Choosing the Right Floor Tiles

Choose tiles relative to the size of the room you’re tiling. Many tile sizes are available depending on the manufacturer. While larger tiles (60 x 60 cm / 80 x 80 cm / 120 x 60 cm) enhance the spacious appearance of a room by limiting the pattern effects of grout (which is trendy at the moment), small ones (20 x 20 cm or 30 x 30 cm) warm up a room and are easier to install. Tiles are most often square or rectangular, though some are octagonal, but these are more difficult to lay.

Royal Mosa square tiles

In a bathroom, we recommend using smaller to medium models which, because there are more joints, avoid aquaplaning. Mosaic tiles are great for small areas. In a living room, dining room or kitchen most people choose larger tiles for their easy maintenance. This is especially true if you have direct access to the garden or have pets.

AGROB BUCHTAL bathroom tiles

ITALGRES kitchen tiles

Cerdomus Ceramiche living room floor

Bright or pastel colors might attract your attention right now, but try to think further into the future for the color of your tiles. You won’t change this type of flooring as regularly as a linoleum or floating floor, so be careful with the style you choose, especially if you want to resell your house or apartment later on.

Here are a few tips to see you through the selection process:

• Lighter colors make a space appear larger
• Darker colors can add warmth
• Shade variation will blend and hide stains better than anything
• Neutral colors allow you to change your accessories
• Vibrant colors are cheerful and add character

To calculate how many tiles you need, you will need to know the area of the room you are tiling in meters squared, with an additional percentage (about 15%) to account for loss due to cuts. 

• Take area measurements (the length and width of a room)
• Multiply the measurements (the results will give you the square meters of the room)
• Calculate the coverage (multiply the square meters by 15%, this will be the actual number of square meters you should buy tiles for)

The type of installation refers to how the tiles are installed on the floor. You can choose to lay your tiles straight, diagonally—especially if your room is not square or rectangular—, in a checkerboard style with different colors or integrate a “carpet” pattern of tiles on the ground for a stylish effect. There are many options.

Tiles are never laid on wood flooring as they risk of cracking with the movement of the wood. Tiling must always be set on a stable surface like concrete or old tiling. The floor needs to be clean and dry before the tiles can be set. Here are the steps for laying floor tiles:

• Prepare the floor (mix mortar, spread mortar starting at the reference lines, comb mortar in one straight direction, remove excess mortar)
• Lay the tiles (lay the first tile at the crossing of the reference lines and place tile spacers at the edges of the first tile, then continue laying tiles in this manner); all the tiles should already be cut to size before laying.
• For bathrooms or showers you will need to cut the tile for drainage (this can be done beforehand if you’ve already selected which tile will be used for drainage)

Quick tip: Avoid excess mortar by running your finger along any raised spots—mortar must be pliable—, then wipe the surface with a damp cloth.

TECHNOKOLLA jointing mortar

Joints are important for the installation of tiles. You can choose between different colors of joints, though some colors and materials can be sensitive to stains from grease or cleaning products. There are different types of joints:

• The epoxy seal: more expensive but not prone to stains
• The resin-based seal
• The classic cement seal with adjuvant to prevent stains

If you are tiling very large surface, you will need to include an expansion joint as tiles can move.

If you’ve chosen a ceramic floor and wish to integrate minimal joints, consider rectified tiles whose evenly cut edges, milled at right angles, allow them to fit into each other perfectly.

The secret to easily maintaining a tile is to clean it thoroughly after laying it down. Mortar often creates a gray haze known as a cement veil which should be removed during the laying process. If not, this thin film will stain the tiles and give the flooring a bad appearance.

In your day-to-day washing of tiles, it is absolutely necessary to avoid chemicals because this will very quickly wear them down. Use basic hot water and mild soap instead and be sure to dry the floor after mopping. You can also vacuum and dust tiles.

Ceramica Rondine outdoor tile

Installing exterior tiles requires precaution. The model must be stamped “exterior tiling” which guarantees its frost resistance and non-slip coating. The process of laying is the same, but it is advisable to pay attention to the joints. Create a slope of 1-2 cm per meter, this will prevent stagnant water and thus preserve your exterior tiling.