Large Format Tile Installation

Lately we’ve seen an increase in large format tile installations in residential projects.  Extra large tiles are no longer just a commercial look!

We’re big fans of large format tiles for two main reasons

• Solid larger tiles make a room look bigger

• Fewer grouted joints are easier to maintain

What defines a large format tile? Back in the day, large format tiles were anything larger than 12” x 12” but today the Tile Council of North America defines large format as having any edge 15 inches or longer. We see large format tiles made of porcelain, ceramic, marble, glass, concrete, terrazzo, quartz – you name it – some that’s made to look like wood planks too.

What are the important factors to consider when installing large format tiles? First and most importantly is preparation. The subfloor has to be reinforced and the surface has to be made very flat to prevent cracks or lippage (adjacent tiles being uneven). In contrast to smaller tile which only requires low spots being made close to even, large tiles require the entire surface be self-leveled because once the giant tiles are installed, there’s no way to correct height differences in the surface.

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Second, innovation in large format tile mortar, or thinset, are what make it possible to install larger and larger tiles in your home which means the quality of the mortar used is very important. The correct mortar for large tiles has acrylic drying agents that allow the mortar to dry between two waterproof surfaces. Less expensive adhesives will dry on the edges of tile, leaving the center wet and soft. Weight placed on the floor in this state could potentially break the tile.

No matter the size of the project, Tile Unlimited always uses the highest quality self-leveling concrete and mortar which exceeds the requirements for regular sized tile and meets the requirements for XXL tile.

Lastly, large tile on a shower floor should be carefully planned before initiating the project because it is a tricky proposition due to drainage and slip resistance. We’ll cover more on that in a separate blog post.

Adam standing next to one of the large format tiles.

The largest tile we’ve installed to date are 48”x 48” on floors, and 60” x 30” on walls. As far as the amount of time it takes to install large format tiles vs smaller tiles, the total time is the same but more time will be spent on preparation and less time on the actual tile installation. Tile Unlimited always requires two people to handle large format tile for safety reasons.

Reach out if you have questions about large format tile!