Porcelain Floors - Wood Effect Tiles

[Biscuit357]

Thanks to all of my 'Kitchen Fear' replies at the weekend I think that porcelain is definitely the way forward for our kitchen floor.

I went into a Fired Earth showroom yesterday and they had wood effect porcelain tiles and I really liked them but ruled them out is they were £100+ p/sqm!! However, after a bit of googling I have found the exact same tiles here.

www.travertinedirect.co.uk/products/Designer-Italian-Wood-Effect-Porcelain-%252d-Colour-Tan.html

Any thoughts?

[Biscuit357]

Ooops Sorry.

www.travertinedirect.co.uk/products/Designer-Italian-Wood-Effect-Porcelain-%252d-Colour-Tan.html

[GrendelsMum]

We have them in a bathroom - personally I still think they're quite weird, but so far they're surprisingly practical and easy to keep clean.

I didn't see your previous thread, but I have to say I'd rather have a soft surface in my kitchen. Our current house is tiled floors throughout the downstairs and anything you drop smashes. Our previous house had marmoleum in the kitchen and it was great.

[FishfingersAreOK]

I thought about these...until an architect friend of mine said if you want it to look like wood, buy wood. It made me think...and now have beautiful engineered oak throughout downstairs, including the kitchen. It is luffly.

[Weta]

We're having wood-effect tiles throughout the bedrooms in our new house. I previously agreed with Fishfingers' architect, but because we're having underfloor heating it just makes more sense to have tiles than wood.

I think you need to be careful to get a size that will look like wood when it's laid, and the laying is important too. The grout bits should be as narrow as possible, and our tiler also said it would look better not to have the lateral join between two tiles centred on the adjacent tile (sorry, that's hard to explain but the one in your picture is done the right way).

We live on the continent and have always had tiled kitchens - obviously things do break if you drop them but it's pretty minimal really. Though we always buy a few extra plates etc when buying a set!!

[Biscuit357]

Thank you so much for your feedback....

We are having underfloor heating so wood isn't really an option but I think you're right, wood effect, might be a bit odd. Lovely on the continent, not so much is a victorian terrace in Streatham!

I think I'll just hunt for something a similar colour but less grainy

[FishfingersAreOK]

I have underfloor heating under engineered wood.....just to add to the confusion - you do not have to have tiles....

[Biscuit357]

Ah, interesting? Do you have the electric underfloor heating on the radiator one (we're having the latter)?

I thought you couldn't have it as it didn't conduct heat well enough and the wood could warp.

[FishfingersAreOK]

We have the water/radiator one with engineered wood. You cannot use solid wood - that will warp - but engineered is more stable. Does not conduct the heat as well as tiles would but still works.

[Weta]

I had also been told that you can use engineered wood with underfloor heating, but my scientist DH just couldn't cope with using a material that is essentially an insulator when we could use a conductor-type material (tiles) instead :)

But I see what you mean about a Victorian terrace v the kind of houses we have over here!

[FishfingersAreOK]

My husband just got sick of me angsting about what tiles to get as I really wanted wood.....so he overcame the science bit

[jammietart]

I remember your previous thread I think and meant to say at the time that wood is fine for underfloor heating so long as it is engineered and not solid. I've been in a house with carpets and underfloor heating! I think the wood effect porcelain is a bit odd to be honest and agree completely with 'if you want wood have wood'. And we had cushioned lino type stuff on our floor before and still broke stuff.

[Weta]

My DH obviously has a stronger personality than yours

actually I was quite opposed to the wood-effect tiles to start with and was just going to choose other tiles (generally houses here are tiled throughout or else some wood, no carpets in sight) - but then when I actually saw the top-quality wood-effect tiles I changed my mind.

but I'm sure your wood looks gorgeous and you get plenty of heat :)

[CointreauVersial]

Wood-effect tiles just seems wrong, somehow.

Like stone-effect laminate.