! That would also be safer as I am removing the carpet from the stairs and putting wood there too. I know I'll have to be careful with area rug selection for the wood floors as well. Really so much to consider when we live with little furbutts!