Tiling
Large format floor tiles: what to know before you buy
Why big tiles look calm and seamless, and why they demand a flatter floor.
Large porcelain tiles have become the default choice in many showrooms. Fewer grout lines make a floor look calmer and a room look bigger. But the bigger the tile, the less forgiving it is, and the floor underneath has to be ready for it.
Martin brings specialist tiling experience to larger floor areas, and this guide covers what we look at before laying big format tiles.
Flatness matters more than level
A floor can be level overall and still have dips and humps. Small tiles follow those undulations without much trouble. A large rigid tile bridges them, rocking over high spots and leaving voids over low ones. Voids lead to cracked tiles when weight is applied. Before large tiles go down, the floor is checked with a long straight edge and corrected where needed.
Lippage and how it is controlled
Lippage is when one tile edge sits slightly higher than its neighbour. On a large tile, light from a window picks it out immediately. It is controlled by preparing the base properly, using enough adhesive for full coverage and using levelling clips while the adhesive sets.
Many large porcelain tiles also have a slight natural bow from manufacture. That affects how they should be offset, and a half offset brick pattern can exaggerate it. We check this before agreeing the layout.
- Flat base checked with a long straight edge
- Full adhesive coverage under every tile
- Levelling clips used during setting
- Offset planned around any manufacturing bow
Big tiles in small rooms
It feels counterintuitive, but large tiles often suit small bathrooms well. Fewer joints mean less visual clutter, and the floor reads as one surface. The important part is setting out, so that cuts at the door and walls are balanced rather than leaving thin slivers.
Large tiles and wet room floors
A wet room floor slopes towards the drain. Large rigid tiles do not bend to follow multiple falls, so they work best with a linear drain where the floor falls in one direction. A centre drain pulling water from four directions usually suits smaller tiles or mosaic. This is one reason the drain choice and tile choice should be made together.
Before you buy
Talk to your tiler before ordering. Check the tile size against the room, the drain type and the floor construction. Our tile choosing guide covers finishes and slip resistance, which matter just as much as size.
Handling and cutting big tiles
Large tiles are heavy and can flex when carried, so they are handled carefully and often back buttered as well as laid onto a bed of adhesive to make sure there are no hollow spots. Cutting them cleanly takes the right equipment and patience, particularly around toilet pans, pipes and door frames where a clumsy cut is always in view.
Ordering matters too. Buy enough to allow for cuts and a few spares from the same batch, because shades can vary between batches and a single replacement tile years later may not match. Keeping a couple of spare tiles in the loft is a small habit that saves a lot of trouble if one is ever damaged.
Questions
Frequently asked
Do large tiles make a small bathroom look bigger?
Often yes. Fewer grout lines make the floor read as one surface, provided the cuts are balanced.
What is lippage?
One tile edge sitting higher than the next. It is controlled with a flat base, full adhesive coverage and levelling clips.
Can large tiles go on a wet room floor?
They suit a linear drain with a single fall best. Centre drains usually need smaller tiles or mosaic.
Does my floor need preparing for large tiles?
It needs to be flat, not just level, so it is checked and corrected where necessary.
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