Can Large Floor Tiles Be Installed in Small Rooms?

Design

• One of the objectives in smaller rooms is to use design techniques to make the room feel larger. In a bathroom, do this by floating the sink cabinet to increase visual room underneath the cabinet, using a pedestal sink and by positioning tiles on the diagonal. Each of these techniques will visually expand the small space. Large floor tiles will also make a small space feel bigger because there are fewer grout lines to interrupt the visual flow. Very small tiles can also make a small space feel bigger because the grout lines are so prevalent that the floor is seen as a whole piece, rather than as individual small pieces. There are important differences between large and small floor tile installations.

Cost

• Large floor tiles can be very expensive in comparison with conventionally sized tiles. Smaller tiles are easier to make, ship and install. In a small room there are likely to be many obstructions. Cutting into a single large tile to fit around an obstruction can be difficult. It is critical that the floor preparation for large floor tile installation is thorough. The floor has to be well supported at the joist and subfloor level and it needs to be level. A larger tile has no flexibility to overcome preparation defects. If there is any flex in the subfloor, the tile and grout will break or crack soon after the installation.

Coping with Crooked Walls

• A second preparation issue for large tiles is the near certainty that the walls in the room are not square. Most homes and rooms have walls that are a little or a lot out of square. With smaller floor tile installations these visual discrepancies can be absorbed by the layout of the tile. With larger tiles you have fewer tiles to layout and less play to make slight corrections during installation. Correcting wall framing to bring it close to square can be a significant additional cost, one that you will not see a return on. If your installation is successful, the adjustment of walls will be invisible. It is only with crooked walls that the installation is visibly poor.

The Importance of Grout Lines

• The final consideration that must be included in the decision making process is safety. Flooring tiles are designed to perform well in wet areas by preventing moisture from moving through the tile to the wood subfloor and framing of the house. This moisture prevention usually means the surface of the tile is sealed, smooth or even polished. A smooth and sealed surface is also slippery. In bathroom conditions a conventional tile floor installation will provide ample grout lines for grip. It is the grout lines that limit or prevent slippage. With larger tile in a small room there will be fewer grout lines and the floor will immediately become much more dangerous for potential falls and injury. This should be weighed carefully prior to the installation of a large tile floor, as bathrooms are the rooms in which you are most likely to become injured.