I am looking to tile my livingroom/kitchen area appx 500sf. I am going with porcelain due to the strength ( i was told its better). My question is for resal (4-5 years) what is a better tile to lay; polished tile or regular glaze. I like the shiny clear coat look the polished has but someone mentioned it picks up footprints and it is not good for resale.Also, I was thinking that If I went with a larger tile, 18X18 or larger that it would look much cleaner with less grout lines, but since its only an area of 500sf that it would make my place look smaller than it is?any suggestions are helpful. Thanks
Porcelain can absolutely be a polished surface. Mechanically polished porcelain does need a sealer applied before a contrasting color of grout is used. The surface is a polished unglazed and needs to be sealed. Shiny glazed tile, whether ceramic or porcelain is an enamel glaze in a shiny finish. Totally different than polished, through body porcelain. Don t believe everything you hear.
A high sheen tile is going to give you a more formal look. A matte finish will be more casual. If you place the tiles on a 45 degree angle, the space will appear larger, but it will require more cuts and a little more tile. If you use 18 tiles and keep them squared with the room shape, the room will appear smaller. I am not a fan of big grout lines unless you are using Saltillo (Mexican) tiles. If you have the option of coloring the grout I would try to match the tile as closely as possible, unless you want to call attention to the grout.
You don t necessarily need to go with a porcelain. They are vastly over sold. They can be a great tile but not always stronger. So you know, these are not polished, its just the glaze thats put on them. Only stones such as granites and marbles are polished. Two things you have to consider of they brighter glazed tiles ( porcelains or ceramic) You have to think about the slip resistance on the shinier tiles. They are rated 0-4 for the residential settings You only want a 3or 4 rated tile or classified tile.the othe consideration is that the shiny tiles will show day to day dirt and water spots easier. Where your matte or satin type finishes show a minimal amounts. The larger tiles do a nice job as far as less grout but care must be taken when installing because these larger tiles can be slightly different sizing and I ve seen slightly warped tile when they get this big. They can be harder to set with a smaller joint, so make sure the installer has some background. Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar and check my qualifications there. GL
