Is it convenient to use large format tiles on floors and walls?

Some of you have recently asked me if it is more convenient to lay small and medium size (until 60 x 60 cm I mean) or to lay floors with large format tiles of 90, 100, 120, 150 cm and more than that.

View of living space with large format tiles flooring

In the last few months, architects and designers together with ceramic tiles manufacturers, are strongly promoting the use of very large tiles. There in fact on the market tiles with sizes 1000 x 3000 mm (1 meter by 3 meters) called Kerlite. Another example of giant tiles is made by Graniti Fiandre with tiles which have 1,5 x 3 meters and thickness of only 3 to 6 mm.

What can I say? 

I honestly don't know if this is just a temporary trend or if large sized tiles have come to stay, but it's been at least three years now since people have been using big tiles for tiling walls and floors.

From my point of view, the advantages of using large format tiles are:

- hygiene: large tiles mean less bacteria, and this means less dirt and less need to clean

- aesthetics: with tiles this big it is possible to create new and fascinating tiling designs by using also digital graphics

- I would instinctively think of increased laying speed but the fact that moving these large tiles involves more people and a high risk of damaging them kind of balances the fact that one only tile covers a larger surface.

I must also point out some disadvantages:

- moving these large tiles is not easy. Imagine yourself living on the top floor of a building and how high would the risk of breaking the tile while carrying it to the apartment and how high the replacing costs would be. Breaking a 45 x 45 cm tile is not the same as damaging a 1 x 3 meters Kerlite tile

- about the costs of big format tiles, I'm not sure about the figures, since these are very recent materials that I didn't have while I was still working as a tiler. However I'll talk to some friends and get this information for you.

What I know for sure is that only a few tilers and construction workers are able to lay these tiles without damaging them. To do so, the tilers must absolutely have the right tiling tools and the best training, otherwise damaging this material means having enormous costs.

The companies that manufacture these big format tiles have been training specialized laying teams (some names are Cotto D'Este, Graniti Fiandre, etc) and some tile cutting producers such as Montolit are working well to provide tilers with the best tools.

Everything related to this topic is still developing and growing and in a few years we will see if these giant tiles will confirm themselves as a trend for the future or if instead they were only a temporary fashion.

What I know is that amongst hospitals and other public places where hygiene is a critical factor, these tiles should for sure reach success.