Large-Format Tiles Installation In Los Angeles

In recent years, interior designers and home decorators in Los Angeles have used large-format tile—usually 15” or longer—to create exciting new looks for tiling projects. Large-format tiles (LFT) appeal to many homeowners because they offer the texture and surface of small-format tiling with fewer seams and grout lines.

However, large-format tiles come with their own set of nuances that can make installation tricky. If you have a vision for your home that involves large-format tiling, contact a professional tile installer who has extensive experience cutting and setting large-format tiles.

Popular Large-Format Tile Materials

Large-format tiles used to be a specialty item, but now you can find them made out of many materials in various sizes and shapes. Here are some of the most popular LFT materials:

• Granite – Granite is an igneous stone sporting an uneven, mottled appearance. Because of its strength and heat resistance, granite is often used for kitchen countertops and backsplashes. Large-format granite tiles can be used to cover nearly any surface.
• Marble – Marble is known as a temperamental material because of its porous surface. This is why large-format tiles can be an ingenious solution for homeowners who desire marble surfaces in their home, but are worried about possible damage. The tiles can be replaced easily in the event of damage to a single piece.
• Terrazzo – Terrazzo is a versatile, beautiful composite of stone chips and a binding material. Large-format terrazzo tiles can be used uniformly or to create patterns (i.e. checkered, lines, et cetera) in floors.
• Travertine – Travertine is beautiful, but like marble, it’s also soft and porous. Large-format tiles are a common-sense approach to incorporating travertine in a kitchen, bathroom, or the floors of any room.
• Limestone – Limestone is a sedimentary rock, but it’s much harder than many of its sedimentary counterparts. Large-format limestone tiles can be used nearly anywhere in the home.
• Flagstone – Also a very durable sedimentary stone, flagstone large-format tiles can be used for floors, showers, bathrooms, and other surfaces.
• Slate – Slate large-format tiles are strong, durable, and carry distinctive hues of gray. Because the gray tones of slate vary, make sure all your tiles come from the same batch and that you keep a supply of reserves in case any of them break or sustain damage.
• Ceramic – Ceramic tiles also come in large-format. As with small ceramic tiles, there are an almost infinite number of ceramic LFT colors and shapes available.
• Concrete – Large-format concrete tiles provide the beauty, durability, and feel of polished concrete with the flexibility of being able to replace and remove individual tiles.

Cons

• Large-format tile is more fragile than smaller pieces of the same material. That means that there’s a slightly greater likelihood that tiles will break and you’ll need to replace them.
• With large-format tile, there’s a greater occurrence of air pockets between the tile and the subfloor. If the tiles are on the floor, there may be a hollow sound whenever you step on the pocket of air.
• Because LFTs have more surface area, they’re more vulnerable to air pockets and buckling than smaller tiles are. If this happens, the tile can crack or break under pressure.

Of course, with proper installation, it is far less likely that buckling or breakage will occur. Reputable tile installers guarantee their work and will repair any kind of tiles that break within the warranty period.