3x6 or 4x8 subway tile with basket weave?

5 years ago

I am planning to do a basket weave tile on my master bathroom and shower floors, and possibly also in the niche in the shower, with white subway tile everywhere else (including tiling partway up the bathroom walls). I am trying to decide whether to use 3x6 or 4x8 subway tiles?

My understanding is 3x6 is more traditional and 4x8 is more modern. Basket weave is a traditional pattern, but it does already have a lot of grout lines and I’m wondering if doing a larger subway tile would be a nice contrast or whether I should stay traditional?

I have included a picture of the basket weave tile I will be using for the floor. (The sample picture has warm gray grout; I’ll be using silver shadow grout). Would love to hear thoughts about what sized tile to use with it. Thanks!

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Skippack Tile & Stone

5 years ago

I like the larger size; but I've never seen a stone basketweave with that wide grout lines. That's a lot of grout.

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Comments (8)

Helen
5 years ago
FWIW, I have basketweave marble tile in my master and dog bone marble in my guest bath.

I have 3" x 6" subway tile (not white) in both bathrooms. I don't know about modern or traditional although my bathrooms are traditional rather than spa-like/contemporary. I don't think the grout lines are excessive or fight with the floor tile.
Runnermom thanked Helen
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Design Girl
5 years ago
I think you can do either one. 3 x 6 is a bit more traditional, but going up to a 4 x 8 is not considered modern. Maybe a bit more on the transitional end. If you went larger than 4 x 8, that might be too modern. Either will be fine.
Runnermom thanked Design Girl
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T Simmons
5 years ago
I would go with the 4 x 8.
Runnermom thanked T Simmons
Nancy in Mich
5 years ago
Since this will also be the shower floor, go smaller. Ask your tiler if you can even have a 3x6 tile with the slope they have to work with in a shower. I know because my floor slope was rather steep, I was told no dimension larger than 3" for mine. (I put a floor drain in my bathroom because I have a wheel-chair accessible shower pan that has a trench drain in the front. Any overspill can flood the bathroom.) If you have a trench drain in your shower, tile size may not matter to the tiler, but feet can start to slip on wet tile, so that is why shower floors are often smaller mesh-mounted mosaics.

Unless you plan to have a huge niche, I would skip the basket weave in either size. You would want at least three rows in each direction for the pattern to be obvious.

Just a homeowner, not a pro.
PRO
Design Girl
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Homeowner is using the pictured basketweave for the floor and subway for walls as in post
Nancy in Mich
5 years ago
Duh, I was looking at the floor mosaic and thinking she was having her tiler make the mosaic pattern with subway tiles. I should not answer questions when I have been up all night! Nevermind!
Runnermom
Original Author
5 years ago
Nancy, no worries! Part of the reason I wanted the basketweave style is because the dimensions are small enough for me to carry it through to the shower floor. My hope is that the bathroom floor will appear larger overall.

Skippack, this is actually not a stone tile if you can believe it. It’s recycled glass. I want the marble look but I don’t want to deal with the maintenance of natural stone. I was amazed when I discovered this tile. I agree the sample board used a lot of grout and I will aim to lessen the grout lines and use the silver shadow color as I mentioned.

Based on the comments so far, I’m leaning toward the 4x8 sized subway tile for the walls. Really appreciate the thoughts!