Choosing Tiles for Your Tile Contractor / Setter

Your tile contractor or tile setter's final work will look according to the tiles you choose. Tiles come from different materials. Natural stones, like marble, are cut with a diamond saw and polished with a diamond planer. These tiles can be very close to perfect in shape and size, allowing your tile contractor to have smaller grout lines throughout the project.

Other tiles are made from different materials, some harder, some softer. The softest are red clay tiles baked in the sun, such as Saltillo tiles. They are so uneven that your tile contractor must allow 5/8" grout lines to compensate for the structural variability in size and edge layout.

Grout Joint Standards

Grout selection is dictated by the size of the grout lines. For joints less than 1/8", you want to use unsanded grout. For grout lines 1/8" or bigger, you want to use sanded grout. For grout lines bigger than 1/4", quarry grout is recommended, as the aggregate mixed with cement is coarser. Choosing the proper grout type makes it easier to achieve correct color depth and structural consistency.

Porcelain vs. Ceramic

Porcelain tiles are the hardest material, harder than soft marble and quite as resilient as granite. Ceramic is a softer clay, making it less expensive. Unlike porcelain—which is pressed very hard and baked at high temperatures in a super-hot kiln—standard ceramic tiles tend to shrink in baking, creating different size tiles. This variability in thickness and size can turn a flush layout into a challenge for a perfectionist tile setter.

Pressed edge tiles (sometimes referred to as cushion edges) describe tiles where the surface edge still has the curved edge caused by the factory's press during manufacturing. Pressed edge tiles have wider grout joints and rounder corners, ideal for a rustic feature. Porcelain tiles can also be rectified. This means that after the baking process, the tiles go through a precise cutting process to match exact dimensions, allowing for a near-perfect straight edge and tight, modern grout lines.

Substrate Deflection Limits

Building your substrates (the wall or floor framing behind the tiles) is critically important. You should always consult with your tile contractor about your substrate. Consider the industry specification: the floor cannot deflect more than 1/360 of the span.

The tile industry limits the deflection of floors receiving ceramic tile to 1/360 of the span. This amounts to approximately 1/2 inch of allowable deflection for a 15-foot joist span. Solid substrates prevent grout cracking and increase the installation's lifetime resilience. For standard wood-framed floor structures, the industry recommends a total plywood thickness of 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" total.

For bathrooms, cement board and specialized uncoupling membranes are water-resistant, whereas standard drywall is not. Your tile contractor will want to install a waterproofing membrane (such as Schluter Kerdi) so they can guarantee the shower will last forever. They can also integrate electric floor heating directly before laying tiles, on both the floors and custom built-in shower seats.

Your installer can offer a traditional bed of mortar installation or recommend self-leveling compounds. The bed of mortar method is a one-step installation, whereas self-leveling is a two-step process. If you have more questions about materials, substrates, or layout preparation, please reach out to our team at team@amazingfloors.ca.