A question about tile.

[TNDemo]

I have a very small area of tile around the toilet, which is in a tiny room by itself. I need to replace the tile in there and like the small tiles that are made for a backsplash. Would those work on a floor? They are more expensive but I don't need a lot. I can't find any kind of description about what tiles are floor worthy and which ones aren't.

[Angry Dragon]

1. do a google search and find

a tile company and give them a call
more likely to get an honest answer to your questions

[siligut]

2. You can also post your question in the DIY forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1158


Good luck

[IcyPeas]

3. I would find out how they handle

being walked on. Aren't a lot of those backsplash tiles glass? Some of them are beautiful that's for sure. Also find out if harsh cleaning products would damage them.

[csziggy]

4. There are small tile made for floors - we had those in the house I grew up in

They will not have the super shiny slick glaze but will be more matt.

A piece of advice - if you go that route, consider using a different grout than white. For instance, in my current house I have a medium blue gray grout. It shows no dirt and is easy to clean. Grout comes in lots of colors these days, though the big box stores don't carry a big selection.

Do talk to a real tile store - they will be able to give you a lot more information about the various options and you will have a better selection. And often the price will be about the same or a little less than the big box stores.

You need to get two pieces of information and at the moment I can't remember the right terms - one is how hard/break resistant the tile is. That is less important for the smaller tiles. The other is how slippery the surface is - VERY important for floors and places that will be damp. Of course, with more grout surface, the rating for how slippery the tiles are is slightly less important.

You WILL want a sanded grout for a floor, so make sure you get a tile with a wide enough grout line - those little tiles usually come pre-mounted on a backing so you can lay a square foot or so at a time and the grout line is predetermined by that.

If you go to Dal Tile - http://www.daltile.com/ and click the down arrow next to the Residential on the red bar towards the top, you can pick various selections - what you are looking for is "mosaic" for the small tiles. Dal Tile is one of the leading companies for tile, though there are plenty of others. They just have a great website for shopping for ideas.

[TNDemo]

5. Thanks everyone.

I have laid a lot of tile in my day but never considered doing this. Lots of good points to consider.