My tile is wood grain porcelain and is 6 x 24. My installer is asking me about how wide I want my grout lines? I have no idea...help! He is laying it tomorrow

I think he will lay 1/8 if I don't get involved. I suggested smaller like 1/16.

I think 1/8” is a suitable line but my biggest concern with these tiles is to make sure ther is no movement in the subfloor ot this will be a disaster because of the size cracking is a real concern.

Im no professional but I've installed the same tile in both my houses with outstanding results. First house was 2400sf (all tile) concrete slab with 1/8" spacing and sanded grout. When we moved I did the same tile (different color, crawlspace foundation w/ 3/4" ply) and wanting to achieve a more "wood look" I disregarded all recommendations and went with a 1/16" spacing and non-sanded grout and couldn't be happier. I used 1/4" cement board so the sub floor was extremely level and constant. Not being a professional there are a couple spots where its not perfect but after a few days of living in the space I never notice them. My recommendation is find an installer with experience in the material and understand with a small grout line small imperfections may be slightly more noticeable.

I am also up against the same issue right now. I want 1/16 because it will make it look more like real wood. However, the builder that I am buying my house through uses 1/8. I am ok with the 1/8 so long as it is not 3/16. I think the bigger you go the more it will look like tile and ruin the effect that you are trying to achieve.

There is an aesthetic issue and then there is a practical issue. It seems that everyone here on Houzz talks about 1/16" grout lines and frankly I have never seen them that small. I just toured through 10 newly built, high end homes on our local Parade of Homes yesterday and some of the grout lines were 1/8" but most were even larger. There has to be something to hold the tile - it's not just about the look. Expert tile installers say that the smaller the grout line, the more lippage is noticeable and you don't want that. It is a common complaint because all fired tile products have some amount of cupping and irregularity. Keep the grout as close to the color of the tile as possible or even just a hair darker.

Read the TCNA guidelines for LFT. No one should be doing 1/16"grout with LFT.

I have a question. So i have a living room and dining area that I want to make hardwood and the kitchen I want to make wood tile. Do you see any issue with those floors meeting at a doorway? what's the best way to do that?

This shows up on the feed as an old post. You will probably get more help if you start your own question in Design Dilemma and it will have today's date on it. Lot's of people won't even look at a post if it shows up with old dates.

I am having tile put in my house. square ceramic tile in the formal part and wood tile in the rest. I have ask for 1/16" grout lines only where the wood tile is and the installers say they will not guarantee the work if I use a 1/16" because the manufacturer doesn't recommend anything smaller that 1/8. They are putting in directly on the concrete foundation. I thought the reason for the bigger grout line was to prevent the tile from breaking and I thought that really only applied to larger tile pieces. Should I go with the 1/8" or the 1/16" I really want it to look like wood and not tile.

I think an attempt at 1/16" on a floor is asking for failure.

Your contractor did inadequate floor prep and is attempting to use a too narrow grout line. Did he also fail to use medium bedding mortar and no more than 1/3 offset spacing as well?

Lippage can happen regardless of the substrate preparation. There is no way on a forum to give a definitive answer. You need a larger grout line and don't stagger the pieces so much. Less offset helps to control lippage. We check before ordering any large format tile and we have never found a manufacturer willing to take back the tile due to lippage. You might get lucky but don't count on it.

Tiles that are 24” and longer need to be laid with no more than a 33% offset.
If not properly installed lippage can occur.
Small grout joints should be no smaller
than three times the facial variation. A grout
joint of 1/8″ or greater for all sizes modular with 3/16″ grout joint.. Again,
1/8 grout joint size is recommended for rectified tiles and a 3/16 grout joint for non rectified.. Just use grout that is closest to the color of the tile as possible for a more seamless appearance.

Due
to the weight, and the size of large format tiles, it is imperative to
use mortars or thin-sets specifically formulated to support the larger
tiles. This is important for all installations whether vertical or
horizontal. Polymer modified mortars and medium-bed mortars help tiles
adhere to walls better, and shrink less keeping tile from moving and
cracking. Medium-bed mortars are often used for flooring to help prevent
lippage and slumping into the mortar bed.

Using Rectified tile on the floor or the wall with 1/16" spacing and non sanded grout is perfectly fine. The floor will with stand any load and last a very long time. Do not be led by tile layers that tell you it can't be done, find an installer that knows Rectified tile. The new style wood imitation Plank Rectified porcelain tile 6"X36" works great. A level floor is required with the proper spacers that keep it all at the same level. You would be amazed how many tile installers out there don't even know what Rectified porcelain tile is. Keep looking, don't settle for less, 1/16" is the way to go with non sanded grout. Frank Rhodes Contractor 772-834-9534

Frank, do you really have to worry about lippage with 1/16 grout lines with rectified 8x24 porcelain tiles? I really want small groutvlines but haven't seen them in person so I'm afraid im making the wrong choice

Rectified merely means the edges are square. It has zero to do with the normal bowing of LFT, which is caused by their size being fired in the kiln. That bowing means that ultra small grout lines are asking for lippage to be very apparent, unless doing a stacked bond.

You tried for too small grout lines. That is the only thing to be seen from the photo. There may be other issues. There is no cure other than to live with it, or rip it all out and start over.

The people reporting lippage with 1/16 grout lines..Are your tiles rectified?

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/whats-going-on-with-the-forums-dsvw-vd~4684455?n=30

Rectified refers to the fact that the tile has been cut such that there are four 90 degree corners and each tile is the same size. Rectified does not relate to tile warpage, which is what causes (or contributes to) lippage.

Will laying tile in a herringbone pattern help with lippage compared to 33% off set layout?

No, it does not help. If you look closely at a herringbone pattern, the corner of one tile always aligns with the center of the perpendicular tile - just as it would with a 50% offset.

Hi so I have a question. My client never hired a designer for their kitchen remodel and hired us to do the project. They gave us their cabinet installation manual to do the layout but this left some questions. They selected and supplied the tiles without talking to us. The tile was Lowes Del Conca Woods Vintage Gray Wood Look Porcelain Floor and
Wall Tile (Common: 6-in x 24-in; Actual: 23.5-in x 5.84-in)

Item # 782449 Model # 17WO05

My initial studies looking at large format tile install said 1/4" grout lines. I told the customer I was planning on using thicker grout lines for traction / safety since they have 3 kids ages 6-months, 2 years, and 6 year old. I used the 1/4" grout lines.

They did not like how it turned out with the large grout lines. They wanted the wood floor look and it looks like tile. Thoughts please? Trying to figure out liability.

You get to eat it. You told the customer, you didn’t ask. And you didn’t present them with design documentation of that decision for them to sign off on. You should have done a mock-up of your suggested wider spacing, as well as a more standard 3/8” . Then had them sign off on a written document as to which one they chose. With a picture of their choice. Don't even present choices that violate TCNA standards. You do own a TCNA manual to take to these meetings, right? Because the offset there looks to be much closer to 50:50 rather than 66:33, which is what most manufacturers and the TCNA recommends.

One potential to salvage this would be to try an epoxy grout colorant in a much darker tone. Part of the issue is the choice of grout that is way too light. It accents the grid look. You have nothing to lose from that attempt to ameliorate. If you have to eat it, consider it college tuition to follow the industry bible, and document every decision.

I am getting ready to have 6x24 wood-look porcelain tile installed. Have done a lot of research, looked up the TCNA standards and explanation of the various reasons why it should be a certain grout line width and how to reduce lippage. That said, I think the floor that ASI Renovations laid looks beautiful and you can come lay a floor in our house anytime. Sophie, I understand what you are saying...but, 3/8 is actually 1/8th wider than 1/4. Yes, they should have had the customer sign off.

Here is my other thought: If you are so set on wood-look flooring install wood! Period. Each material has its limits/rules. You have to respect, install and treat it accordingly. At least you get the wood look, but it is tile. I wanted a 1/16th grout line, but will go with 1/4 grout lines, based on TCNA recommendations and I will use Mapei medium bed mortar for large tile and the sanded grout is the color of the tile or slightly darker. I will make sure our installer spends the necessary time on making sure the subfloor and cement boards are properly prepared.

We have renovated 3 houses. First house: I told the contractor what needed to be done; second: I decided what all needed to be done, researched, selected and bought the materials and did some myself. The house we are living in, I designed, selected, purchased the material and hired the contractor to do the job according to my instructions. I make sure to inform myself about all aspects of any work on our houses. It is imperative that YOU inform YOURSELF. No one can know everything. This includes contractors. Some are more knowledgeable about one thing, others about something else. I would never just have someone make the decisions about anything that I am paying for and have to live with. All the contractors we have worked with prefer it that way because they don't have to try to figure out what we want.

Got any 6x24 Marazzi tile left over? I'm looking to buy some in the "saddle" color.

What would be to correct grout line size for a 16 x 20 wood plank tile no rectified? 9.5mm thickness.