Porcelain & clay are the two material used to make most tile. Porcelain is basically a more refined, more dense material than clay tile (commonly referred to as Ceramic Tile). Porcelain also comes in a much greater variety of colors and patterns than ceramic. Ceramic (clay) tiles however do tend to be cheaper than porcelains, and they are more than adequate for wall use and light floor use such as bathrooms & other lightly traveled areas. back to top
Absolutely! We sell all kinds of floor tile, particularly 13″ tile & smaller, for walls all the time. Most wall uses require bullnose to finish edges, so we need to be sure that the tile to be used has bullnose available. Other than that, floor tile, even large tile like a 20×20, work just fine on a wall. back to top
Generally not. Most wall tile are clay bodied tile with softer glazes. Some matte finish wall tile will hold up on light use floors like bathrooms, but that’s about it. back to top
Not usually – this is a common misconception. There are socalled “through body” porcelains which are the same material & color top to bottom. These tend to be expensive and limited in color range. Most porcelains combine a lightcolored porcelain body with a very tough glaze which gives the tile its color and pattern. The body and glaze are fired together to form an inseparable bond. These days, glazed porcelain is just as tough as the unglazed through body material. back to top
A tile saw is always the best and cleanest cutting solution, although not necessarily the cheapest. Finegrained porcelain & ceramic tile can also be cut with a tile cutter, a tool which allows you to score and then break the tile. Either way, it’s important to have a saw or cutter that’s large enough to handle the size of tile that you have. back to top
Either porcelain or ceramic, but porcelain will resist chipping and hard wear better. back to top
Just about anything. A backsplash is actually a really easy application for tile or stone, so it’s mainly an aesthetic decision. back to top
Again, just about anything. Ceramic and porcelain tile are water resistant by their nature, so shower wall use is an easy application. back to top
For this, we recommend a small tile, usually no more than 2×2, although a tile as large as 4×4 may work if it has rounded corners and edges. Shower floor tile needs to be small enough to slope smoothly to the drain. Also, the large number of grout joints with small tile aids traction when the floor is wet. back to top
Most any floor tile will work, as this is an easy application for tile. Water resistance is not an issue, although slip resistance may be a concern when the floor is wet. back to top
We generally recommend porcelain floor tile for more heavily traveled areas in the home. Porcelain will resist heavy wear and chipping better than ceramic tile. back to top
This usually depends on the type of use expected in the basement. For lighter use basements, ceramic floors will hold up fine; heavier uses may require porcelain. Both types are highly resistant to water, making them ideal if the basement is prone to flooding. back to top
Most anything will work, especially on the wall. back to top
The same rules apply as for the basement. The only additional consideration is if the room will be open in winter. If the tile gets wet and freezes, we recommend porcelain to resist the stress of freezing and thawing. back to top
Exterior applications in our climate require a frostproof tile, which for all practical purposes means a porcelain tile. Additionally, we suggest using a tile with a slip resistant texture. Slip resistance is a subjective thing; there are no real standards for it in residential tile, although there are standards for commercial use. We suggest the customer test some samples at home if they’re concerned about this. back to top
Commercial use generally requires heavier wearing, chip resistant tile. Most glazed and all unglazed porcelains are ideal for this. back to top
Travertine is a sedimentary stone similar to limestone, composed mostly of seashells and other material from the bed of an ancient ocean. The defining characteristics of travertine are its veining and the holes that naturally occur in the stone. Travertine may be either vein cut, showing a generally linear pattern, or cross cut, showing swirls of color. The holes in travertine may be filled at the factory, filled with grout during installation, or left unfilled in certain applications. back to top
Marble is a metamorphic stone, essentially a limestone that has been recrystalized by added heat and pressure under the earth. Marble colors and vein patterns vary widely. In general, most marble will take a high polish whereas limestone and travertine may not. Most polished marbles are easily scratched and may dull with exposure to common household acids. back to top
Granite is an igneous (volcanic) silicabased stone formed from molten rock. Granite is generally the toughest of natural stones and resists scratches well, even when highly polished. This makes it an excellent choice for kitchen countertops and higher use floors. back to top
Slate is a sedimentary stone composed mainly of mud and fine silica particles. Slate tends to be somewhat dark in color and have a rough, naturally cleft surface. Most slates available now are gauged, meaning that the have been ground on the back to achieve a fairly uniform thickness. back to top
Just like you’d think – in a tumbler! Pieces of stone are cut to the size needed and then tumbled in a large drum with sand or other abrasives to achieve the desired texture. Large pieces and moldings may be “tumbled” by placing them in a sand slurry on a vibrating table which creates the same effect as tumbling. back to top
Granite is a great choice, owing to its hardness and stain resistance, but it is highly polished and mostly comes in medium to dark colors.
Slate is a good choice when sealed properly, although it may be slightly uneven due to its cleft surface.
Tumbled stone works well when sealed with a coating to protect it from wear and stains.
Travertine is often used in kitchens and can perform adequately if sealed properly. Common acids in food may etch and dull travertine if spills are not cleaned up promptly. back to top
Just about anything, as long as it’s sealed properly. While backsplashes do occasionally get splashed on and wiped down, they’re mostly decorative and generally among the easiest applications for any type of stone. back to top
Granite is the best choice because it’s tough and stain resistant with minimal sealing required. Tumbled stones are OK if sealed well. Marble, travertine & slate do not perform well unless sealed with a heavy, foodsafe coating. back to top
Most stones will perform well in a shower if sealed appropriately. Marble, limestone and travertine may all be dulled by acidic cleaners, so it’s important to use only neutral (neither acid nor alkaline) cleaners on these stones. back to top
This is a pretty light application for stone. The same cleaning rules apply as for shower walls. Additionally, very smooth polished or honed surfaces may be slippery when wet, making the use of a bath mat essential. back to top
This is a fairly tough application for stone, especially if there’s apt to be a lot of sand and grit tracked onto the floor. The same rules apply as in kitchens except that food acids are not usually so much of an issue. Slip resistance may also be more of an issue in an entryway, so incorporating a textured stone such as slate or tumbled stone may be desirable. back to top
Stone selection for a basement floor depends largely on how the area will be used. Generally, the same rules apply as in the entry hall. Also, if the basement floor tends to be damp this may present problems with efflorescence, salts from the concrete below which can be absorbed by the stone and migrate to the surface. In damp basements, impermeable porcelain or glazed ceramic tile is the better choice. back to top
Most any stone will work fine. The fireplace surround is the easiest possible application for stone. Stone is inherently heat resistant, and stone around a fireplace is generally just there for decoration and fire resistance. The hearth is also a really easy application for stone unless it will be walked on or subjected to scratching by fireplace tools. back to top
This depends on whether the sunroom is exposed to winter weather. If the floor can get wet and freeze, the same rules apply as with patios and walks. If it’s enclosed, treat it like a basement or entry floor. back to top
Granite is freezethaw resistant and works well in a flamed (roughened) finish. It’s slippery when polished.
Marble & limestone are generally freezethaw resistant but will be slippery in a smooth finish & can be damaged by snow shovels and other tools. Dirt and debris from trees may also tain them.
Travertine does not hold up well in thin tile although some stones are OK when cut into thicker pavers.
Some slates hold up to winter weather but others do not. Most North American, Brazilian and some Chinese slates perform well. The very common Indian slates are generally not dense enough to hold up outside in our climate. back to top
Granite does well in most commercial applications
Marble will scratch easily and so are usually waxed heavily on commercial floors.
Hard limestone such as Jura Stone will hold up well if sealed and maintained.
Travertine does not make a good commercial floor since the holes tend to punch through under heavy wear even when filled.
Slate will perform adequately if sealed well and often. back to top
The holes are almost always filled, either with a cement mixture at the factory or with grout at the jobsite, making it a smooth surface than can be cleaned easily. Unfilled travertine can be vacuumed, but water and dirt still gets down in the holes. back to top
Absolutely – but you’ll need to add a layer of concrete board or another tile substrate first. Tile does not bond well to wood. Changes in humidity cause the wood to shrink and to expand. Since the tile can’t move with the wood, it will often pop loose. The preferred method is to put a layer of thinset over the plywood, set the concrete board in it and then screw the concreted board to the plywood with lots of screws – 8″ on center is the standard recommendation. Tile is then thinset over the concrete board. This creates a dimensionally stable sandwich of tile, concrete board and plywood that should last long as the home. back to top
Not if it’s installed properly and the floor structure provides adequate support. There are many reasons that a tile floor may crack, but it’s not usually the fault of the tile. A properly designed tile installation should be able to flex a bit without cracking (1/360th of the span or about ¼” in 8 feet is the maximum flex recommended) but if the floor can move too much or the tile is not properly adhered, it will most likely crack or come loose or both. back to top
Absolutely! Just make sure that you’re using the right material (generally porcelain tile or a frostresistant slate) and use a heavily acrylic fortified thinset such as Custom Flex Bond. Other than that, the tile is set just as you would over any other concrete surface. back to top
The amount of tile needed for any surface is a simple length times width calculation (i.e. a 4 foot by 5 foot room needs 20 square feet of tile). A good general rule is to add 10% extra for waste. A much more accurate method however is to check the actual size of the tile against the actual size of the space and see how many tile will fit. In general, the larger the area and the smaller the tile, the less waste. back to top
Bullnose needed is calculated by the linear foot, although most bullnoses are not a foot long. To figure bullnose or other trim, take the length of the edge to be covered in inches and divide it by the length of the bullnose (i.e. 8 feet or 96 inches of edge would use 16 pieces of 6 inch bullnose). If the tile does not have bullnose corners available (and most don’t) figure one extra piece of bullnose for each corner to be made. Corners are made by cutting mitered corners with the bullnose just like a picture frame. back to top
Thinset needed is a function of the notch size of the trowel to be used. Coverage for the two most common sizes:
1/4″ x 1/4″ notch trowel 8090 sf per 50 lb. bag 1/2″ x 1/2″ notch trowel 2535 sf per 50 lb. bag
There’s an easytouse material estimator at www.custombuildingproducts.com back to top
Grout used is a function of joint size and tile size and thickness. As a general rule:
There’s a coverage chart on each bag of grout and on our grout color charts as well as an easytouse material estimator at www.custombuildingproducts.com back to top
Nonsanded grout is intended for joints less than 1/8″ wide and it will crack if used in wider joints. Sanded grout should be used in joints 1/8″ and wider. For joints over ½” wide, a special grout mixture may be needed. back to top
Yes, but there will still be fine cracks between the tile where dirt and moisture can get in. The edges of the tile may also be more vulnerable to chipping since they’re not supported by grout. About the only time we recommend this is on a decorative wall such as a fireplace front. back to top
As a general rule, lighter colored material tends to open up a space and darker material closes it in. This is especially true on a large floor where the floor color can be dominant in the room’s color scheme. back to top
Yes, if it fits the space well. Large tile can look great in small spaces, but they can be a challenge if there are a lot of things to cut around or different spaces to go into. back to top
Yes, if it fits the wall space. Large tile can look really good, even in a small shower – and there’s less grout.
Tile & Stone Warehouse has designers on staff to help with your tile and stone design issues. Warm Wire Floor Warming Questions back to top
We can easily quote each job individually from our price list. We can’t quote a blanket per square foot price because the individual components needed for each job vary. Each job will need:
There are detailed installation instructions with each wire and thermostat, and the manufacturer has an excellent help desk at their 800 number. Generally the steps are:
An average 50 square foot installation should use about as much electricity as a 100 watt light bulb if left on continuously. Specific power requirements are on the boxes. back to top
