Points to consider when choosing Tiles
Three Key Points to Consider when Choosing Porcelain Tiles for Ground Floor Spaces
Choosing flooring for your new build or refurbishment project will be one of your key considerations and should also be an exciting one! There are a wealth of options, however if you are looking for a material that is incredibly dense and hardwearing with little or no maintenance then Porcelain is a brilliant material to choose.
Firstly, you could expect a Porcelain floor to last for 20 years or more! Secondly as a material our Porcelains work perfectly with underfloor heating systems for internal areas so you can keep that cosy feeling all year round. And thirdly Porcelain doesn’t require sealing, so unlike many natural stones there is no ongoing maintenance. Add to that the fact it is scratch and fade resistant and you have a material that will look amazing for years to come and is very easy to look after.
And with continual developments in technology, Porcelain designs mimic other materials brilliantly such as concretes, metals, cements, stone and more so you really can create whatever look you want.
Before you choose your tiles, we’ve listed three key things to consider. There are more of course! But these are a great starting point:
1. Do you run the same tile throughout the ground floor or different tiles for different areas?
If you have a new build development or a renovation project, then you may be considering the same flooring for your entire ground floor. Whether you have lots of rooms or mostly open plan areas you may still wish to run the same flooring throughout to create a flow across your space and even remove the need for thresholds (if floors are even of course).
Creating a seamless flow across your ground floor can create a beautiful open feel to your home and choosing the right shade of tile is even more important because it needs to work across all rooms and areas with everything from kitchen to living, office areas, playrooms and more. Thinking about the amount of natural light in the spaces you are tiling is key as it is likely to vary from room to room and having the opportunity to see a larger sample at home can really help. This gives you the opportunity to move the tile from room to room and at different times of the day to see how light affects the colour.
Opting for subtle tones can create a stunning canvas for any room or home so the minimalism of off-whites to the softest of sands or grey hues are of course, great choices and will work with most colours leaving you free to consider furnishings and pops of colour.
It is always worth requesting small samples to begin with to see colour and also finish of tiles because tile finish may also have an impact on your final tile selection. With everything from matt to natural to semi polished, lapatto, polished, antislip finishes and more, it is important to carefully consider how you will use your space, lighting and the look and feel you want to create.
Darker colours can make spaces seem smaller however if large and airy and complimented with fresh white walls and well thought through lighting, darker tiles are worth a look – and large format darker tiles in particular that are rectified for minimal grout lines can really give the appearance of a seamless canvas.
Or you may wish to mix it up a little! For example, creating continuity with the same tile for your kitchen, dining and utility areas whilst choosing a different tile for snug or cosy living areas. We are of course assuming floor level is the same throughout because that does mean that you can run different tiles up to one another without the need for an aluminium trim for example. So, you have all the benefit of seamless flow with the beauty of creating different feels in different rooms or even creating different areas in an open plan space.
Choosing a stunning marble porcelain for your kitchen area complimented by the gorgeous warm tones of wood porcelains in dining areas can work beautifully. Or opting for those warm woods in smaller room can create a gorgeous transition from open plan kitchen to the cosiest of snug rooms with underfloor heating and soft furnishings. Of course, the thickness of your chosen tiles and size will be paramount if you are looking to run different tiles from room to room seamlessly and negate the need for thresholds or trims.
2. Does tile size make a difference?
Most definitely! Large format tiles with sizes starting around 800 x 800 through to 900 x 900 and even 1200 x 1200mm may feel big compared to a more traditional 300 x 600 or 600 x 600 mm size tile, however across entire ground floors or large spaces they can really add to a feeling of continuity, seamlessness and flow. In particular, rectified porcelain – that simply means that the edges are perfectly straight – means that grout lines are at an absolute minimum – so just a few mm adding to that continuity.
If large open plan extensions are connected by narrower corridors, speaking with your tiler about how large format tiles would work in the different spaces is important. The size of your chosen tile will determine the amount of grout lines and more grout lines can make spaces look busy so even in narrower corridors or spaces large format can help open up space.
Small room equals small tiles doesn’t necessarily need to apply. Yes a downstairs cloakroom will undoubtedly be small however running a large format tile into that space can really work – it may well be that you only have a couple of tiles in the space, but the beauty of that is less grout lines.
3. Are you looking to run your tiling outside?
With some Porcelain tile collections offering the same tile in different slip ratings or slip ratings suitable for inside and outside use it is perfectly possible to continue that seamless transition from internal to external spaces. The outside tile version may have a more textured surface than the inside tile to give additional grip and the external tile therefore is given a higher rating of an R11 or R12 whereas an inside tile may be an R9 or an R10 slip rating – it’s always worth checking slip ratings to ensure the suitability of the tiles you are interested in.
Both tiles will look very much the same to the naked eye but if you feel the surface you can tell that they are designed to perform very different jobs. There are also some really brilliant and clever innovations in Porcelain. For example some tiles in an R11 slip rating that can be used inside and out – what’s really clever is the surface, they have a lovely innovative soft feel and with no change in surface texture exactly the same tile can run across your entire project!
Thickness of tile is important – some collections will feature 10mm (or thereabouts) thick Porcelains for outside tiles and these will need to be installed on a solid concrete substrate so preparation is key and you cannot fix direct onto wet concrete, the slab needs to have cured so always speak with your tiler. Thinner tiles do mean larger format though and they can be a really cost effective option!
TileHaus specialise in the supply of exquisite Porcelain floor and wall tiles, in particular large format Porcelain tiles, Porcelain tiles for inside and outside and Porcelain slabs. Our collection is on display at our Northamptonshire showroom. We offer a fast turnaround sample service via our website or contact us via live chat, what’s app or phone.
The TileHaus Team are always available to chat to for any advice! We’d be delighted to help with your project! www.tilehaus.co.uk
