Tiles: What Can Be Used Where ?

Tiles meant for a wall could potentially be thinner (don't have to support, for example, a person walking in a spiked heel), with a weaker or slipperier finish than would be acceptable on a floor).

Josh

I find that difficult to believe. If you can not imagine problems when you are shopping for materials, you should not be shopping for materials.

False. All ceramic tile is not created equally. Then again, it's your money and I'm not the one that would have to get it fixed.

He was thinking it would be a shame to go to all of that trouble and expense laying tile, just to have the tile chip, crack, scratch and people slip and fall. Generally these are considered bad things.

Highly glazed tile are generally not a good idea on a floor. The Borg salesman was not blowing smoke.

I am far from being a tile expert though I have cut and installed my fair share for a DIY guy.

In my opinion and experience tiles made for walls are not as thick or as "hard fired" as tiles made for floors. They tend to be much softer and easier to snap or cut. Therefore I would assume they might not stand up to foot traffic or furniture loads. I personally would not use the larger sizes (4") for a countertop. Some of the smaller ones might be okay for a limited use counter.

A floor tile can be used anywhere. I frequently see them used on walls and showers in higher end homes in my area. Some of the smaller sizes can make nice looking counters if a tile counter is your style.

Another concern is that some "wall tile" can be really, really smooth and glossy, which is something you don't want to be walking on, even if it is otherwise suitable for floor use. (in addition to Colbyt's point as well)

nate

"Colbyt" wrote

Tile countertops .......... Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Steve

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Learn how to care for a friend.

Hi,

Just a quick thanks for the info. Lots of ideas I never would have thought of.

Bob

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I'll bet you've gone into a restaurant where the floor can be very slick when it got wet. The floor tiles need enough texture to keep that from happening. So if he considers a tile for the floor, have him take a sample to the restroom, run water on it and the bottom of his shoe, and see how it would do.

Wall tiles are soft. They can easily be cut with abrasive tools, or drilled using concrete bits. Floor tiles are *very* hard and require diamond blades/bits. A wall tile will crack if used on the floor. Floor tiles on the wall are nothing more than a PITA to install.

I've seen some floor tile that was amazingly slick, too. The difference is in the hardness.

Tile makes great countertops. Grout, OTOH, sucks on countertops. ;-)

That is why you make the counter out of One Big Tile.

:^/

...or very small counters.

The builder couldn't find tile big enough for our counters, so used big rocks. ;-)

That is sorta what I meant. Tile /= ceramic or clay.

Of course, those of us lower on the food chain will have to make do with nice cheap 40 year lifespan plastic laminate.

...and disobey SWMBO? Not likely. This is the first time we've had granite in a house (always laminate, before) and we have a ton of it now (> 100 sq.ft.). She'd never go back to laminates.

Frankly I would not choose any other material no matter how much money I had to waste. I like food safe, easy to clean material in the kitchen.

I would consider one of the newer granite look types of laminate because I have been looking at navy blue for the last 20 years or so. If I could just ruin the darn thing I would have an excuse to buy a new one. :)

Colbyt