Laying wood look porcelain tiles

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

I’m wondering if these look laid correctly? The tiler says the box says the tile shape requires between 200 and 250 mm overlap. Also, I am thinking of doing either a dark brown or charcoal colour grout. Which would look better? These tiles will be in a rectangular kitchen with white shaker style

cabinets and a fairly square living room laid in the same direction as the kitchen...

the brown grout or charcoal ? I keep reading darker is better and I think the lighter browns will stand out too much...

Here is a charcoal grout sample:

And will it look strange if the long axis of the tiles are perpendicular to the long axis of my sofa? It will be this way if the tiles are to be in the same direction in the living room and kitchen, which seemed to work best in person. I thought horizontally looked best in kitchen, even though it’s a rectangular room... the living room is more square ...

Here is the kitchen and ground floor plans:

Thanks for the advice!!

Featured Answer

PRO

At No 19

4 years ago

I don't know about the comment regarding the slight bend, but truly, I don't think they look bad. (and this is a comment from someone who is an absolutel stickler for detail!).Your best bet, if you are still concerned is to take it up directly with the manufacturer.

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Comments (32)

Anthony (Beano)
4 years ago
They look ok but it’s probably uniform as that the easiest way to lay, to stagger the gaps more requires any bit more thought and it will be slightly more expensive due to tile wastage, it’s not wrong in any way just not as staggered as it could be to achieve a more natural look, once all the stuff is in you’ll never notice it :-)
Victoria
4 years ago
Mine are laid in a more random stagger, and the grout matches the tiles ( but they are darker). Darker grout will certainly not show wear as much but will give more definition to each individual tile and the stagger. It depends on your preference. The grout will discolour less if it is sealed.
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PRO
RJ Flooring Specialists
4 years ago
deffo the stagger for me that looks strange. Same as if you installed a wood floor, a wood look tile should veried stagger with no repeat over at least 3-4 planks.
Daisy England
4 years ago
They should have been laid random. That looks weird I’m sorry to say. As the above poster says a timber floor would be the same .... and we’ve laid many of those. Are you happy with how it has been laid?
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
I’m not sure. I’m not experienced at tiling and I have no idea how a wood floor is installed. It just doesn’t look quite like photos I’ve seen online of how wood tiles are laid. They haven’t been finalised yet, my husband has to go there t9morrow to tell them if were happy with it. We are paying over £3k for these floors so I want it to be right. I want it to look as much like a real wood floor as possible, but I don’t know specifically what directions to give them to make that happen. Do I just tell them lay it in a random staggered fashion? What other specific details are important? Presumably the grout is put on last so hopefully I have more time to change my mind about that. Do you have to get grout specially matched to the tile or do people just go with the closest match? Pictures I see online seem to look better when the grout is on the darker side- a grout lighter than the tile seems to stand out too much...but I’m not sure!
PRO
RJ Flooring Specialists
4 years ago
This is actually lvt, not tiles. However, this is what I done for a customer recently. I'd assume something like this is the desired effect, maybe a different coloured grout line for yourself?
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
Yes I think that looks more natural! I have emailed the contractors with photos of the more random stagger. Are they going to tell me they can’t because it will cause lippage? isnt lippage a risk when the overlay is too much?
PRO
RJ Flooring Specialists
4 years ago
Not at all, they need a 20-30cm stagger with tiles ect more for estectics than anything else. For wood it's a bit different but there's no need to go into that.
minnie101
4 years ago
I would personally prefer a more staggered layout but it depends on what you like. I prefer a thin dark grout so it looks like the space between floorboards and gives more of a realistic look (Imo). Is the charcoal in the 2nd pic? If so it looks a bit blue so might try the brown
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks minnie101, thats exactly what I’m trying for- I want it to mimick the space between floorboards. I thought a dark colour would be good for this, but I see what you mean about the charcoal. I think I’ll see how the brown looks. I sure wish I found this forum before they did my bathrooms! We are so busy and have so little time to make decisions- I can never do enough research!
PRO
At No 19
4 years ago
I personally think it looks OK and agree with Beano that once furnished you’ll never notice it. Both rooms should be laid in the same orientation and my vote would be to choose a grout as close as possible to the colour of the tiles, going lighter or darker wold emphasise the joints.

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minnie101
4 years ago
Sorry I just saw that you said here's the charcoal sample d'oh! Definitely try the brown, it looks as if it should work on screen. I know it's really hard work doing it all!
Anthony (Beano)
4 years ago
Ohh forgot, the charcoal is a no, no for me too! A more natural grout would be perfect, I’m not a big fan of the flints standing out too much with any tiling!
Anthony (Beano)
4 years ago
Limestone or natural for the colour chart at a guess!
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you ! At No 19, that Barton on sea kitchen is gorgeous! I am hoping mine will look something like that! I see the problem with the charcoal- seemed like the right choice in the poorly lit shop with the store clerk recommending it, but it looks wrong now. I am asking them to put down a sample of the brown, dark sand, and natural colours. The charcoal was very similar to how it looks on screen, so I am hoping the others will match as well.

Ive heard of people getting custom grouts, is this customary or do most just go for the closest match available at the supply store?

beano, by flints do you mean the spaces between the tiles?

have I completely messed up the best orientation for the tiles (horizontal or vertical?). It seemed natural to lay them with their long axis parallel to the long axis of our kitchen...the kitchen is about 6 by 3.3 meters, but it looks like the opposite orientation to the 2nd picture in At No 19s post. I figured both could look alright? I think the tiler may kill me if I email any more changes I want to make. I’m already worried the way he laid them in my first post might not have been a dry run....I hope he’ll do it over. It’s not unreasonable to ask this, is it? as we‘re paying 3-4K for this!
PRO
At No 19
4 years ago
Hi there, thank you for your very kind comment about my Barton on Sea project, much appreciated. Regarding grout, i would not put yourself to the trauma or expense of having one mixed especially, just go for a ready mixed in the closest colour to the tiles (difficult to tell due to screen resolution). I suspect the tiles already laid are not a dry run, they do appear to be permanent! It wold be a complete niightmare to lift them now. There is no right and wrong way to orientate the tiles, it comes down to personal preference and in an ideal world the discussion between yourselves and the tiler would have taken place before they were laid. In both of the projects I posted I wanted to add visual width to the areas. BUT, once yours are grouted and the kitchen / your furniture is installed you will not even notice which way they have been laid, it will all become part of one glorious whole! Enjoy!
Space Cat
4 years ago
Orientation is a personal choice, there is no right or wrong answer.

That said, it does have a subtle effect on a space and it depends on the "feeling" you want to create in your room / home.

Laid parallel to the longest dimension will accentuate the length of a space, conversely laid perpendicular will accentuate the width.

Light is also a factor. If you imagine the way light enters the space as straight lines from your windows and doors, then the orientation with respect to this can also have an effect. Laying in the same direction as the light travels can help lead the eye through the space to the outside, while laying across can help frame the space creating a clear delineation. Also bear in mind, laying in the direction of light can reduce the perceived visual appearance of grout lines.

Lastly, orientation can effect the subconscious journey through a space. If you want to create the effect of progression through the spaces, the journey leading from one room into another, then laying in the direction of this journey can help.

As I say, there is no right or wrong answer here. The effects described above are subtle and should be considered in concert with each other for all spaces at the same time. What seems to work in one room might be the complete opposite to the next.

I know how hard it can be to reassure yourself you are making the right decision but I am confident whatever you decide, when it's done it will look amazing and you'll wonder why you got in such a dilemma.
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
Thank you all. I wish I had come on here for advice about this before the tiles went down :( I can’t relax about it knowing how much we’re paying and not feeling like they’ve been laid right. They’ve only been put down yesterday, so maybe it’s not too late to lift them up and reset them? I wrongly assumed they would lay them to look like a wood floor. I told them I wanted ‘staggered like wood planks’ but I probably should have been more specific.

I think I am okay with the orientation now, knowing both ways can look nice in different ways.

Hopefully i can at least get the grout right!
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
Well I spoke to the builder overseeing everything- he is very nice and not being adversarial or anything, he said he’s called the manufacturer that supplied the tiles. He says with this particular tile that because of their shape (he mentioned a slight bend?) that how they are laid is what’s recommended? He said if they overlap too much that it will cause the grout lines to be too thick. I’m quite a pushover, bit I did reiterate whenever I’ve seen wood effect tiles they’re staggered more randomly. I will go have a good look at it tonight but does any of this sound true or is it just something to get me off their case ?
Anthony (Beano)
4 years ago
Sorry, meant joints! You’ll get used to my grammar! Lol
Anthony (Beano)
4 years ago
Honestly, I wouldn’t worry, once you get the grout in you will not notice it! It’s not bad in any way just not as staggered as it could be!

Can’t see how they could be removed without damaging them now and the last thing you want to do is start to change the pattern!

If the tilers stand over it and are willing to Chang it then happy days, if not don’t stress as it will look good either way :-)
kristendr thanked Anthony (Beano)
Victoria
4 years ago
Once grouted you wont notice, or rather you will for about half an hour then you won’t! Bear in mind grout looks wrong until it dries, mine looked bright red at first!
kristendr thanked Victoria
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks for everyone’s help. I saw it in person tonight and while it doesn’t look like it’s fooling anyone as wood, it seems foolish to have it all ripped up (with the additional costs on an already strained budget) and done over to be more staggered. I think once furnished other things will capture the eye in the room and no one will notice it hasn’t been staggered enough. I am just a little disappointed, I know it’s not finished but I wanted it to look beautiful not just ‘okay’ or ’not too bad’.

I am am glad I looked at some more grouts, hopefully I can at least get that part right! I am thinking one of these, any thoughts? It’s difficult as all the tiles are slightly lighter or darker so some will stand out no matter which grout we pick.

The second one from the top maybe?
Victoria
4 years ago
I’d go for one of the bottom two in the photo with all four.
Monica
4 years ago
Victoria's choices would be my pick too, possibly last one a favourite if I d have to pick
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
Yes, I think the slightly darker is what I’m leaning toward. Here is one more photo. The bottom one in the photo of four is called ‘liquorice’- It is number 152 on the palette. There is one more called brown, which is the bottom one in this photo and number 142 on the palette:

I can’t decide! i think the 152 or 142? My husband likes 135 but that seems too light?
minipie
4 years ago
Bear in mind lighter grout will get a little darker with time courtesy of dirt whereas dark grout will never get lighter. So I’d err on the lighter side. Licquorice is definitely too dark IMO. Brown is ok and so is 135.

We couldn’t find a Mapei grout to go with our oak style tiles and ended up choosing Ardex Gentle Dawn. In case that helps but probably not!!
Victoria
4 years ago
I prefer 142, think it matches the tiles well so will minimise the appearance of the stagger.
Lighter grout will darken, but the darkening will be worse in high traffic areas which can make the colour look uneven across a floor.
kristendr thanked Victoria
Juliet Docherty
4 years ago
There is only one way to sort this and that is to buy a small bag of the grout, mix it and put it on a tile. I got my tiler to put some offcuts on a bit of plasterboard and then I actually grouted them. Grouting can make or break tiling and in my experience grouts are often too brown, or too cool grey, not many which are in between or warmer grey. I think 152 and 142 may both be a little too orangey/brown. A slightly more grey/brown may be better. Make sure you test it if you can.
kristendr thanked Juliet Docherty
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
I think we’re going to go with 135. I agree the 152 and 142 have a slight reddish hue which doesn’t seem to go with the tiles as well.

Id love to see a trial of it, but I literally never have time to go over to the house and see it before they just get on with it! At least I got decent photos of the samples To help decide and some helpful people on here!

heres another view of the 135.. theyve given me until Friday morning to decide...
kristendr
Original Author
4 years ago
Just an update .... I went with the 135 grout and I think it’s turned out nice. Here are a few photos- excuse the mess and my worktop samples!

Thanks for everyone’s advice :) now just have to tackle some other dilemmas with the layout