“Enduring” perhaps best describes masonry flooring materials such as stone and ceramic tile. Not only do these materials provide a surface that endures heavy traffic for decades without the slightest hint of wear, but, as some of the earliest building materials, they are products that have endured the ages. In fact, they’ve more than endured—they have been crowned as the flooring material of choice over and over again.

Today’s finest homes showcase stone and tile floors in their entries, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and more. Stone and ceramic tile flooring products are available in a wide variety of materials, sizes, colors, and prices to fit every need.

Both stone and tile are heavy, and certain types can be brittle if not supported properly. A successful stone or tile floor installation begins with a solid and flat substrate and ends with the right grout and finishing touches. Unless your floor has serious structural problems, you can probably install most types of floor tile or stone on it. Be aware that, because stone and tile floor materials are thicker than vinyl tile and similar floor coverings, they do change the height of the floor, which you’ll need to address at the transitions between rooms.

The articles in this section of HomeTips give you helpful buying advice for stone and tile flooring products. They also provide do-it-yourself instructions for preparing, laying out, cutting, and installing ceramic and stone tile. Last but not least, they offer maintenance tips and walk you through easy tile and stone floor repairs.