ᐅ Tiles: What Matters Most: Appearance or Abrasion Resistance?

Hello,

We’ve probably looked at a million tiles over the past few days.

By now, we have a rough idea of what matters:

1. We have to like them and they must be reasonably affordable (well, of course *g)
2. Abrasion class (IV or V)
3. Slip resistance (>=9 for living areas; >=10 (possibly B) for bathrooms)
4. Rectified edges
5. Through-body porcelain
6. Glazed, if possible

Is there anything missing?

Questions:

a)
Besides the technical specifications (and design/price that we like), does the manufacturer matter in any way?
In other words, does it make a difference if I choose an Italian manufacturer like Marazzi or a lesser-known brand?

b)
For the living areas, we are looking for darker wood-look tiles (approx. 30x120cm (12x47 inches)).
We have seen some nice options from Marazzi, called Treverkhome, I believe.
Also, Aventuro has some attractive choices.
Any strong recommendations on other brands or styles we should check out?

c)
For the bathroom, we want concrete-colored/gray/anthracite tiles, possibly even close to black (preferably large square formats).
We liked some called Nexos by Gepadi.
We also saw nice tiles from La Roche by Rex and Iris.
Any hot tips on what else we should consider?

We aim to spend roughly 75 EUR/sqm (about $) excluding installation.
Less would also be great.

Many thanks!

AnNaHF79 schrieb:
Hello,

These days we have looked at what feels like a million tiles

We roughly know what’s important now:

1. We have to like them and they need to be affordable (of course *g)
2. Abrasion class (IV or V)
3. Slip resistance (>=9 for living areas; >=10 (possibly B) for bathrooms)
4. Rectified edges
5. Through-colored
6. Glazed if possible

Is anything missing?

Questions:

a)
Besides the technical data (and design/price that we like), does the manufacturer matter in any way?
I.e., is there a difference if I choose an Italian manufacturer like Marazzi or a lesser-known one?

b)
For the living area, we are looking for rather dark wood-look tiles (size approx. 30x120cm (12x47 inches)).

We also saw some nice ones from Aventuro.
Hot tips?

c)
For the bathroom, we are looking for concrete color/gray/anthracite, maybe even leaning towards black (larger square format preferred).!

Where did you get your “technical data” from?
That sounds like something from a cheap website: the best tile is the one that combines everything.

For bathrooms, abrasion class 1 is sufficient; for bedrooms (if tiles are desired there) abrasion 2; for kitchens and living spaces 3; for hallways, utility rooms, or dirty hobbies abrasion 4.

All should be slip resistant, so it’s best to feel the surface yourself. Floor tiles are usually matte, while wall tiles can be smooth.

Glazed: there are different kinds. It’s like with cake. One is glazed, another is not. Both taste good and both nourish.
Unglazed tiles are more slip resistant and also look more natural. A glaze is an additional protective layer, but in a single-family house you should ask yourself what exactly the floor needs protection from.
I would prioritize aesthetics.

Also, your point 4 doesn’t apply if you prefer irregular tiles.

Go to exhibition showrooms and choose what you like.
There is a dedicated thread here about wood-look tiles that you can find via the search function.
Tip: look for wood-look tiles in the 30 x 120cm (12x47 inches) format.

Regarding dark tiles: consider whether, with uniform coloring, you want to clean every day.
It’s not uncommon for white or uniformly dark tiles to look dirty quickly—due to sunlight, artificial lighting, pets, lint, or hair... the latter is a common issue in bathrooms.
Also, dark floors absorb a lot of light.
So it all depends on the layout of the floor plan.

I fully agree with the previous post by @ypg. We have abrasion resistance class 4 tiles everywhere, and everything else was decided through "looking, touching, and feeling" in the specialist store...