Floor Tiles

What to look for in a floor tile

The floor is the most heavily loaded surface in the home. Three things are decisive in the choice: the grip of the surface when wet, the thickness of the tile and how well the surface finish hides wear. On all three counts, matte and honed surfaces are more suitable than the glossy surfaces preferred for walls.

Thickness and floor preparation

You can find the tile thickness in the technical specifications section of the product. Regardless of thickness, the layer that carries the floor is critical: a tile laid on an unlevel screed forms voids and cracks over time. Check the floor before installation, apply a leveling screed if necessary and work with the full-bed adhesive method.

Look by size

• Large sizes: Grout lines decrease and the surface looks unified. Enlarges the space in living rooms and open-plan areas.
• Medium sizes: They require fewer cuts in divided areas such as hallways and kitchens.
• Small sizes and mosaic: They adapt to shower floors that need a slope and to tight areas; the number of grout joints increases grip.

Maintenance of natural stone floors

The most common cause of wear on natural stone floors is sand grains carried in on shoes. Placing a mat at the entrance, sweeping regularly and fitting felt pads to furniture legs prevents most scratches. Apply the sealer once after installation and renew it every few years in high-traffic areas.

Box calculation and waste allowance

Use with underfloor heating

Natural stone and ceramic conduct heat well, so they are compatible with underfloor heating. What is critical is the installation detail: you need to use a flexible adhesive suitable for the system, switch on the heating gradually after laying, and leave expansion joints in large areas. If these three steps are skipped, temperature changes will cause cracks over time.

Tiles are priced per square meter and sold in boxes; mosaic sheets, borders and accessories are priced per piece. Enter the square meters you need in the calculator on the product page; it finds how many boxes you need and adds the waste allowance. The allowance we recommend is between 10 and 15 percent.