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"Wood" tile floors

amc80

amc80

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
5,765
Does anyone on here have experience with the tile that looks like wood planks? It seems like a great way to get the look of hard wood without some of the maintenance issues. Some of it looks really nice, but I would love feedback from someone who has actually used it.
 
I actually put this tile in my home office a couple of years ago and I love it! It really does look like hardwood and it is very low maintenance. The downside is of course that it is still very hard and unyielding like all porcelain tile. If you install this you will want to choose grout that pretty much matches it in color and is very narrow to insure that you achieve the wood-like look. A friend of mine put this in a bedroom and used lighter grout in thicker lines and it just looks like any ceramic tile.
 
My mom put it on the first floor after getting flooded a couple of times and having to replace hardwood. It was special order from Lowes. It was installed with minimum grout lines and looks pretty much like the real hardwood it was there before. It does make the floors very cold so you may want to consider installing heating wire underneath if you live in a colder climate. My mom didn't want the additional expense so she just put a large area rug.
 
After Hurricane Sandy my friends had this installed in their main floor and it's fabulous. Love the look of it and the lack of maintenance. They didn't get the in floor heating either and they regret it. I would totally put that down in a house but also do the heated floors.
 
I have it. Happy to post pics if it will be helpful to you. For bathrooms (even kitchens) its a great material and easy to maintain.
 
RandG,

Can you please post a picture?

Thank you,
Callie
 
Here are two different kinds, both used in bathrooms. I needed something that would transition well with the rest of the dark floors.

I also use the same type of tile in my office kitchen. It's terrific in high traffic areas. Very easy to clean.
 
Second bathroom and how it transitions from a dark wood floor. The black was a risk but I think it works :)
 
Wow, thanks for the responses and pictures. I love the look of it and I love not having to worry about scratches on wood floors. If anyone else has pictures, feel free to share!

We are moving to the portland area, and with how much moisture there is up there I think time may be a smarter choice than wood.
 
I love having 100% tile throughout the house.
ease of clean up and very durable.
however, it does take dropping only one wine glass to learn to be very careful!
I was told it was too cold in the winter here to have tile.
i have not found that to be true.
and when there is winter sun on the tile?
the cats find it and love laying on it!
good luck and enjoy your new flooring.
 
My parents but this in their basement. It is VERY pretty!
 
We put in wood-look tile this past summer in our front entry (pic) and downstairs entrance from the garage. So far so good - easy to clean, looks nice, but is a little cold on the feet this chilly winter! I noticed when I was shopping that there were different grades - some are more realistic than others. We got some samples from the tile store, and things do look different in home than in store. But we are very happy with how it turned out!

img_7133.jpg
 
amc, I looked into wood look porcelain when I was choosing new flooring after my flood. There are several things I love about it (being waterproof and durable at the top of that list) but a few things to consider: Even though it is VERY durable it can chip, crack, and scratch (although unlikely, it is possible). It is cold from a temperature standpoint. And be careful if you choose anything with a "repeat." I have a 2800 square foot open space and some of the ones I looked at only had 5 different patterns (so 10 if you assuming flipping the piece in the opposite direction). If the pattern is distinctive at all you may notice the repeated features in a large space. Also, make sure you factor in the cost of installation because I found it to be as much as the tile. (Of course I am SUPER anal and sought out a tile guy who I know from experience does work as near to perfect as can be done, but I found this to be one of the more costly installation options once I factored in installation.) Ultimately, I ended up going with something different that I absolutely LOVE for other reasons, but I would consider porcelain tile if it ticked all the right boxes otherwise.

ETA: The absolute BEST wood look porcelain that I found is produced by Porcelainosa. I visited the Porcelainosa showroom in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago and was STUNNED by how good this stuff was. If you go this route and have access to one of their showrooms it might be worth a visit.
 
One of my family members has it. And TON of restaurants here have it. I love the look of it. And the ease of care.

I don't know a ton about the different types or grades of it. We do have several Porcelainosa dealers in my area and their stuff is fantastically lovely. But since one of my cats has bladder issues it's on the list of possible flooring options for any house we buy since it is waterproof.

The main thing that makes me pause is that any type of tile flooring throughout the house is very hard on your feet and joints. I don't know if this is a concern for you, but for us it's a pretty important thing for us. My parents have marble floors all throughout the house and besides being cold (which is actually okay in CA) the problem with it is that it's just too hard with no give.

One thing I really love about real hardwood floors though is variable length planks, which you don't get with tile. So if you want tile look floors to look like real hardwood, IMO, you are never really going to get that with tiles that are all the same size.

Good quality Vinyl Plank type (like the Armstrong stuff) is quite lovely as well. And might be an option for some.
 
I second what Gyspy wrote. The wood tiles are all over the restaurants in our neighborhood and while they are durable and look pretty they don't look like real wood to me and I don't love the uniformity of it. Most importantly they are hard on your back and knees and if you are looking for the give and forgiveness that wood provides on our joints you won't get it with wood tiles IMO. So while they are a great option for many just know the drawbacks.
 
I used a mix of marble, wood, tile and engineered wood. No question, the engineered wood is my favorite. Appearance, durability, warmth, and maintenance all make it optimal. I wish I could have used it in all the living spaces. I wouldn't recommend it for bathrooms, but everywhere else, its a home run.
 
I'm planning to use it in my bathroom remodel this spring, with heated coils underneath. Nice to know others have had good experiences with it.
 
Gypsy, thick sandals/shoes with lots of cushion make those hard floors very tolerable.......at least for me. however, if I spend a whole 9 hours in the kitchen then I might have some leg strain. but that doesn't happen often.
 
MZ, I have RA in both my feet. My husband has some unknown joint affliction in his that has resulted in him being unable to walk, unless it is with a cane, every day. And he has a bad spine and a spinal fusion. So for us... every little thing helps.

We both have shock reducing orthopedic shoes and yes, they do help. But I'd like to be able to walk around with peace of mind in my own house. At least to the extent possible.

We both love to cook. But I do my prep work sitting to the extent possible, and on bad days I do my cooking with a chair in front of the stove.

:wavey: As I said, I think it's a great option for flooring. But as missy said, you have to make an educated choice and pick the option that is right for your individual needs.
 
One of my friend's has it in her bathroom, and it's beautiful. We have 6" wide hardwood planks (hand scraped) engineered hardwood and it's holding up really well in our new home. I do like the warmth (and softness) of hardwood but the wood tile is awesome for places where you need ultra durable flooring. Our master bath is top to bottom Carrara marble and it sure can be cold! But it's worth it :naughty:

Here's a pic of her bath:

(going with very tight grout lines is a must)

wood_plank_tile.jpg
 
Love your floors RandG! The wood tile looks fantastic in the bathrooms!
 
Thank you DS :) Looking at asschergirls's pic, I'm about ready for a remodel! Stunning!
 
Gypsy, tile flooring is not an option for you and your hubby....sorry to hear you both are in this situation.
 
Gypsy|1424679766|3836793 said:
MZ, I have RA in both my feet. My husband has some unknown joint affliction in his that has resulted in him being unable to walk, unless it is with a cane, every day. And he has a bad spine and a spinal fusion. So for us... every little thing helps.

We both have shock reducing orthopedic shoes and yes, they do help. But I'd like to be able to walk around with peace of mind in my own house. At least to the extent possible.

We both love to cook. But I do my prep work sitting to the extent possible, and on bad days I do my cooking with a chair in front of the stove.

:wavey: As I said, I think it's a great option for flooring. But as missy said, you have to make an educated choice and pick the option that is right for your individual needs.
Click to expand...

Gypsy, I'm so sorry to hear about the problems that are affecting you and your dear John. :((

There are few things worse than back and joint pain. DH is a long term sufferer from both. RA must be unspeakably painful for you. :(sad Unfortunately, I have no solution for either of you, but try to be kind to each other.

Adding: DH claims his chiropractor saved his life. He was unable to work at all for six months and then gradually started again. It has taken several years, but he says he's better every day. :bigsmile:
 
Thank you Isaku, it's been a rough 12 months. If you were on FB I'd tell you more, but... on here that's all I feel comfortable saying.


Personally if I were doing wood-look tile floors, I'd look into ones that come in two lengths so that you can have your installer do as random a pattern as possible.

Alternately, I'd do a herringbone pattern. Why? Uniform length pieces would be an advantage with a herringbone pattern.

wood-tile-flooring-herringbone-pattern-kwfmwx2w.jpg

3b3815b741993842fc5bc5cc44fd4d46.jpg
 
We have been thinking about putting this in our home. We have probably close to 2000 sq feet of tile now. It is a porcelain tile that looks like slate-set on the diagonal with little medallion interspersed. We have had it 10 years and while I like it, I am going to redo my kitchen so now would be the time to change it. I really want smaller grout lines. We have colored grout but in the kitchen it has darkened and I can't seem to get it back to it's original color.

I would love to have wood floors but we have a pool in the backyard and I would worry about water being tracked in.

My problem has been finding a color that would go with medium brown cherry cabinets. I don't want to make the house too dark. I really do love the look of it though.
 
luv2sparkle|1424755113|3837337 said:
My problem has been finding a color that would go with medium brown cherry cabinets. I don't want to make the house too dark. I really do love the look of it though.
Click to expand...

Go for natural color. Like a natural maple or hickory color. Like this. Will look lovely with those cabinets. http://www.builddirect.com/Porcelain-Tile/-Maple/ProductDisplay_6933_P1_10096637.aspx?srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=43-33124762-2&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=shopping
 
Gypsy, love that herringbone pattern you posted! Beautiful.

And I don't want to threadjack but do want to say I'm thinking of you and sending big cyber hugs your way. (((HUGS))).
 
Gypsy, I am so sorry you and your husband are going through this. Would cork floors help you two? The herringbone pattern you posted is so beautiful!
 
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