One thing about "large" format ceramic tiles (such as the long 'wood look' tiles) = slight curling during the firing process. An accomplished tile installer has NO PROBLEM accounting for this bit of cupping/curling/twisting in tiles like this. The average home owner may not have the technical "know how" to deal with these "less than straight" tiles. Other than that...they look great and hold up well.

Basement family room = cold, hard floor with ++ echo/noise concerns. Laundry room will look great.

Thanks for responding! Do you know how to correct the issue of cupping? And as far as cold, hard floor, I do understand that will be an issue, but, an area rug will solve that somewhat! Anyhow, we are a couple of retirees so the main reason is for looks! LOL!

Your tiling installer will be able to help with this issue. If you are looking for DIY, you will want to take a few courses as to how to correct for this. This has to do with mortar thickness, trowel depth and overall "waviness" of your subfloor. All of these put together will add up to one "fix". It would be financially worth your while to ask a tile setter to "over see" the project - pay a retainer and get them to "start" you on your project.

If this is not an option, I would simply go ahead and pay someone to do it for you. It is why they go through years of apprentiships, become "journeyman" and then move on from there. It is a skill with an education behind it. Nothing like hours and hours of "on your knees" back breaking work with hundreds of dollars worth of "wasted effort" if it goes wrong.

Thanks for the input. We have always been DIY homeowners, having tiled a bathroom we thought it would be similar, if not easier for the fact of not as much cutting, etc. Maybe we should tink some more about undertaking this one!