There’s no shortage of options when it comes to new flooring. Sometimes, the decision is a purely practical one. What will be the most useful for a particular room? Other times, it’s a question of style. What kind of material will fit the look and feel of the rest of the room?
Throughout the years, flooring materials have passed in out of style but a handful have remained popular despite the current trend. Tile is one, if not the most resilient of the bunch both in terms of both style and durability for a variety of reasons. Since antiquity, tile has been a popular staple in homes all over the world. More recently, tile has seen a big resurgence among homeowners all over the country.
Let’s explore some of the biggest reasons behind tile’s popularity and why many are finding the tile and grout industry a lucrative one to get involved with.
1. Easy day-to-day maintenance
No flooring is truly “maintenance-free,” but compared to other materials like hardwood, tile needs little routine upkeep to keep clean each day.
When paired with a high-quality grout, tile can be just about impervious to water damage that could quickly ruin other, less durable materials. Dirt and grime are easily wiped off tile surfaces when it comes time to clean.
2. Adaptable to any room or surface
Tile comes in hundreds of different sizes and shapes, making it applicable to just about any space inside or outside the home. With such an adaptable product, it’s possible to create stunningly intricate and creative installations that still serve an extremely practical purpose.
Many places in Europe have embraced tile to the fullest extent––sometimes filling entire houses with tile surfaces. This not only creates a unique look and feel to a home, but keeps rooms cool and clean in environments that tend to be hotter.
3. Extreme durability
Ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans used tile extensively for its resilience and strength. Since then, huge improvements have been made, making tile even tougher than it was thousands of years ago.
Unlike other materials that show signs of wear in a relatively short amount of time, today’s tile is built to withstand even the most highly trafficked areas of the house while resisting scratches and other damaging effects.
4. Easy repair
Tile is strong, but not impenetrable. Breaks and cracks do happen, and when they occur, repairs and replacement are necessary. Fortunately, small repairs can be as easy as removing the broken pieces, cleaning the area, reinstalling replacement tiles and regrouting the area.
While homeowners can do some simple repairs on their own, larger repairs require professional service––an industry many are getting involved with as more and more homeowners install and maintain tile and grout inside their homes.
5. A look that never goes out of fashion
Whether it’s a floor, a countertop, or any other surface inside your home, style counts nine times out of ten. Unlike other materials, tile’s adaptability isn’t just in its size and shape––it carries over to style as well.
From the old-world Mediterranean look to the sleek and modern simplicity of today’s trends, there’s a color and texture to fit virtually any look you’re going for.
How to capitalize on this growing trend
As more tile finds its way into homes and businesses, an entire service industry continues to expand to provide routine upkeep, repair and restoration services.
While the day-to-day maintenance of tile is easier than many other materials, tile does eventually need to be cleaned, repaired and/or restored after years of wear. While these projects are certainly do-able for many homeowners, the tools and skills required to do extremely good work simply aren’t available at the consumer level.
Up until a few years ago, much of this work was done by carpet cleaners as a side service. Today, franchisors like us have built powerful proven business models to give prospective business owners a step-by-step playbook to providing professional grout and tile service to those in their community.
If you’re interested in capturing a share of this quickly growing market, we’d love to talk about how we can help you build a successful business through our low-cost home-based franchise opportunity.
Click here to learn more about what sets The Groutsmith apart from competitors and contact us today to start a conversation about getting started.
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