Can I Use A Large Porcelain Tile?

Twenty years ago when I started in flooring choosing tile was much easier. We had 8×8 for the floors and 4×4 for the walls. Maybe 6 colors for the floor and about the same for the wall. But today the options are enormous, at ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings we have a minimum of twenty Vendors with over a hundred SKU’s (stock-keeping unit) with multiple sizes and colors in each one.

Large Format Tiles are very much in Style right now and the trend seems to be getting larger. We see sizes anywhere from 12×24, 20×20 and 24×24. Some of the Rectangular tiles are coming even larger. I have also been seeing more Vendors showing some wood look tiles in 6×36.

A lot of the questions I hear are usually about the size of the room. Most people think their rooms are too small for a large tile. My rule of thumb is that I like to get at least three tiles across. any fewer and I believe you loose the beauty of the tile. You can’t see the patterns or shade variances very well with fewer then three tiles. I really like the larger body tiles. One of my favorite things is that if you have more tile on the floor, you must have less grout joints.

With Tiles that come in larger formats they tend to have a lot more varying sizes which will allow you to make different patterns. I use a three tile pattern fairly often, but depending on the sizes available there are many different Design possibilities.

Some advantages of having large format tile installed include;

1.Narrow grout joints – rectified, large format tile allows for thinner grout joint widths

2.Easier maintenance – it is typically much easier to clean the face of tile than it is to clean grout.

3.Room size perception – the perception is that large tile makes the room in which it is installed appear larger

But large-format tile also has its installation challenges. Working with large-format porcelain tile requires closer tolerances in the subfloor, its weight makes it harder to handle in both floor and wall applications. Advanced installation materials and techniques have improved the overall quality of large-format tile installations while helping to improve the installer’s efficiency. Keeping up with the latest in products and techniques will help installers produce aesthetically pleasing – and profitably installed – walls and floors.

In order to get a quality Installation, you need an Installer who knows how to lay large format tile and is willing to take the time necessary to do the job correct. This means they need to be familiar with ANSI Standards and proper Installation Techniques. A large format Porcelain Tile does require a more level and flat surface to be installed on and may not be used in every application. If my floor was not level enough to use a large format tile, I would fix that issue first anyway. To find a quality Tile Installation Crew call your local ProSource Wholesale Floorcoverings Store and see if they could provide you with names of individuals that could handle your project. ProSource has hundreds of Members that are first rate, quality Installers, and the Member could allow you to purchase at Wholesale Prices through their Account. Each Member at ProSource has Automatic Price Protection, guaranteeing you the lowest price everyday!

I like to use a 12×24 for a shower wall or bathroom floor. Glass Lineal Mosaics make a great accent in the shower using 12×24’s vertically.

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